Upperclassmen Best Underclassmen at 2023 Turkey Bowl

Last Saturday, the California campus hosted its annual Turkey Bowl, a contest of flag football between upperclassmen and underclassmen. Usually a Thanksgiving tradition, this year’s game was initially postponed on account of inclement weather. So, after a two-week delay, students were fired up and ready for a great game.

Upperclassmen donned black, and underclassmen wore white, with players wearing custom jerseys. Spectators bore signs and chanted clever cheers to spur on their teams and sportingly demoralize their opponents. For the first half, the underclassmen worked hard to keep up but quickly fell behind. The seniors and juniors warded off offensive plays, broke down the line time and again, and took a lead through halftime.

The teams then regrouped before the second half, strategized, and went back to it. The underclassmen returned with fervor, adapting to their opponent’s plays, meeting their elders with ferocity, and putting up an astonishing fight. In an incredible play, Stephen Smillie (’27) caught the ball at his team’s endzone and took off in a dead sprint to the other end for a crowd-winning touchdown.

Yet despite this heroic effort, the upperclassmen fended off a true comeback and held on for the victory, 27-19.