A sea of cardinal red sprinted across the field to grasp the Frisco Bell while Mike Harris and Dello Davis hoisted it upon their shoulders. The mob cheered for what seemed like hours, and the pioneers made sure the bell was returned safely to the Kirkwood side. After last year’s 49-7 victory and recapturing of the bell, the Pioneers hope to keep the bell for another year.
     “Turkey day is really cool. It means football at the end of November no matter what,” Larry Frost, varsity football head coach, said.
     Preparation for the game is the same as for any other, but the Turkey Day game has a whole different meaning.
The week before Turkey Day is dedicated to the preparation and celebration of Turkey Day tradition. It starts with Tacky Day and ends with the football game with Spirit Day, hall decorations and the pep rally sandwiched in between.
    “I love the competition and history behind Turkey Day,” DeAndre Buckner, senior, said. “Playing Webster is like going to war. You want to play even harder.”
     Webster Groves High School leads the series 49-39. There have been five ties and seven cancellations as well. The one overtime game was in 1986 when KHS won 19-16.
     The first Turkey Day shutout was in 1916, when Webster defeated KHS 76-0. Kirkwood’s turn came next in 1951, when they held the Statesmen scoreless in a  33-0 win. The next shutout did not happen until 1978, when Webster won the game 48-0. In 1997, KHS beat Webster 35-0. 
     Up until 1952, Turkey Day was just a game and the winner got bragging rights for a year. In 1952, the Frisco Bell was donated by Frisco Railroad company and since then has been the winner’s prize along with bragging rights for the year.
     The Turkey Day game is not just a game. For most families in the community, their Thanksgiving Day revolves around the game. The rivalry itself is the oldest west of the Mississippi River and always begins at high noon.
     No one can look into the future and tell the outcome of the Turkey Day game. Both teams forget about previous records and put it all on the line of scrimmage with the winner walking away with the bell.
     “Turkey Day is bigger than life itself,” Dr. David Holley, principal, said.