The Smudge Pot trophy is the annual prize given to the winner of the San Dimas and Bonita High School football game. The tradition goes back to 1972 when the mayors of the two cities agreed to create the trophy, to commemorate their shared citrus traditions and to celebrate the first meeting of the two high schools on the football field.
The chromed Smudge Pot trophy weighs 12.4lbs and is 29 inches tall. The base has a diameter of 61 inches while the cap at the top has a diameter of 20 inches. There are currently, as of this writing, 49 brass badges stamped with the year and scores of each football game between Bonita and San Dimas. On the chimney there is a bronze inscription which is written below. Click and drag on the image of the Smudge Pot below to rotate the image 360 degrees.
Smudge Pot Trophy Inscription
This Trophy symbolized the heritage of San Dimas and La Verne. It shall be annually presented to the winner of the Smudge Pot Bowl. The presentation shall be made by the mayor of the losing city to the mayor of the winning city in the spirit of friendly football competition immediately following each game.
Donated by Paul Spencer of San Dimas
The San Dimas City Council at the first game of this momentous event was Mayor Tom Nuss, Vice Mayor Jim Lough, Councilmen: Keith Brogan, Buck Hooper and Loyd Salisbury.
La Verne City Council, Mayor Mike Morales, Vice Mayor Harrison Sanborn, Councilmen: Frank Johnson, Dan Lopez, and Jack Russi
In addition to this inscription, the year and the final score for each game is added to the Smudge Pot. Roll over the image of the Smudge Pot to zoom in. Can you find the year of the only tie game?
Smudge Pot Photography and Photo Editing by Chris Casanave, ’23
(Click and drag to rotate the image)
What is a Smudge Pot?
A smudge pot is an oil-burning device used to prevent frost on fruit trees. Usually a smudge pot has a large round base with a chimney coming out of the middle of the base. The smudge pot is placed between trees in an orchard. The burning oil creates heat, smoke, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. It was believed that this oil burning heater would help keep the orchard from cooling too much during the cold snaps. (Wikipedia. August, 2022)