Football, family and food: It's on the Thanksgiving menu for three area schools

Nov. 22—Thanksgiving football has been part of a lot of Travis Hill's holiday celebrations.

There were seven semifinal trips at Tulsa East Central, three of which were extended a week and one that got him a state title in 2005.

There was that state title at Broken Arrow in 2017 as a defensive coordinator.

There were also bowl games associated with life as a junior college coach at Northeastern A&M.

One day, even when retired, the Muskogee High head coach thinks he'll find one somewhere.

"Someone's going to have practice near me when I'm 90, and I'll go find it," he said. "And come 3 p.m., I'll be ready to go have Thanksgiving."

That's the plan Thursday — dinner at 3 p.m.

The day will start with an 8 a.m. practice at Rougher Village, one that will be open to family. For Rougher fans, it will be the first such event since 2007 and the last of three consecutive semifinals, and just two years after Hill's title run at East Central.

Then it's home to the family.

"I have a great excuse for my routine in these cases. And no one bothers me," he said with a grin. "My wife doesn't bother me. My mother-in-law doesn't bother me. They feel sorry for me because I had to work at 8 in the morning."

It's a great sympathy play, even if there isn't another place Hill would prefer to spend Thanksgiving morning.

The family also knows what part of the meal belongs to Hill.

"The turkey leg," he said. "I love dark meat whether chicken or turkey. My brother-in-law cuts it and puts it aside for Coach Hill.

"I'm also a big dressing guy. It's the only time of the year I eat it. I sometimes put gravy on it. I'm not much on sweet potatoes, but my wife loves it, and as long as she puts enough pecans on it, it's good."

Then there's a slice of pecan pie, then before turning in around 9:30 p.m. for the big game day ahead, there's a finishing touch.

"Chocolate meringue pie and a glass of milk," he said.

For his current team, it's a bit of an adjustment, but a welcome one.

Bradyn Henry is finding it's sacrificing his mom's side of the family's gathering. Practice calls. Then it'll be dinner on his dad's side.

"I've got something up my sleeve," he said, when asked about how he can make up to mom and her side.

Henry's go-to turkey day food item is green bean casserole. For dessert, it's plain ol' pecan pie, no whipped cream or anything else.

Kayden McGee, meanwhile, doesn't eat meat, and his celebration will be closer to home this year.

"We usually go to Dallas and my mom's side of the family, eat and watch football," he said. "We'll do that up here."

But no turkey for him.

"Mac and cheese, definitely," he said. "And red velvet cake."

Brandon Tolbert's day will go on as usual — a big celebration with family and friends in Summit. Football will just add to it.

"My family will come watch practice, then we'll go to my grandma's," he said.

At lunch, his plate will be full of greens, "with extra lemon juice on them," he added.

For dessert? "My grandma's peach cobbler, handed down from her mom and she's made it ever since," he said. "One day my sisters will have to take it over."

Anthony Watson and family celebrates at home. His must-have item? "Mom's chocolate chip pie," he said.

At Wagoner, it's accepted that there's no way out of town Thanksgiving. It's the eighth holiday practice since head coach Dale Condict arrived in 2005.

"That one, being the first, was special," Condict said. "It's always been a fun time. For a long while now, we'll get a walk-up visit from Santa Claus and even some elves. Santa's always got a playoff poem for us."

The players have learned to adapt.

"Both sides of my family are in the Oklahoma City area, so we do it either the weekend before or weekend after," said Ethan Muehlenweg.

So for him, it's either a jump start or delayed gratification involving "mac and cheese and gramdma's cookies, chocolate chip with sea salt and caramel," he said.

One of his favorite Thanksgiving practice memories involved his sophomore season en route to the school's fifth state championship.

"We all came to practice wearing pajama pants and Christmas socks and listened to Christmas music while we walked through practice," Muehlenweg said.

For Condict, the day isn't right without football and some of his wife's dressing, a recipe passed on from her grandmother.

"It's got lots of sage," he said. "Her grandmother lived into her 90s and was just a wonderful lady. So when I have that, I find myself reflecting about her and how she loved me."

His must-have dessert? "Pecan pie with a ridiculous amount of Cool Whip, which will take me off this diet I've been on."

Logan Bloxom will let his head coach have all the turkey he wants to go with that dressing.

"I'll take ham. Turkey is just too dry for me," he said.

Gunner Dozier is experiencing a football Thanksgiving for the first time at Gore. Practice will get in the way of morning hunting, though he'll probably get some in in the evening.

His favorite foods? "Green bean casserole and ham, and a strawberry cake my mom makes that is pretty darn good."

Gore head coach Brandon Tyler is back to what was a tradition over a few years he was at Vian, and he's got a few top memories from those days.

"It's hard to single one out but I'd say if I had to pick one, probably 2005, my second year as head coach at Vian and we were getting ready for Rush Springs in the third round. It was also the first year Vian had been to the semis in a while," he said.

Now at his alma mater, Tyler is thankful he's got his Pirates a Thanksgiving with football.

"Hopefully we can make this a tradition here," he said.

Tyler will split the celebration into two days — Wednesday on his side with his mom, living in Gore, and his brother and family. Then after a morning practice, it's over to his wife's family for the afternoon meal.

"I'm thankful for family and I'm thankful for the opportunity to be coaching this sport and be with our kids. And especially thankful we're still playing."