Old Rochester Regional soccer players from the past, present and future met on the field for a post-Thanksgiving game.

Friday was the third alumni showdown and the third year that the ORR graduates defeated their younger counterpart, this time with a 4-2 score.

Principal and ORR soccer coach Mike Devoll came up with the idea for the annual game after coaching the boys team for nine years over three different periods of time.

“I wanted a way to bring all the boys together,” he said.

The older crew ranged from recent graduates to 35-year-old Garrett O'Connell, a member of the class of '99, while the younger team consisted of current ORR players as well as a few elementary school students.

Alexander leGassick, a junior, admitted the alums still had some chops.

“They have more experiences. We're fitter,” he said.

That was probably true. One elder Bulldog's strategy: “My plan is to be out there in eight-minute bursts.”

Another heaved, “It's been a while.”

Taking a break on the sidelines John Santos '09 said he was “a little turkeyed out” but had only good things to say about the game.

“It's fun to get the guys back together,” he said. Speaking of the other team, he added, “These guys are good. They're in better shape, and they're faster than us.”

But the past players showed they aren't to be forgotten, and they were fast enough to build on their legacy. Next year, they might even practice first.