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61-460: The Kirkwood-Webster Groves rivalry celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2007. Newly found evidence shows that 2007 also celebrated the 100th known football game since 1898 between the two schools (whether or not there were games played during the 1899, 1900, and 1905 seasons still remains unknown) and the 77th game played on Thanksgiving Day between the varsity teams of the two schools. It was not regularly played on Thanksgiving until 1928. In addition to

122-426: A 3-3-2, 3-2-3, 4-3-1, 3-4-1, 4-2-2, 5-3, and a 6-2 goal-line defense. The 3-2-3 defense has gained popularity due to the increase of passing-oriented offense in the eight-man game. It substitutes the third linebacker for another defensive back. Most of these formations put stress on linebackers. that is why they have to be some of the best tacklers on the field. Eight-man football includes special teams units similar to

183-478: A Missouri school in 11 of 22 contests, the bowl suffered from declining interest and was discontinued for a second time after the 1975 game. Crowds had dwindled from a peak of 7,000 in the 1960s to just 1,500 in 1974. After a gap of seventeen years, the bowl was revived as a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) postseason game, held annually on the first Saturday in December starting in 1992. In

244-831: A bid to improve the Cardinals' public profile. For that year, the Turkey Day Game was not scheduled or played. The move drew controversy both in St. Louis and in the NFL (particularly from Dallas Cowboys president Tex Schramm , who wanted the games hosted by his team permanently). For 1976, as the Cardinals played the Cowboys in Dallas, the Turkey Day Game went on as scheduled, as it also did in 1977 when St. Louis hosted its second and, to date, final NFL Thanksgiving game. The publicity effort

305-472: A hallway in a unique theme, and are then judged. At both schools, the activities culminate in respective pep rallies both on the last day of school of that week (Tuesday) and the Wednesday night before the game. At both Kirkwood and Webster, there is a bonfire after the Wednesday night pep rally. However the game is considered to be a rivalry, it is difficult to say whether it exemplifies the characteristics of

366-555: A playoff format will seed teams based on regular season records and conference standings. Depending on the sizes of each class, division, or district, the playoff bracket is adjusted accordingly. Teams will advance through the bracket until a state champion is crowned. Bowl Game format States that elect a bowl game format, also known as a Jamboree, will seed teams based on regular season records and pair them against like-seeded opponents (i.e. #1 vs #1, #2 vs #2, #3 vs #3, and #4 vs #4). In this format, teams play one postseason game as there

427-588: A rivalry due to the fact of Webster's consecutive losses against Kirkwood. Drawing thousands of people every year, the game itself has grown in popularity to the likes of the local news and cable broadcasts of the game. As well as being recognized by ESPN , the game has garnered a multi-page exclusive article in Sports Illustrated . Since 1952, a bell from a retired locomotive, donated by the Frisco Railroad Company , has been used as

488-698: Is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the 1st Round of the 2018 NFL draft with the 19th overall pick. He was also named to the 2018 Pro Bowl. Tarik Cohen — (born July 26, 1995) was an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Cohen played the same position for North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University before being selected in

549-716: Is no advancement through levels as in a playoff format. Eight-man football consists of fast-paced games with higher scoring than the traditional game. Eight-man scores vary depending on the offensive and defensive strategies. Scores typically fall in the 40-60 point range, with "high scoring" games reaching the 70s and "low scoring" games falling below 30. Eight-man football is noted for producing multi-skilled players that are responsible for playing several positions, which require speed, agility, and strength. A variety of offensive formations can be used in eight-man football, most of which are converted from traditional eleven-man formations. Eight-man football rules require five players to be on

610-516: The COVID-19 pandemic . The rivalry resumed in 2021 with Kirkwood registering yet another blowout win, their eighth consecutive victory. The 2021 contest, which the Pioneers won 65–0, was also notable for both head coaches being black , the first time that had ever happened in the series. The Pioneers, coached by NFL alumnus Jeremy Maclin , won their tenth straight Turkey Day Game in 2023, defeating

671-577: The Houston Oilers of the NFL. Steinkuhler is also remembered for being the player who picked up quarterback Turner Gill 's intentional fumble in the 1984 Orange Bowl and ran it 19 yards for a touchdown in a play dubbed the " Fumblerooski ". Roland Woolsey – (born August 11, 1953 in Provo, Utah ) is a former professional American football player who played in four NFL seasons for the Dallas Cowboys , Seattle Seahawks , Cleveland Browns and

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732-537: The Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the 7th Round of the 2023 NFL draft with the 236th overall pick. Witt played eight-man football for Ewen-Trout Creek High School before playing basketball for one year at Michigan Technological University and transferring to Northern Michigan University in 2019 to play tight end before switching to offensive tackle in 2022. Leighton Vander Esch — (born February 8, 1996)

793-753: The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) were chosen yearly for the game, with invitations going to the top-placing team in each conference not receiving a bid to the NCAA Division II National Football Championship playoffs. The arrangement between the MIAA and NSIC continued until 2017 but was eventually strained when the MIAA began to send its top non-playoff teams to four other Division II bowl games:

854-803: The Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa , and was drafted by the Vikings in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft . He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection (2011, 2012) and Second-team All-Pro (2012). He was awarded the Ed Block Courage Award (2007) and was the NFC Combined Tackles Leader (2010) and also ranked #70 in the Top 100 NFL Players of 2013. Jack Pardee (Six-man) – (April 19, 1936 – April 1, 2013)

915-526: The Missouri High School Athletic Association never officially sanctioned it and forbade Excelsior Springs from playing in the game after 1950. (It remains unclear why Excelsior Springs was singled out while the association continued to sanction other Thanksgiving football games in the state, such as Kirkwood vs. Webster Groves , still played to this day). After the 1951 contest, which featured two opponents from outside

976-603: The St. Louis Cardinals . He played college football at Boise State University . The Israeli Football League , an eight-man league was established in Israel in 2005 with three teams, Haifa Underdogs, Tel Aviv Pioneers and Tel Aviv Sabres. The league was established by Israeli players and activists under the leadership of Ofri Becker, and though playing without equipment, this was the first ever tackle football league in this country, named Israeli Football League (IFL). In March 2008, at

1037-521: The junior varsity and freshman squads play instead. The agreement was first invoked in 2002, and again in 2003 and 2006. The Kirkwood and Webster Groves varsity teams did not meet in the Turkey Day Game for a four-year stretch between 2009 and 2012. This is because every year in that time span, at least one of the two teams advanced to the Show-Me Bowl, thus invoking the Agreement and relegating

1098-588: The six-man football team. He was an All-American linebacker at Texas A&M University and a two-time All-Pro with the Los Angeles Rams (1963) and the Washington Redskins (1971). He was one of the few six-man players to ever make it to the NFL, and his knowledge of that wide-open game would serve him well as a coach. Dean Steinkuhler – (born January 27, 1961) is a former American college and professional football player who

1159-426: The 1920s came after a melee occurred on the field in 1923 that involved spectators from the stands. A referee called back all three of Kirkwood's touchdowns due to penalties, allowing Webster Groves to win the game 7–0. The win gave Webster Groves its eighth consecutive win and a 14–7–2 lead in the varsity series since 1898. The game resumed in 1928 and was played continuously on Thanksgiving Day through 1974. While not

1220-529: The 1996 contest, Blinn (TX) defeated Coffeyville (KS) for the NJCAA championship. The junior college bowl typically featured top-ranked teams, and the Kansas community college league--closest to the game site geographically--provided teams for six of the games, but after eight years the sponsors opted to make it an NCAA bowl once again, this time for teams from Division II . Starting in 2000, representatives from

1281-410: The 2016 Show-Me Bowl (which it won) and play the Turkey Day Game in the same year without invoking the Agreement; using their backup quarterback, Kirkwood won their fourth consecutive Turkey Day Game 17–6. It was the second time either team won both the state title and the Turkey Day Game in the same year, following Webster Groves's achievement of the feat in 1979 (coincidentally, the next year would begin

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1342-612: The Canadian Football League. He is the youngest player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season (21 years, 77 days old). Josh Brown – (born April 29, 1979) is an American football placekicker , formerly for the New York Giants of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL draft . He played college football at Nebraska . Brown

1403-624: The Centennial Jug, with the history of the coaches painted on it. KTRS (AM 550) Turkey Day Game at ktrs.com. KWRH (FM 92.9) [1] at KWRH929.com The 2017 and 2018 games were streamed via Internet television on the online media of KSDK (channel 5). Mineral Water Bowl The Mineral Water Bowl was an annual American NCAA Division II college football bowl game held in Excelsior Springs, Missouri at Tiger Stadium. Throughout its long history (1948 to 2019),

1464-729: The Eight Man Football League (8FL) plays on a 60-yard (55 m) field. In recent years, organizations that previously played six-man football have been converting to eight-man football, leading to the expansion of the eight-man game. Eight-man football is particularly prominent in the Midwestern United States, with Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma being three of the four states with more than 80 eight-man teams. A write-up on 8-man football in Kansas appeared in Sports Illustrated' s tribute to

1525-546: The NSIC and MIAA, the latter chosen as an at-large team. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of all Division II postseason football games in 2020. Local organizers hoped to hold the Mineral Water Bowl in 2021, but after failing to do so, they finally gave up on continuing the game in 2022, citing a lack of sponsors. + - Northeastern State, an independent already admitted to the MIAA for 2012, received

1586-587: The Rams from 1977 through 1987 and was named to the Pro Bowl in four consecutive years, 1980 through 1983. He played on the Rams' 1979–1980 Super Bowl XIV team. He was the Rams' wide receivers coach from 2010 to 2011. He was named the Wichita Eagle 's high school football player of the decade for the 1970s. Chad Greenway (9-man)– (born January 12, 1983) is a former American football linebacker for

1647-459: The Rams left St. Louis in 2016, closing the Show-Me Bowl's permanent home venue, the Show-Me Bowl was split up so that the lowest class, the eight-man football class, and the largest, Class 6, are held the weekend before Thanksgiving. By this point, Kirkwood, which had been a Class 5 school as recently as 2013, had grown into Class 6, which resulted in Kirkwood being able to advance all the way to

1708-508: The Statesmen 65–13, which was a modest improvement for the Statesmen paralleling the team's regular season performance that year. The Turkey Day Game site alternates between Moss Field (Webster Groves) on even years and Lyons Field (Kirkwood) on odd years. As of the end of 2023, Webster Groves leads the all-time series between the two teams (counting Thanksgiving and non-Thanksgiving games) 58–56–7. Among only Thanksgiving games, Kirkwood leads

1769-423: The Turkey Day Game and chose to contest for the Show-Me Bowl instead. To allow the game to not be canceled because of such conflicts in future years, the two schools agreed to the "Turkey Day Agreement." The agreement, which was based on the precedent set in the 1979 game, stipulates that in the event that either Kirkwood or Webster Groves advances to the Show-Me Bowl state championship game, the non-varsity members of

1830-679: The United States, due to the eight-man format being adopted by most indoor football leagues. These leagues typically use a 50-yard (46 m) by roughly 25-yard (23 m) field, as professional eight-man football is usually played indoors. There are some eight-man leagues that play outdoors, however; in Texas the American Eightman Football League (AEFL) plays on a 100-yard field, and in Illinois and Missouri,

1891-580: The area, the high school Mineral Water Bowl was discontinued. At the end of the 1952 season, an attempt to revive the bowl as a small-college contest failed after Northeast Missouri State (today Truman State ), that year's co-champions of the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Association (today the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association ), turned down an invitation to participate. Undeterred by this setback, local organizers succeeded in bringing back

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1952-600: The ball and a field width that can be reduced to 40 yards, 13 1/3 yards narrower than the 53 1/3-yard 11-man field. Most states continue to play on a field 100 yards long, whereas a few states opt for 80-yard lengths. Reduced-player football, which consists of eight-man, six-man , and nine-man football has gained popularity across the United States. As of 2015, 1,561 schools in 30 states sponsor reduced-player football, with 1,161 of those teams participating in eight-man leagues, whereas 284 teams play six-man football and 116 teams play nine-man football . Eight-man football shares

2013-427: The conference's bowl bid for 2011 This list is for appearances in the Mineral Water Bowl during its years as a postseason NCAA Division II game (2000 through 2019). Eight-man football Eight-man football is a form of gridiron football , generally played by high schools with smaller enrollments. Eight-man football differs from the traditional 11-man game with the reduction of three players on each side of

2074-456: The contest to a junior varsity match. In 2010, there was an unusual situation: the Kirkwood and Webster Groves varsity teams met in the Class 5 state semifinals the weekend before Thanksgiving, assuring one of them would advance to the Show-Me Bowl; Webster Groves won the game, 28–0. In addition to the pre-Thanksgiving matchup, the junior varsity teams played on Thanksgiving itself. In 2012 and 2013,

2135-758: The end of the first season played in full gear, the Big Blue Jerusalem Lions defeated the Real Housing Haifa Underdogs 24 – 18 in overtime in Israel Bowl I. In Israel Bowl II in April 2009, the Dancing Camel Modi'in Pioneers defeated the defending champions Big Blue Jerusalem Lions 32 – 26 after two overtimes. The game was decided by a whole field interception return for a TD by Pioneers' Ohad Naveh. That season

2196-437: The festivities in the week prior to Thanksgiving Day. Both schools participate in extensive activities surrounding Turkey Day during Thanksgiving week. The Friendship Dance is held every year at the high school not hosting that year's game, as a gesture of friendship between the schools. Each school names a Friendship Court and selects a Friendship Queen and King from the court. In addition, each grade level at both schools decorate

2257-470: The fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft . He was also named to the 2018 Pro Bowl. Rashaan Salaam – (October 8, 1974 – December 5, 2016) was a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons during the 1990s. Salaam played college football for the University of Colorado and won the 1994 Heisman Trophy . He

2318-536: The game as a small-college bowl two years later, in 1954. The game was eventually moved from Thanksgiving Day to the Saturday before or after the holiday. As of 1957, it was one of 11 sanctioned NCAA bowl games. The bowl continued in the small-college format, hosting teams from as far away as Michigan and Colorado, but the pool of potential quality opponents dwindled after the onset of football playoffs for NCAA Division II and Division III , in 1973. Despite featuring

2379-884: The game was sponsored by the Quarterback Club, a civic organization in Excelsior Springs. At the time of its demise, it was one of four Division II sanctioned bowl games, along with the Live United Texarkana Bowl , the Heritage Bowl , and the America's Crossroads Bowl . The first Mineral Water Bowl was played on Thanksgiving Day in 1948. The game was established to showcase the Excelsior Springs High School team against another Missouri high school squad, but

2440-535: The general guidelines set forth by the eleven-man game. Attempting the extra point kick after a touchdown is less common in eight-man, due to the lack of specialized kickers and holders and the inability to block defenders from interfering with the kick. For this reason, teams often attempt a two-point conversion instead. This is another reason why 8 man is very high scoring. General defensive alignments in eight-man football consist of defensive linemen , linebackers , and defensive backs . Common formations include

2501-424: The line of scrimmage with players on each end remaining pass eligible. The interior of the line consists of two guards and a center . Most often, the line players on the edges of the formation are tight ends , or are occasionally split wide as wide receivers . Due to reduced sized teams requiring players to know different positions, players' jersey numbers do not affect pass eligibility, however, most teams follow

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2562-547: The now-defunct Kanza Bowl (from 2009 through 2012), C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl (in 2016 and 2017), and Live United Texarkana Bowl (in 2014, 2015, and 2017), along with the Heritage Bowl (in 2017). After 2017, the NSIC had the only automatic bid to the game, with its representative facing an at-large opponent. The 2018 game featured teams from the NSIC and the Great Lakes Valley Conference . The 2019 game once again included representatives from

2623-603: The odd number of teams, the IFL abandoned the North and South Divisions, and now each team plays every other team in the league one time during the 10 game season. An eight-man league is also played in Ireland. This league, named DV8, is used as developmental league for rookies before they go on to compete in the 11man IAFL. As of 2009, six teams were competing in the DV8 league . The format

2684-601: The only Thanksgiving football game in Missouri during its early existence, the state's high school athletic commission shut down most others (one prominent example being the Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs ) after 1950, while leaving the Kirkwood–Webster Groves game intact. In 1975 , the NFL awarded the then- St. Louis Cardinals hosting rights to one of its two annual Thanksgiving games in

2745-531: The only other Kirkwood four-game winning streak in the game's record). (Webster Groves remains in Class 5 and thus must still invoke the Agreement should it ever return to the Show-Me Bowl; Kirkwood's promotion also ensures that neither team will face each other in the playoffs for the foreseeable future.) By the early 2020s, the Show-Me Bowls been reunited at one location and moved to the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend. 2020 had no game played because of

2806-420: The playing field is often smaller in eight-man football than in 11-man. To accommodate six fewer players on the field, the width of the field is 40-yard-wide (37 m), 13 1/3-yards narrower than the 53 1/3-yard eleven-man field. Most eight-man leagues mandate 100-yard length fields, where few choose the 80-yard-long (73 m) field length option. There are several professional eight-man football leagues in

2867-498: The playing of the Turkey Day Game, much as state championships elsewhere in the United States have done; both Kirkwood and Webster Groves have typically been contenders for the state title since approximately 2002. The first time this would be an issue was the 1979 contest, in which Webster Groves played the JV squad for most of the Turkey Day Game, still managing to win, en route to the state title. In 1988, Webster Groves decided not to play

2928-463: The same rules, procedures, and structure as the traditional 11-man game, with a few minor differences. Eight-man football is played with eight players on offense and defense, three fewer than the 11-man game. It depends greatly on the type of formation used, but the eliminated players are commonly two offensive tackles and a skill position player on offense and one defensive back , one linebacker and one defensive lineman on defense. The size of

2989-588: The series 46–37–5. Kirkwood has won all ten matchups since the varsity series resumed in 2013. With the 2021 discontinuation of the Big Bone Game in San Jose, California , the Turkey Day Game is the last ongoing Thanksgiving high school football game west of the Mississippi River . The term Turkey Day in both Kirkwood and Webster has grown to encompass not only the football game itself, but

3050-419: The state. Of the 30 states that sponsor the 1,161 eight-man teams in the nation, teams are categorized by "class", "division", or "districts" with sub-conferences within each. States may elect to use either a playoff format or a "bowl game" format (Jamboree). For states with few eight-man teams, no official postseason is organized, instead electing for "Conference Champions". Playoff format States that elect

3111-718: The three Tel Aviv-area teams: the Sabres, Pioneers and Hammers; as well as the Haifa Underdogs and Naharia North Stars. The South Division was made up of the three Jerusalem-area teams: the Rebels, Lions and Kings; as well as the Petah Tikva Troopers and Be'er Sheva Black Swarm. The IFL continued to expand for the 2012–2013 season, adding another Tel Aviv-area team, the Rehovot Silverbacks. Due to

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3172-413: The traditional format. One notable difference is significantly fewer teams using field goal or extra point units, instead electing to go for a fourth down conversion or a two-point conversion. Additionally, many teams opt to onside kick instead of kick deep. This saves players' energy since there are often few backups. Jake Witt — (born February 7, 2000) is an American football Offensive tackle for

3233-537: The trophy for the Turkey Day Game. The winner of the game takes possession of the Frisco Bell until the next game. The Bell was first awarded to Kirkwood, despite the game ending in a tie, because Webster Groves had lost the previous year's game. Since 1940, the loser has received the Little Brown Jug, which originally had painted the years and scores of the game on its back, but now has been replaced with

3294-487: The two teams faced each other in the playoffs earlier in November, which was more common given the two schools' proximity. Even though the two had already met in the playoffs earlier in 2013, the varsity teams met in the Turkey Day Game on Thanksgiving itself, breaking a five-year JV streak; Kirkwood avenged its earlier loss in a 44–0 rout. Kirkwood would also win the 2014 and 2015 contests, 33–6 and 42–13 respectively. When

3355-435: The unknown seasons of 1899, 1900, and 1905, there was no game in 1904 because Kirkwood did not have a team; there were two games held in 1906; three games held in 1907; and two games held in 1908. Annual games in 1909–10, 1912, 1915–17, 1919–21, and 1923 are recorded, but none were held on Thanksgiving; no games were held 1911, 1914, 1918 (due to World War I and the flu pandemic), nor between 1924 and 1927. The four-year hiatus in

3416-649: Was a member of the 2005 Seattle Seahawks NFC Champion team. He was also awarded the PFW Golden Toe Award in 2006. Nolan Cromwell – (born January 30, 1955) is an American football player and coach who currently serves as a senior offensive assistant for the Cleveland Browns . He was an All-Pro safety for the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL and played for the University of Kansas in college, where he earned All-American honors. Cromwell played for

3477-706: Was an American football linebacker and the only head coach to helm a team in college football , the National Football League , the United States Football League , the World Football League , and the Canadian Football League . Pardee was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1986. As a teenager, Pardee moved to Christoval, Texas , where he excelled as a member of

3538-613: Was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons in the 1980s and 1990s. Steinkuhler played college football for the University of Nebraska , and was recognized as an All-American . While playing collegiately, he won the Outland Trophy (1983), Lombardi Award (1983), and the UPI Lineman of the Year (1983). He was selected in the first round of the 1984 NFL draft , and played professionally for

3599-488: Was largely a failure and a backfire, as the Cardinals lost all three games by wide margins and the NFL quickly returned hosting rights to the games to the Cowboys forever, leaving the Turkey Day Game as St. Louis's only Thanksgiving football. The game was also not held on Thanksgiving in 1980 or 1985. Two games between the two teams are recorded in 1983. The institution of the Show-Me Bowl, a statewide championship tournament for high school football in Missouri, has complicated

3660-419: Was picked by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 1995 NFL draft , and played professionally for the Bears and Cleveland Browns of the NFL. Collegiately, in addition to winning the Heisman Trophy, Salaam was a unanimous All-American selection and awarded the Walter Camp Award (1994), Doak Walker Award (1994), and Jim Brown Award (1994). His NFL career lasted five seasons, along with two seasons spent in

3721-478: Was played with five teams after the expansion franchise of Jerusalem Kings was added. The 2009–2010 season was played with seven teams, introducing two new franchises, the Beer Sheva Black Swarm and the Judean Rebels. In the 2010–2011 season, an eighth team was added (The Herzeliya Hammers), and the league was split into 2 divisions, IFL North and IFL South. The 2011–2012 season saw 10 teams, with five in each division, North and South. The North Division consisted of

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