Fenway Experience A Home Run

WillGMedia

RMHS fans fill the right field grandstand for football at Fenway Park.

On November 26th, the Reading Rocket football team faced their classic rival, the Stoneham Spartans, at the oldest currently-in-use ballpark in the Major Leagues. Via MLB.com, the first Fenway high school football game took place after its opening in 1912. Boston Latin and Boston English faced each other, the start of a Massachusetts tradition that would continue until 1935. Then, the Thanksgiving high school football games made a sweeping return to Fenway in 2015 and followed in every year since. The 2024 experience was through the roof as the players, performing artists, and fans collectively felt a presence of the “Fenway fever”.

The Football

The RMHS football players certainly had a unique experience at Fenway, differing mightily from playing at their home field. The football team was pumped up for this once in a lifetime experience. Notably, Reading quarterback, Jack Murphy (‘25) commented on his experience entering the famed ballpark: “The second we got there, it was just unreal. So, we walked into the security area and walked into the locker room through the tunnel and they had big TVs in the locker room watching the game before us.” 

As the quarterback explained, the team was in awe upon their arrival, taken aback by the Fenway amenities as they awaited their battle against Stoneham. They were able to experience what it is like to be in the dugout, the same space inhabited by famous baseball players like Ted Williams and Carl Yaztremski. A mix of nostalgia, history, and fandom for Boston sports makes this experience fun for everyone. Their impressive 2024 season including a 8-0 record heading into the game and final four Division III Playoff run was met with the reward of a fun Fenway experience.

The Arts

From a performing arts perspective, the band played really well to pump up the Reading crowd. They played “Crazy Train”, “We Will Rock You”, and other famous classics to entertain the crowd. Marcus Moller (‘26), a trumpet player in the marching talked about how playing at Fenway was a unique experience: “I feel like playing at Fenway was a lot more enjoyable than playing at (our) stadium… the jumbotron actually looked at us sometimes and we were up there, which was really cool. I’d never experienced that before.” Being highlighted on the big screen upon a couple thousand fans is a big feature, a once in a lifetime opportunity for members of the band. Beyond the music, the Rocket cheerleaders and the RMHS dance team did their amazing dance routine on the big stage of Fenway. Collectively, the arts came in big to impact the vibe.

The Fans

Many RMHS students from RMHS packed Fenway Park to see the home team Reading Rockets play. The student section packed the right field line, rows upon rows of fellow classmates. John Irmer (‘25), a dedicated RMHS sports fan, shared how significant and grand the Fenway game was in comparison to past events beyond playoffs. “I think going to Fenway was really the biggest opportunity for Reading sports in a really long time, besides going to Gillette in the mid 2010’s. I think it was great for the fans and the players, but it was a great opportunity for everyone involved.” 

The Thanksgiving Fenway game gave this sense of uniting and rallying the school around an excellent RMHS football team. Even though the game ended up in a loss for our Rockets, there has not been a greater way to connect the sports teams, performing arts, and the fans. Another unique feature that made this game really cool was the fact that they introduced the teams with professional lights. When the Rockets took the field, the stadium projected all red lighting, a feature that many fans have not experienced before. It was a great way Fenway affected the crowd of the two teams. There was also plenty of music by famous artists played through the stadium’s sound system.