Kents Hill and Hebron keep rivalry, tradition, alive

PHOTO: The Kents Hill Huskies celebrate winning The Chair after a 4-0 soccer victory over Hebron Academy in the traditional Chair Exchange Game. (Kents Hill School photo)

READFIELD – A decades-old tradition continued Oct. 5, when Kents Hill School hosted Hebron Academy for a revamped version of the Chair Exchange Game.
The game between the two schools, which began as a football game 29 years ago, is in its second year as a girls soccer game. The two varsity soccer teams battled at Kents Hill, with the home team coming away with a 4-0 win and rights to The Chair.
The Chair Exchange Game salutes one of the longest high school rivalries in the country – 129 years of the two schools playing each other in a sport.

Hebron Athletic Director Caddy Brooks told the crowd, “That is a healthy, healthy rivalry. The fact that we can celebrate that with a game as we remember and honor those who wore these same uniforms for 129 years.”
The tradition was began in 1993 as a to commemorate 100 years of football competition between the two schools. Heads of school – Kents Hill’s Rist Bonnefond and Hebron’s Dick Davidson – exchanged The Chair at the 50-yard line after the game, with the winning school taking possession. The Chair, a traditional captain’s chair, is engraved with the logos of both schools and the scores of the game are recorded under the seat. A few years ago, the first chair was retired and a second chair was introduced.
Bonnefond wore the traditional bear coat, handed down from head to head, a continuing feature of the game. Over the years, the tradition grew to include an alumni dinner before the game, and other activities.
In 2020, Kents Hill discontinued its football program, and, because of the pandemic, no game was played.
In 2021, the exchange game returned in a way that not only honors 130 years of tradition between the schools, but also celebrates just how far girls’ sports have come.
Christopher Cheney, Kents Hill Head of School, said “I think it’s really important for our schools to lead the way and say it is not just about boys’ sports but it’s about all sports. It’s time for us to look to young women.”
After the Huskies’ win, Cheney was presented The Chair by Hebron Head of School Patrick Phillips, and the team then hoisted the chair over their heads. It was theirs – at least until next year.

— Information from this article provided by Kents Hill Today.