The Pasadena High School Bulldogs and John Muir High School Mustangs are facing off on Wednesday, Oct. 26 for the annual Turkey Tussle homecoming football game at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena.
This is the 75th year of the historic cross-town rivalry football game between these two high schools in Pasadena that officially began in 1947 as a game between Pasadena Community College and John Muir Junior College. These two schools played 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.
Wednesday’s kickoff for the Turkey Tussle is at 7 p.m. at the Rose Bowl. The annual Turkey Tussle will also be broadcast by KRLN at goPUSD.com/livesports.
To purchase tickets, go to www.pusd.us/phsgofan or www.pusd.us/muirgofan.
For more information, call (626) 767-2925 or visit www.pusd.us/Page/1008.
