Cocoa Bean Football Game
The Cocoa Bean Game began in 1943 as a community service project of the Rotary Club of Hershey and the Hershey Civic Club. The local football teams of Hershey High School and the Hershey Industrial School [now known as the Milton Hershey School] wanted to play each other. Ralph Hoar, then head of athletics for the Hershey Industrial School, is generally credited with the original idea for the game.
The administrators of both schools agreed that the game proceeds would benefit the Derry Township Service Men’s Gift Committee. When the Hershey Rotary Club learned that the American Legion was sponsoring the Court of Honor being erected in front of the Community Building, they decided to use part of their funds to help pay for the cost. The rest of the funds were earmarked for the support of Memorial Field.
The first game between Milton Hershey School and Hershey High School took place on November 20, 1943. The Trojans won the game 14-7 and with it they were awarded the Cocoa Bean Trophy, presented by the MHS Alumni Association. This trophy is traditionally awarded to each year’s victor. In 1955, the game was moved from the last game on the teams’ respective schedules to the first game.
Since the beginning, the proceeds of the game have been designated for the support of the Memorial Field. This fund is used for the maintenance and improvement of the facilities at Memorial Field. These facilities, available to all residents of the Derry Township School District, include five tennis courts, an outdoor basketball court, baseball field, softball fields, a football field, a track, two service buildings, picnic pavilion and shuffleboard courts.
Over the years the Memorial Field Fund has supported a number of major improvements including resurfacing the basketball and tennis courts, construction of a field house adjacent to the picnic pavilion, re-roofing the pavilion, the construction of an exercise trail and the purchase of new picnic tables.
Cocoa Bean Game Statistics
Milton Hershey School | Hershey High School
1943 MHS 7 HHS 14
1944 MHS 7 HHS 0
1945 MHS 32 HHS 12
1946 MHS 7 HHS 20
1947 MHS 39 HHS 2
1948 MHS 15 HHS 0
1949 MHS 46 HHS 7
1950 MHS 28 HHS 14
1951 MHS 32 HHS 20
1952 MHS 0 HHS 0
1953 MHS 6 HHS 6
1954 MHS 0 HHS 0
1955 MHS 18 HHS 6
1956 MHS 32 HHS 0
1957 MHS 14 HHS 6
1958 MHS 0 HHS 16
1959 MHS 7 HHS 26
1960 MHS 25 HHS 0
1961 MHS 35 HHS 0
1962 MHS 25 HHS 7
1963 MHS 7 HHS 8
1964 MHS 0 HHS 14
1965 MHS 26 HHS 12
1966 MHS 2 HHS 27
1967 MHS 0 HHS 26
1968 MHS 6 HHS 20
1969 MHS 0 HHS 8
1970 MHS 7 HHS 6
1971 MHS 24 HHS 0
1972 MHS 6 HHS 0
1973 MHS 7 HHS 1
1974 MHS 0 HHS 29
1975 MHS 14 HHS 0
1976 MHS 28 HHS 11
1977 MHS 18 HHS 8
1978 MHS 7 HHS14
1979 MHS 7 HHS 26
1980 MHS 12 HHS 0
1981 MHS 21 HHS 6
1982 MHS 6 HHS 33
1983 MHS 6 HHS 0
1984 MHS 20 HHS 28
1985 MHS 6 HHS 38
1986 MHS 13 HHS 9
1987 MHS 14 HHS 0
1988 MHS 14 HHS 6
1989 MHS 15 HHS 14
1990 MHS 0 HHS 14
1991 MHS 0 HHS 33
1992 MHS 18 HHS 14
1993 MHS 12 HHS 21
1994 MHS 14 HHS 7
1995 MHS 0 HHS 21
1996 MHS 0 HHS 14
1997 MHS 47 HHS 29
1998 MHS 6 HHS 11
1999 MHS12 HHS 14
2000 MHS12 HHS 19
2001 MHS 14 HHS 27
2002 MHS 12 HHS 13
2003 MHS 6 HHS 38
2004 MHS 14 HHS 20
2005 MHS 24 HHS 14
2006 MHS 14 HHS 17
2007 MHS 20 HHS 34
2008 MHS 6 HHS 27
2009 MHS 21 HHS 28
2010 MHS 6 HHS 21
2011 MSH 18 HHS 28
2012 MHS 7 HHS 14
2013 MHS 15 HHS 20
2014 MHS 27 HHS 9
2015 MHS 26 HHS 21
2016 MHS 46 HHS 7
2017 MHS 14 HHS 15
2018 MHS 35 HHS 7
2019 MHS 20 HHS 0
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