Mustangs, Bulldogs to Battle It Out in Turkey Tussle Wednesday

John Muir Mustangs and the Pasadena Bulldogs will continue their local rivalry for bragging rights at 7 p.m. on Wednesday when the two teams square off in the Rose Bowl in the 75th annual Turkey Tussle football game.

The storied game is the biggest high school event in the City as generations of families continue to show pride in the respective schools.

The Turkey Tussle dates back to 1947, when Pasadena City College and John Muir College squared off. The two colleges played against each other until 1953.

The next year, the annual rivalry was played between what is now John Muir High School and Pasadena High School.

In 1955, the Victory Bell, a gift from the Santa Fe Railroad, was first used as the trophy for the winning school. Since then, the Victory Bell has been passed back and forth between the two schools when they meet on the field for this homecoming tradition and their final Pacific League game. The bell formerly rang from the top of an old steam locomotive. Two PHS student leaders, Scott Fitzwater and Jim Shelton, thought about asking Shelton’s father, Raymond Shelton, who was General Manager for the Santa Fe Railroad, about getting the bell for PHS. That year, John Muir High won the game, rushed to the end zone and rang the Victory Bell. Then they brought the bell home to Muir.

 “The Turkey Tussle is an event steeped in culture and tradition,” said PHS Principal  Dr. Mathew Kodama. “Over the past 75 years, the Pasadena Unified community has come together in the fall to celebrate the best that this city has to offer. We are extremely proud of the young men on both sides who will be competing in the Tussle and look forward to a stellar performance from both sides.”

This year Muir boasts an overall record of 4-5 and a league record of 3-1. The Bulldogs are  8-1 and undefeated in league play. 

Before the game, the Pasadena Unified School District is holding a college fair at the Pasadena Convention Center. Organizers said this is the first time PUSD is hosting the College Fair and the Turkey Tussle on the same day. PUSD Superintendent Brian McDonald said this serves to demonstrate that “our students are both scholars and athletes.”

“Having the College Fair and the Turkey Tussle on the same day is a chance for the PUSD community to consider the future and to celebrate the past with a tradition that goes back 75 years,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for everyone to participate in two things that help define PUSD: preparing every child for college and careers, and celebrating the things that make us unique including our Turkey Tussle!”

The College Fair, which includes workshops on locating and finding scholarships, financial aid and how to write a college essay, takes place from 4 to 7 p.m. Before the College Fair closes, shuttle buses will be onsite to take students from the Pasadena Convention Center to the Rose Bowl for the much-awaited Turkey Tussle, which kicks off at 7 p.m. A pre-determined limit of 680 fans will be in attendance.

The Rose Bowl is a cashless venue and will enforce a clear bag policy during the game.

The Turkey Tussle will be broadcast by KRLN at goPUSD.com/livesports.

Tickets are available at each school’s ticket site: https://gofan.co/app/school/CA18981 for Pasadena High School, and https://gofan.co/p/041EADF309F2A62595009830DE28B24E8433F21D963CB5A8 for John Muir High.