History of the Rivalry

With other Tri-Valley League towns bordering Ashland, the question is often raised as to why such a fervent antipathy persists between the Hillers and our Clockers. However, such a rivalry has thrived ever since the young upstart (Ashland) was finally born on March 6, 1846, managing to scrape a few thousand acres from a bloated Hopkinton. Such an act was the Ashland’s first triumph, after ditching the name Unionville, whereby it erased the years before, when Hopkinton had resisted the whippersnapper’s independence.

Even so, the victory was only briefly savored, with the Commonwealth jilting Ashland, and bestowing the name “Hopkinton State Park” to the beaches and trails predominantly in the new town. As recompense, the start of the Boston Marathon was gifted to Ashland, with runners heading down route 135 on April 19, 1897. However, in 1924, the Boston Athletic Association extended the race another 0.3 miles, bestowing the honor onto an undeserving Hopkinton.

Such was the nature of the relationship between Hopkinton and Ashland for the next few decades, trading tit for tat, the elderly town unable to incorporate the youngster (as it had with Woodville), and the Clockers unable to establish lasting historical significance without Hopkinton’s taint. By 1970, the National Football League and the American Football League had finally merged, and annual High School Thanksgiving Day Football Games continued with renewed vigor. Consequently, Hopkinton and Ashland continued to struggle the last Thursday of every November, whether at home or away, with the sports rivalry cemented for future generations.

Since its first season in 1978, Ashland High School Soccer has embraced the challenge of topping Hopkinton. Since 2007, a new tradition, the Annual Alumni Game, has prolonged the enmity beyond either school’s diploma. 

Ultimately, the hotly contested matches serve the dual purpose of highlighting the desire for each town to top the other, along with an opportunity to meet with old friends, to reflect, and to support budding soccer enthusiasts.

Steve Leacu of the Ashland Historical Society offers his take on the rivalry: http://ashlandhistsociety.com/TheMaguncoTub.aspx