Atlantic City vs. Holy Spirit Thanksgiving Day Football Game 2023

The great tradition continues on Thursday, November 23, 2023 when the Atlantic City High School vs. Holy Spirit High School Thanksgiving Day Football Game takes place at Dr. Jack Eisenstein Stadium at Atlantic City High School.

Following last year’s dominating performance (63-34) victory by Holy Spirit, the series record is now stands at:

Atlantic City = 50 wins

Holy Spirit = 40 wins

4 ties (1931, 7-7); (1932, 0-0); (1933, 0-0); 1944, 0-0).

The first game was held on Thanksgiving Day in 1926, which Atlantic City won over Holy Spirit by a score of 28-18.

Holy Spirit defeated the Atlantic City Trade School in 1925, a 59-0 shutout. That is unrelated to this Thanksgiving series and didn't involve Atlantic City High School.

Atlantic City went on to dominate this series for the early decades. In fact, Atlantic City shutout Holy Spirit from 1936 through 1948.

Holy Spirit has closed the gap in more recent years.

There was no game played in: 1929, 1942, 1943.

The Thanksgiving Day game has taken place without exception from 1944 to the present; incredibly, even through the COVID-19 global pandemic.

The game has taken place in very interesting venues:

In the 1960's through 1973, the game was held indoors in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall ... then called Atlantic City Convention Hall.

During these special years, the game featured an official program guide. This is an amazing look back at the November 27, 1968 Program book. It cost $ .25 cents.

Photo Credit - Bobby Schilling via Facebook

The annual collegiate "Boardwalk Bowl" football game was held here for a number of years. It, too was a great annual tradition.

This afforded the opportunity to keep the field in place to stage the annual Atlantic City versus Holy Spirit Thanksgiving Day game.

It was also used for the annual Atlantic County

Junior Football League "Sand Bowl" Game. What a special occasion this was for youth football in Atlantic County.

There was one more special tradition over the years at Boardwalk Hall ... the annual Atlantic City Police Department versus Atlantic City Firefighters .. with both teams in full uniforms.

Historic Bader Field in Atlantic City was also home to this game for many years. Bader Field is where the term airport was created.

Bader Field was retired as Atlantic City's home Stadium in 1994.

The 2023 match-up at a glance:

Atlantic City High 6-4

Holy Spirit High 8-2

Where: Atlantic City High School, Dr. Jack Eisenstein Stadium, Atlantic City, New Jersey.

When: Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 23, 2024.

Kick-off time: 10:00 a.m.

Advanced weather forecast at kick-off: Partly cloudy skies. High 51 degrees. Wind NW at 10 to 15 MPH.

Join our 2-hour live special broadcast on Monday, November 20, 2023 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:06 a.m., on WPG Talk Radio 95.5

It will feature a discussion about the history of this game.

Frank Campo will join me in-studio for both hours, along with a number of other guests from both schools.

Campo spent 43 years in the Atlantic City Public Schools system; 26 years as Director of Athletics.

In the 8:00 a.m. hour, we’ll be joined by Steve Normane, Director of Athletics for Holy Spirit High School and Spartan Head Coach Andrew DiPasquale.

This great annual tradition has lasted for almost 100 years, with a lot of cross-over loyalties between both schools.