A turkey day tradition in Northeast Philadelphia is cooked.
Earlier this week, Father Judge High School, a Catholic school along Solly Avenue in the city's Holmesburg neighborhood, announced it would no longer play its Thanksgiving football game against Abraham Lincoln High School, a public school in the neighboring Mayfair neighborhood.
Why sack the high school rivalry game?
"After 40+ years, Father Judge High School and Abraham Lincoln High School have reached a joint agreement to cease playing our annual Thanksgiving Day game that has been a long-standing tradition in Northeast Philadelphia," wrote Judge Alumni President Brian Patrick King in a letter to the Catholic school's community that was posted to Judge's Facebook page.
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King wrote that the "decision was not taken lightly" and was being considered by the schools for a few years.
"The safety and security of players, referees, and attendees coupled with potential football conflicts with the PIAA and District 12 schedule were some of the driving forces that brought about this decision," King wrote.
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A secondary reason for the "difficult decision" to end the Thanksgiving tradition included wanting to give students who also play winter sports a bit of a break, the Judge alumni letter said.
It wasn't clear what's next for each school's football programs.
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