Bristol’s Thanksgiving clash at Morrisville cancelled
BucksLocalSports Editor
The MRrrLVvLOOe IRRtEaOO SOayerV SractLced the FrLday, Saturday and Sunday EeIRre ThanNVgLvLng.
That MRnday, they came LntR VchRRO and IRund Rut the annuaO cOaVh wLth BrLVtRO waV CANCELLED!
“My NLdV were cryLng theLr eyeV Rut,” VaLd VecRndyear head cRach BLOO QuLOO. “SRme RI them, they’ve Eeen ORRNLng IRrward tR thLV game VLnce they were Ln the nLnth grade.”
One RI the ROdeVt ThanNVgLvLng Day rLvaOry gameV Ln the .eyVtRne State, the cOaVh wLth the WarrLRrV waV canceOOed due tR BrLVtRO’V RngRLng PIAA camSaLgn. The WarrLRrV Vecured a Eerth Ln the Vtate’V COaVV A tRurnament wLth theLr 27-24 cRmeEacN wLn Rver DLVtrLct 12 chamSLRn CRmmunLca- tLRnV Tech NRv. 16 Rn theLr hRme fieOd.
BrLVtRO – 20-0 wLnnerV Rver WLOOLamV 9aOOey Ln the PIAA COaVV A RSenLng rRund – had wanted tR SRVtSRne the game untLO Vuch tLme Lt LV nR ORnger camSaLgnLng IRr a Vtate trRShy. At the earOLeVt, the tradLtLRnaO rLvaOry dueO wRuOd have Eeen heOd NRv. 30 Rr Dec. 1. But that waV cRuntLng an earOy RuVter IrRm VtateV Ey the WarrLRrV, whLch dLd nRt haSSen. SLnce BrLVtRO gRt SaVt D-11 chamSLRn WLOOLamV 9aOOey OaVt Saturday, that wRuOd have SRVtSRned the grLdLrRn EattOe anRther weeN. NeLther VcenarLR waV acceStaEOe tR MRrrLVvLOOe RIficLaOV.
“We were cRncerned LI the game waV ever gRLng tR Ee SOayed,” VaLd QuLOO. “We have a hard enRugh tLme gettLng NLdV tR cRme tR SractLce when they .NOW the gameV are gRLng tR Ee SOayed.”
BuOOdRg cRacheV wanted tR SOay the game agaLnVt the WarrLRrV eLther tRnLght Rr tRmRrrRw – Rn ThanNVgLvLng.
“We
want
tR
SOay
the
JDPe WeGQesGDy (NoY. 21) oU ThuUsGDy (NoY. 22) wheQ it’s supposed to be played, QoW DecePEeU 1 oU DeceP- ber 8,” said nuill.
The Bulldogs coach suggested Bristol play their sWDUWeUs iQ Whe fiUsW TuDUWeU only. But that scenario was not acceptable to the War- rior coaches, nuill said.
The Morrisville skipper pointed out that many of Morrisville’s graduates come back into town to visit family and see the game – which was to take place Whis yeDU DW 5oEeUW 0oUUis Stadium – on Thanksgiving morning.
The Bulldogs – along with the townspeople – are disappointed, says nuill, though he insists he understands Bristol’s situation.
“It’s tough,” said nuill. “I know where they are coming from and nobody wants to see anybody get hurt.
“But the community NEED6 Whis JDPe DQG Whe town needs this game. Everybody looks forward to it.” “It’s tough to swallow.” An additional caveat for the Warriors is that they now have to share the BiceQWeQQiDO AWhOeWic LeDJue (BAL) chDPSioQshiS wiWh Morrisville. With a 5-0 record, Bristol was unbeaten this year in league play. 0oUUisYiOOe weQW 4-1 iQ Whe BAL DIWeU IDOOiQJ, 21-14, iQ iWs OeDJue oSeQeU wiWh New HoSe-6oOeEuUy DQG sWiOO hDG a chance to even it league mark with the Warriors.
Because the game was cancelled, the league’s bylaws stipulate that Bristol must share its league crown with the Bulldogs. The ruliQJ wDs PDGe Ey BAL 3Uesident and Jenkintown PrinciSDO ThoPDs 5oOOeU.
The cancellation of the game does not affect the Warriors’ Independence LeDJue cUowQ. BUisWoO cDStured the Independence WiWOe wiWh wiQs oYeU LoweU Moreland, Academy of the New ChuUch DQG 3eQQiQJton.
Bristol’s last trip to states wDs iQ 2007 wheQ Whe WDUUioUs IeOO, 34-14, Wo 0DUian Catholic. Ironically, Thanksgiving fell on the exact same date that year – NoYePEeU 22. The GiIIeUence between that season and this is that District One has since combined with DisWUicW 12 iQ suE-UeJioQDO playoff action, adding another layer – and another week – to the district tournament.