58th Annual Turkey Day Clash Highlights 

As the high school fall sports season for the Seekonk/Dighton-Rehoboth comes to a close, both communities can reflect on another competitive season that came with a lot of gritty performances and memorable moments— both on and off the field.

The Seekonk boys soccer team punched its ticket to the postseason, finishing the year 6-14-2 and matched up with Westport in the opening round. The Warriors ultimately fell 3-0 also on Wednesday November 5th, ending a challenging but developmental season. Though the record didn’t tilt in their favor, the team demonstrated resilience by competing in nearly every game and gaining valuable varsity experience.

On the girls side, Seekonk’s girls soccer team put together a solid season, finishing with a 9-7-1 record and had successfully fought their way to a spot in the MIAA state tournament. This team was led by a well-belanced roster of both efficient scoring and a strong defensive prowess. The Warriors battled through a competitive South Coast Conference league before falling 3-0 to Lunenberg in the opening round of the playoffs on Wednesday November 5th. Several players stepped into expanded roles this year, giving the program plenty of optimism heading into 2026.

Even Seekonk High School’s athletic director Kathryn Manigan said last month, to “keep an eye on our girls soccer team as we move forward into future seasons.” Manigan also spoke about how the team has really “come together this year under the direction and leadership of new head coach, Savannah Amaral.” She already knew they’d most likely make the state playoff tournament as she said the girls “have a lot of young talent coming up the ranks,” Manigan added.

Additionally, Manigan said that Seekonk’s cross country team most notably “embodies sportsmanship.”

“This group of kids are some of the kindest, sweetest kids you will ever meet. They cheer each other on but also cheer on the other teams each race,” said Manigan. Manigan mentioned how they had one athlete qualify for all states this year, “but the majority of our team still traveled an hour and half to go out and support her the day of (the all states tournament),” said Manigan.

Manigan discussed how every year on senior night, the cross country team holds a unique and heartwarming tradition. “The team gets a large cake for their seniors to enjoy after the meet, but invites the opposing team into the cafeteria at the end of the meet for dessert and refreshments. It is a program heavy in traditions and these long standing traditions have really bolstered the team culture!” Manigan added.

On the flip side, across town, Dighton-Rehoboth’s boys soccer team also earned a postseason berth this fall, finishing with 9-10-1 on the season and drew Boston Latin Academy in the first round of the MIAA tournament. The Falcons fought hard but came up short in a 4-1 loss, ending an otherwise competitive season marked by a strong midfield group and several breakout performances. The team struggled early on for much of the year, but something started to change in the team’s culture towards the end of the regular season. The Falcons showed flashes of strong play to carry nothing but optimism going into the 2026 season next year. D-R’s boys soccer squad went on a hot streak to end their regular season, winning four straight games before they were eliminated in the opening round of the MIAA state bracket.

But you know what? Nothing ends a season as spectacular and traditional as the fall sports season. Since 1967, the Seekonk Warriors vs. Dighton-Rehoboth Falcons annual Thanksgiving game has been an exciting tradition— this year was the 58th annual meeting between the two local rivals on D-R’s home territory. The Seekonk Warriors football team entered the Thanksgiving game with a 3-7 record, while Dighton-Rehoboth's squad came in just one game sharper than Seekonk standing at 4-6 on the season.

While both teams have endured through plenty of trials and tribulations, ups and downs throughout the past four months, this historic holiday matchup offered one last opportunity to finish the season on a high note. But most importantly, this game determined who earned “bragging rights” for the next year for the community’s team that came out on top Thanksgiving morning.

On Thursday morning, November 27th at 10 A.M, the Warriors and Falcons battled to the bitter end. The first half was a back and forth defensive war in the trenches with both teams holding each other to just single digit scores. Dighton-Rehoboth led the rivalry game 8-6 going into halftime.

In the second half, Seekonk’s senior linebacker Sam Figueiredo had a clutch, game sealing interception in the 4th quarter… securing a massive 18-14 Thanksgiving victory for the Warriors. Seekonk senior quarterback Nico Bonafiglia ended his high school career throwing 4/9 for 58 yards and a passing touchdown. Bonafiglia had an MVP-like performance on the ground rushing for 132 yards on 18 carries, even running for a 63-yard touchdown. Freshman wide receiver Cayden Trzuskowski also stood out, catching an incredible 40-yard pass from Bonafiglia. Trzuskowski ended the game with two receptions, 57 yards and a receiving TD.

Dighton-Rehoboth’s squad was led by junior inside linebacker Cooper Benfeito as he had seven tackles on Turkey Day. While on offense, as running back, Befenito ran for 39 yards with a rushing touchdown, and Maddex Mendoza rushed for 36 yards and a touchdown as well to conclude a nail-biting Thanksgiving Day Rivalry game.

Truthfully, in addition to the rivalry itself, the most unique aspect about this single game is how much more heart and emotion goes into a battle like this as opposed to any other typical football game. These kids play their hearts and souls out for all the seniors that they spent an unfathomable amount of time practically every single day.

Think about it— they spend an entire day in school with each other for a good 6-7 hours, as well as countless hours in the film room, hitting each other in practice, battling in games, having team dinners, outside hangouts, etc.— this final game means that much to these student athletes. Especially for the ones who will never step on the gridiron competitively for the rest of their days after they graduate come June 2026, both communities' entire teams and coaching staffs wish for nothing but to end these seniors’ high school football careers on such a high, memorable moment.

With the winter sports season starting this week, athletic directors from both districts will soon turn their focus to basketball, hockey, indoor track, wrestling, and cheerleading. This process for both districts usually comes with selecting new coaches that would be the best fit to lead and command these teams.

On Seekonk’s side, Manigan said that when hiring a coach, you may think the priority is the coach's wealth of knowledge in the sport. She said that while the knowledge aspect of coaching is definitely an important factor, “it’s also crucial for high school coaches to be empathetic, understanding, and willing to get to know and adapt to the multiple personalities within the program,” Manigan said. “Student athletes respond better when there is a strong level of trust, and to build that trust, you have to work hard to get to know your students as athletes— but more importantly as people,” Manigan added.

Coaching updates and team previews are expected in the coming weeks, with full winter coverage returning in the January issue.