Thanksgiving Day Rivalry: The tradition continues
1926: Stoughton 6-0
First game played in front of 2,000 spectators.
1927: Stoughton 12-0
Charlie Callery plays an impressive game.
1928: Stoughton 29-0
1929: Canton 19-0
First win for Bulldogs.
1930: Canton 20-0
Charlie Stevenson plays well offensively; Bob Gibson has strong defensive game.
1931: Canton 8-6
Charlie Stevenson has another great effort.
1932: Canton 13-0
Minichielli and Distafens clinch undefeated season for Bulldogs.
1933: Stoughton 33-0
Bulldogs beaten in front of 3,000.
1934: Tie 0-0
1935: Canton 20-0
Bulldogs finish undefeated season; outscore opponents 176-6.
1936: Canton 6-0
Leo Strumski and Augie Decembrele lead Bulldogs to the win and a 9-1 finish.
1937: Stoughton 14-0
1938: Stoughton 7-6
Knights block two punts and win the ballgame.
1939: Stoughton 19-0
Paul Keleher has a great effort.
1940: Canton 6-0
Bulldogs spoil Knights’ undefeated season on a muddy field.
1941: Stoughton 25-0
1942: Stoughton 34-0
Bill Donovan’s last year as coach.
1943: Stoughton 7-6
In Charlie Stevenson’s first year as coach, Canton loses on a last-minute pass that was blocked; 5,000 fans in attendance.
1944: Canton 30-0
Tom Withee notches 2 TDs, one on a 75-yard run.
1945: Canton 12-6
Nick Marathas and Donald Podgurski, center linemen, have a great game.
1946: Canton 19-9
Canton prevails behind Bill Duggan’s 3 TDs and Cliff Lewis’s needle-threading passing.
1947: Canton 19-13
Big runs by B. Farrell (70 yds) and Cliff Lewis (62 yds) turn the tide in Canton’s favor.
1948: Stoughton 14-0
Jim Sfougaris has outstanding game for undefeated season. Stoughton upsets Canton.
1949: Canton 14-7
Harry Josephson notches 2 TDs as Bulldogs complete undefeated season.
1950: Stoughton 7-6
Knights snap Canton’s 2-year win streak (27 games); field conditions sloppy.
1951: Stoughton 19-0
Bulldogs fall to a strong Stoughton team for their only loss of the season.
1952: Canton 13-7
Joe Berardi scores all 13 points in a game that draws 3,000 spectators.
1953: Stoughton 20-0
Most points scored against a Stevenson-coached defense.
1954: Stoughton 13-0
Knights complete undefeated season.
1955: Stoughton 20-0
1956: Stoughton 14-6
Bob Trayers scores Canton’s lone TD; Coach Stevenson’s last year.
1957: Stoughton 33-7
1958: Stoughton 44-0
Knights score 38 points in the second half; set record for biggest margin of victory.
1959: Canton 18-8
Lloyd Hill gets 1st victory as Canton coach.
1960: Stoughton 18-0
Joe Kelleher and Charlie Patriarca have strong games.
1961: Canton 14-0
Bill Gardner and Joe Cocchi score touchdowns; Bill Brophy plays solid game.
1962: Stoughton 14-6
Bill Gardner has another good game.
1963: Stoughton 22-12
1964: Stoughton 26-6
1965: Tie 16-16
1966: Canton 26-16
Dick Decembrele named MVP in the first year for the award with a stellar two-way performance at fullback and defensive end.
1967: Canton 6-0
Dick Decembrele gets touchdown in the muddiest game ever. John Ilhenberg wins MVP.
1968: Canton 22-8
Joe Roache leads Bulldogs to victory. Scores 2 TDs, earns MVP.
1969: Stoughton 21-8
1970: Canton 28-22
Bill Becker has strong showing at halfback and cornerback.
1971: Canton 18-6
Ned White, Tom Withers and Bill Breheny turn in top-notch performances.
1972: Stoughton 13-8
Bob Higgins retires as Bulldog coach.
1973: Canton 16-15
In the rivalry’s biggest upset, Canton spoils Stoughton’s Super Bowl bid. Breheny’s safety proves to be a strategic move of the game. First year as coach for Paul Therrien.
1974: Stoughton 28-6
1975: Tie 0-0
In a mudfest, the Bulldogs hold Knights on the 2-yard line to preserve the scoreless tie.
1976: Canton 14-6
Mike Uliano passes to Tom Foley for 67-yard TD; Bulldogs finish second in the league.
1977: Canton 27-2
Brian White’s 3 TDs and Mike Uliano’s 125 yards rushing key to Bulldogs’ victory.
1978: Canton 7-0
Steve Coleman scores TD in the mud to clinch league title.
1979: Canton 27-6
Bulldogs rush for 400 yards, led by Stepo Olsen; end the year as Super Bowl champs.
1980: Canton 23-0
Bulldogs complete undefeated season; lose Super Bowl to Somerset.
1981: Canton 43-6
Unbeaten again and Super Bowl bound. They go on to take the title in the infamous “Snow Bowl.”
1982: Stoughton 7-6
Canton goes for two for the win but falls short.
1983: Canton 29-25
Running back Mike Rooney runs wild to assist in the win; Paul Therrien’s last year as coach/teacher.
1984: Canton 43-0
Canton cruises but Brian Sullivan breaks his leg on the next-to-last play in coach Frank Tricomi’s first season.
1985: Canton 14-0
A bittersweet victory on a sleet-soaked morning as Canton loses Super Bowl bid to New Bedford by a razor-thin margin.
1986: Canton 48-0
Most lopsided victory in the rivalry, breaking the record set in 1958.
1987: Canton 28-0
Super Bowl bound again; undefeated in Hockomock League.
1988: Canton 7-0
Jeff Eckler makes a 17-yard pass to Tom Lane.
1989: Canton 6-0
1990: Canton 27-6
Canton ends season in a three-way tie for first in the Hockomock League.
1991: Canton 8-7
The Bulldogs beat Stoughton with a touchdown and two-point conversion with 1:04 left to play.
1992: Tie 0-0
1993: Stoughton 30-15
1994: Canton 13-7
1995: Stoughton 28-6
QB Michael O’Brien ducks under a Stoughton player’s arms and jogs in for Canton’s only touchdown.
1996: Stoughton 20-6
Again, it’s QB Michael O’Brien plunging in for Canton’s only touchdown.
1997: Stoughton 24-14
1998: Stoughton 18-8
Tom Thornton has Canton’s lone TD.
1999: Stoughton 33-0
2000: Stoughton 39-0
Knights rack up nearly 300 yards on the ground and in the air.
2001: Stoughton 33-0
2002: Stoughton 27-0
2003: Canton 27-12
First Canton victory in nine years.
2004: Canton 7-6
Jason Tia scores the TD and Glen Allen the extra point in coach Tom Bresnahan’s final game at the helm.
2005: Stoughton 42-6
Team captain John Driscoll scores Canton’s lone touchdown.
2006: Stoughton 34-0
2007: Stoughton 47-14
2008: Stoughton 28-2
2009: Stoughton 25-0
2010: Stoughton 26-6
2011: Stoughton 27-7
2012: Canton 28-26
Canton snaps a 7-year skid in OT.
2013: Stoughton 28-20
2014: Stoughton 34-0
2015: Stoughton 26-13
2016: Stoughton 48-0
2017: Canton 27-0
Alec Ragusa leads the Bulldogs to their first shutout win since 1989.
2018: Stoughton 28-7
2019: Canton 30-8
Kyle Fitzgerald scores 2 TDs and Johnny Hagan throws for 2 as the Bulldogs cap off a 10-1 season.
2020: Game not played due to COVID (Stoughton beat Canton 41-7 in April 2021 during abbreviated ‘Fall 2’ season).
2021: Stoughton 47-14
Knights celebrate in their new stadium as Thanksgiving football returns to SHS for the first time since 2016.
***
The historic rivalry resumes on Thursday, November 24, at 10 a.m. on the CHS turf as the Bulldogs look to reclaim the trophy for the third time in the last five years. Stoughton currently leads the all-time series 49-42-4.