Meet Joe Grandpa

On Thursday, the day of his 50th Thanksgiving Day game as high school football player or coach, Bill Tighe has another date with Burlington. The Lexington High football coach will awaken at 6 a.m. or 6:30, have coffee and an English muffin, then head to work for what is generally the biggest game of the year.

(Evan Richman / Globe File Photo

After all, a man like Tighe does what he does for one reason only.

"I love it," the 84-year-old Tighe said when asked why he continues to coach at Lexington. "I still have a lot of energy -- people can’t understand how much energy I do have. In fact, I don’t know why I do, either. But my head is still sharp in terms of being able to evaluate players.

"One of the problems I’m having now is that I’m having trouble with my eyes," Tighe said. "I’m having trouble seeing the whole field. I used to be able to see every position at a given moment and I can’t do that anymore."

Of course, despite whatever vision he may lack, Tighe continues to have boundless perspective.

College football has Joe Pa.

High school football has Joe Grandpa.

For a moment, let’s pause here to acknowledge an obvious truth: Boston is as passionate a sports city as any in America, but we invest the large majority of our energy into the pro teams. The Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins rule. The colleges and high schools generally get a relatively small amount of attention, at least until this time of year, when we unfailingly turn our attention to the high school football games that are part of every Thanksgiving.

This week, as always, you will read about the players, coaches, and schools with the longest rivalries, most talented players, and best chances of playing in the annual MIAA championship games. You will read or see very little about those players, coaches, and schools who have losing records or are playing exclusively for the enjoyment, for the chance to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

Tighe is the easiest example of the latter. And while few, if any, possess his longevity, be certain that there are countless others like him who are either beginning their scholastic coaching careers or ending them without the slightest bit of recognition.

As it turns out, Joe Grandpa is actually a great grandfather to three, which should hardly come as a surprise. Tighe was born in 1924, attended and played football at Ashland High, and spent roughly four years in the Army. From 1943-46, he was stationed in or near New Guinea, the Philippines, Okinawa, and Korea. He subsequently returned and earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in three years at Boston University, where he also played quarterback and safety for the football team.

In the nearly 60 years since, Tighe got married and had six children, losing two to cystic fibrosis. Early in 2006, he lost his wife of 57 years, Mary. Through it all, Tighe has coached at Wakefield, Malden, and Lexington, the last of which hired him in 1975 after Tighe had left the field for a two-year stint as athletic director.

"I stopped [coaching] at Malden to become athletic director," Tighe said. "I couldn’t stand it. I applied for the Lexington job.’’

He got it.

And he has remained there ever since.

The wins and losses? Tighe has had plenty of both. Though Lexington hasn’t been to a Super Bowl since 1984, the Minutemen were in the MIAA playoffs as recently as 2003, when they were, as Tighe put it, "shellacked" by Chelmsford. Lexington enters Thursday’s affair against Burlington with both teams toting identical 3-7 records, which only places more emphasis on this year’s rivalry.

As has been his wont, Tighe is saying that this year at Lexington could be his last, which makes him high school football’s answer to Joe Mooney, the longtime Red Sox groundskeeper who seemed to threaten retirement every year. The problem this time is that Tighe may have no choice. Tighe’s doctors have told him that his vision problems stem from cataracts and glaucoma, and he is planning to meet with a surgeon Monday to determine whether the problems are manageable.

In the interim, Joe Grandpa will coach at least one more game, after which he will celebrate Thanksgiving dinner with one of his daughters’ families.

"I may have to leave, but my surgeon is going to tell me a little more,’’ Tighe said. "It could have a bearing on what I want to do [as far as coaching]. I want to see like I used to. This kind of takes away my feeling for the game."

He means his feel for the game, of course.

By now, his feelings are quite clear.