For many, it was tough to see the annual Pilgrim-Warwick Vets Thanksgiving game go.

The ’Canes won the overall series, which spanned six decades, with a 29-23-1 record against their cross-town rivals. No matter what record either team had during any given season, the game was nevertheless important.

“The rivalry is a good one, I was thinking about it last night at 3 a.m. when I was watching film,” Pilgrim head coach Tom O’Connor said following the final game. “Even when you’re having a bad year, you still have something to play for. It’s a shame that we’re losing [the rivalry].”

Though Pilgrim finished out the series with a losing record, it was able to get the last laugh. The Pats picked up a 46-12 victory over the ’Canes while running back Owen Kelly scored four touchdowns and reached the 2,000-yard milestone for the season.

The score seemed ancillary, though. The atmosphere was unlike many other games Vets and Pilgrim had played against each other. The ’Canes’ home turf was packed in the stands and around the edges of the field with fans from both sides soaking in the 48 minutes of the rivalry. 

Though Pilgrim earned a victory, it was the ’Canes who would strike last.

Down 46-6 late in the fourth, Vets senior Owen Amirault picked up an Anthony Russo fumble and returned it for six points to notch the final touchdown of the rivalry, and the final score in Vets football history.

“It means that I finally left my mark in the history of Warwick Vets football,” Amirault said of the touchdown. “It’s something that really means a lot to me. It’s something that will stick out my senior year and for the rest of my life.”

- Jacob Marrocco