Cocoa Bean Football Game

Posted July 26, 2018

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