Field of friends

The score was tied, the players were lined up knowing the next touchdown would determine the winner, and the turkeys were cooking in the oven.

Thanksgiving and football go together like turkey and stuffing, and to a group of guys — many who’ve known each other since elementary school — Thanksgiving means the Turkey Bowl.

In 1993, while they were still in high school, longtime Costa Mesa resident Duncan Calegari and a few other buddies decided to play a game of football at Kaiser Elementary School before they headed home to eat some grub.

That year, they started a tradition that lives on as the guys all push toward their 30s.

Although the group has changed over the past 13 years, Calegari, Richard and Robert Kelly, and Patrick O’Leary — who were all within a few grades of each other and have been friends since they attended St. Joachim Catholic School — were still making plays on the field Thursday before they geared up to spend Thanksgiving with their families.

“A lot of these guys … go back to childhood, and they’re hanging in there, whether it’s by playing football or hanging out,” said Costa Mesa resident Larry O’Leary, Patrick’s dad. “But it’s the friendship part that remains important.”

Back in 1993, friends and families came to both cheer and heckle, and this year was no different. The whole O’Leary clan came out to cheer on Patrick, 29, who scored three touchdowns for his team, even while continually getting teased about sweating.

“I’m the only one doing anything out there,” he joked.

The winning touchdown was made by Jim Edleman, and O’Leary’s team won 6-5.

“He had his Wheaties this morning,” Richard Kelly yelled from the field after Patrick O’Leary scored for the second time.

Although the guys were somewhat serious when it came to making and breaking plays, it was all done in good fun, with jokes, high-fives and, of course, some good-natured jabbing coming from both teams.

As the years have gone by, the guys still charge up and down the field for a good show, but they can tell it’s not the same game as it was 13 years ago.

“You know we’re getting old when we’re taking a quarter break,” Richard Kelly, 30, said. “We used to just take a halftime break.”

Through the years, the roster has changed a bit, with new faces joining. On Thursday, 12 guys, ranging in age from 18 through their 30s, came out to play.

“It’s really the only time we play all year, and we just want to get together before we eat,” Calegari said. “Some people we started with don’t play anymore, but now more people come, so it’s cool.”

In September, Calegari, 29, began sending out e-mails in anticipation of the game. He began sending reminders out about a week ago.

Richard Kelly’s girlfriend, Tracey Brick, said she hears them talking about it months before the game.

She also said the tradition doesn’t stop at the game; the guys have a tendency to go home and fall asleep for a few hours before they stuff themselves at dinner.

For the 12 who made it out on the field this morning — which was considered a great turnout, especially considering some of them met up for a pre-Thanksgiving drink Wednesday at the Goat Hill Tavern — they’re thankful for each other’s continued friendship.

It’s not a secret that many people who’ve grown up in Newport-Mesa stick around through adulthood. This automatically lends itself to lifelong friendships, something these guys know well. And they don’t plan on quitting any time soon.

“When we have kids, they’ll be playing,” Richard Kelly said.