Hopkinton High School football coach Mark Sanborn acknowledges that wins have been tough to come by this season as the Hillers battled through what he described as the most competitive and physically demanding schedule of his five-year tenure.

But none of that matters as Hopkinton gets set to meet border rival Ashland on Thanksgiving in the 101st incarnation of their holiday showdown.

“The guys are all definitely excited,” Sanborn said. “We have had a rough go of it lately, but they know the message we are trying to share is, ‘This is it.’ Especially for the seniors. So, throw the records out the window, anything can happen.”

Hopkinton heads into the Thanksgiving Day game, which will be played at Ashland this year (10 a.m. kickoff), with a 2-8 record. After missing out on the postseason, the Hillers battled Division 1 programs in Brookline and Durfee for their final two games before Turkey Day. The Clockers are 8-2 after being knocked out of the state quarterfinals with a loss to Tewksbury.

“They have a big senior class, and they have some good linemen and dynamic playmakers,” Sanborn said of Ashland. “They are always well coached.”

Fitting for the final game of the year, Hopkinton will look to a group of seniors to lead the way. Evan Gronemeyer and Ryan Morin have been anchors up front on the lines. Senior linebacker Will Boucher, a captain, has led the team in tackles, with classmate Liam Grady right behind him.

“They have all been really good,” Sanborn said.

On offense, the Hillers have had to shuffle things around on a week-to-week basis due to injuries. But Sanborn pointed to a strong quartet — seniors Ryan Lang, Alex Piccioli and Patrice Petit Frere along with junior Lucas Reed — as the key cogs that have kept the ball moving.

“Those are our four main guys when it comes to throwing, running and catching the football,” the coach said.

And the seniors are all instrumental in ensuring that Hopkinton goes into the last game with the right mindset.

“Even though we aren’t getting the wins, the kids have been great,” Sanborn said. “The attitude has been positive all year.”

Sanborn said the key to the Thanksgiving Day game will be playing four full quarters, and the extra time to prepare will help. He said his players are looking at the game as “one last shot” to put it all together.

“My message is, ‘You have nothing to lose,’ ’’ Sanborn said. “I know the kids are going to show up and have a positive attitude. Then you go out there on Thanksgiving morning, lay it on the line and see what happens.”