From 1935 to 1974, the Slatington and Palmerton high school football teams played on Thanksgiving Day, with one exception because of weather. These games were part of a continuing sports rivalry between the two towns that spanned most of the twentieth century.
While the two high schools, now known today as Northern Lehigh High School and Palmerton Area High School, still play an annual football game, usually the last game of the regular season, the Thanksgiving Day rivalry ended in 1974 after forty years of games. The final record was 24 wins for Palmerton, 14 wins for Slatington and 2 ties.
Here I explore that Thanksgiving football rivalry.
The two towns, Slatington and Palmerton
The tradition of Thanksgiving Day football in the Lehigh Valley
Early football played in Slatington
The football fields in Slatington and Palmerton
Slatington v Palmerton since 1974
| 1935 Slatington 2 - Palmerton 13 |
1936 Palmerton 19 - Slatington 12 |
1937 Slatington 0 - Palmerton 18 |
1938 Palmerton 19 - Slatington 13 |
1939 Palmerton 40 - Slatington 0 |
| 1940 Slatington 0 - Palmerton 0 |
1941 Slatington 14 - Palmerton 19 |
1942 Palmerton 6 - Slatington 3 |
1943 Slatington 0 - Palmerton 20 |
1944 Palmerton 0 - Slatington 12 |
| 1945 Slatington 0 - Palmerton 7 |
1946 Palmerton 13 - Slatington 6 |
1947 Slatington 7 - Palmerton 27 |
1948 Palmerton 25 - Slatington 0 |
1949 Slatington 20 - Palmerton 8 |
| 1950 Palmerton 0 - Slatington 6 |
1951 Slatington 0 - Palmerton 25 |
1952 Palmerton 14 - Slatington 14 |
1953 Slatington 26 - Palmerton 20 |
1954 Palmerton 8 - Slatington 28 |
| 1955 Slatington 13 - Palmerton 9 |
1956 Palmerton 20 - Slatington 12 |
1957 Slatington 14 - Palmerton 9 |
1958 Palmerton 0 - Slatington 25 |
1959 Slatington 0 - Palmerton 13 |
| 1960 Palmerton 23 - Slatington 0 |
1961 Slatington 12 - Palmerton 34 |
1962 Palmerton 6 - Slatington 0 |
1963 Slatington 6 - Palmerton 7 |
1964 Palmerton 32 - Slatington 6 |
| 1965 Slatington 12 - Palmerton 6 |
1966 Palmerton 7 - Slatington 0 |
1967 Slatington 7 - Palmerton 13 |
1968 Palmerton 6 - Slatington 27 |
1969 Slatington 62 - Palmerton 0 |
| 1970 Palmerton 30 - Slatington 14 |
1971 Slatington 0 - Palmerton 27 |
1972 Palmerton 0 - Slatington 14 |
1973 Slatington 28 - Palmerton 12 |
1974 Palmerton 6 - Slatington 14 |
Some suggested reading and sources
Evan Burian, Sports Legends of the Lehigh Valley (1998)
Evan Burian, Ancient Rivals and Thanksgiving Football in the Lehigh Valley (2004)
Kevin Gorman, Tales from Pennsylvania High School Football (2008)
Dave Leone, The Rivalry: A Profile in Tradition, Phillipsburg, NJ vs Easton, PA (2016)
Newspapers: The Morning Call, The Palmerton Press, The Slatington News
High school yearbooks: Palmerton High School and Slatington High School