It was a jam-packed Swellesley Thanksgiving day, starting with the annual Wellesley Turkey Trot at Linden Square.

Wellesley High alums and former Raider runners Maggie and Drew Donahue took first place respectively in the women’s and men’s categories (full results), as families and friends streamed through town at their own speed. Last year, the race went virtual, so runners and spectators were excited to get together in person again.

And for those who running 5K wasn’t enough, there was the Frozen Turkey Swim at Morses Pond hosted by Glen M. While h didn’t join in, Jim, Lee, Dan, and Sean braved 44F for a brief but refreshing swim. “All agreed that neoprene gloves would have improved the experience. Next year!” Sean says.

Raiders 34, Rockets 28

Over at the football field, Wellesley High (8-3) and Needham High (2-9) renewed their rivalry before a big crowd full of bro hugs and spirited cheering in Wellesley.

The Raiders jumped out early by a score of 14-0 thanks to some turnovers, including a long runback on an interception by Sam Gear. But the Rockets hung tough, scoring a touchdown with 1 second left in the half to tighten the score to 21-14. After Needham tied the game in the 3rd quarter, Gear made a spectacular one-handed grab and ran for a 55-yard touchdown to put the Raiders up by seven again. Needham tied the score at 28 during the 4th quarter, but the Raiders pulled out the win 34-28 on a Louis Person touchdown run in overtime.

For the Rockets, they scored 28 more points than they did in a 34-0 loss to the Raiders in March during the previous season’s schedule, which got reworked due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Update 11/29/21: Relive the game via Wellesley Media recording)