Turkey Bowl Could Take a Blow with Plans for CHSFL State Championship
White Plains High School is 1-4 this season, after losing to Suffern High School, 24-21, on Thursday, in Suffern. At this point in the Section 1 AA season, it does not seem likely that the Tigers will have to opt out of playing the Turkey Bowl, on Thanksgiving Day, as they did last season due to the Sectional Tournament and State Playoffs.
At the start of the high school football season White Plains did not have the Turkey Bowl scheduled but Stepinac High School did have the game scheduled. Even to date the Tigers schedule posted on SW BOCES Sportspak Online does not include the Thanksgiving Day game.
Despite the fact that Stepinac does have the traditional rivalry Turkey Bowl scheduled and all signs point to that White Plains will not have a postseason scheduling problem this year, another monkey wrench could interfere with the game.
“There is a game scheduled against our (CHSFL of Metropolitan New York) Champion and the Buffalo Catholic League Champion. We would only be in that game, if we somehow we won the Championship of the Catholic High School Football League,” stated Stepinac Head Coach Mike O’Donnell. “But if we had a chance to win the CHSFL State Championship, I am sure that White Plains would understand, if we played that game and did not play the Turkey Bowl,” said O’Donnell
The Catholic High School State Championship pitting the Champions of the NY Metropolitan CHSFL against the Champions of the Buffalo Catholic League is a reality scheduled at this time for Saturday, November 29. Furthermore, the possibility exists that the game will be played at Yankee Stadium with the Catholic Leagues in discussion with the Yankees regarding the venue. “We are hoping that Yankee Stadium will make the first one special,” stated legendary St. Anthony’s Head Coach Rich Reichert.
“We have not really talked about it yet because we have not had a meeting about Thanksgiving yet. We have not even had a chance to talk to our league about the possibility of playing the CHSFL State Championship on a Sunday and playing Thanksgiving Day (against White Plains). We would have to see how the whole thing falls and that is if we are even in it,” explained O’Donnell. “But of course, if we are not in the CHSFL State Championship Game then we would play in the Turkey Bowl,” stressed O’Donnell.
