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)
FIFTY YEARS OF SMUDGE POT FOOTBALL
The year 2022 marks the fiftieth Smudge Pot football game between San Dimas and Bonita High Schools. The game is one of the oldest continuous high school football rivalries in Southern California. In 1972 the mayors of both cities agreed to award a trophy, a chromed smudge pot celebrating their shared citrus traditions, to the winning school. The first game was played on Friday, November 17, 1972 at Bonita Field where the Saints shutout Bonita 33 to 0. The 50th Smudge Pot football game was played on September 10, 2022 with the Bearcats defeating the Saints 21-13.
Former Bonita Unified Players, Coaches Reminisce as Smudge Pot Rivalry Celebrates 50th Anniversary
The atmosphere was electric as scores of supporters wearing face paint and proudly sporting school colors streamed into Citrus College Stadium to celebrate the golden anniversary of the cherished football rivalry between Bonita and San Dimas high schools, known as the Smudge Pot, on Sept. 10.
The 50th installment of the rivalry featured the return of nearly two dozen former Bearcats and Saints players and coaches who participated in the inaugural Smudge Pot game in 1972, who came to reminisce and cheer on their alma maters.
Bonita High School rallied to win the game 21-13 in a highly competitive and emotionally charged defensive struggle that saw seven turnovers, including a San Dimas fumble recovery that led to a touchdown. The competitive spirit on the field was matched in the stands as students and supporters tried to top each other all night, raucously cheering on every play.
The following messages were written by each school’s principal in the programs celebrating the first “Smudge Pot Bowl” game between Bonita and San Dimas.
Bonita’s PRINCIPAL MESSAGE, 1972
Bonita High School is a school with a great deal of tradition. The school was originally started in a vacant La Verne store building in 1903. On my desk is a trophy which states “Bonita High School Tri-County League Football Champion, 1925.” Athletics has meant a great deal to the history of Bonita. The communities of La Verne and San Dimas have given an unusual amount of support, win or lose, over the past fifty years. Football games in particular have produced what the press has often referred to as the typical Bonita fan. He comes at 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon to an 8:00 p.m. game with blankets, chicken, and a great deal of enthusiasm. The typical Bonita fan has now become the typical Bonita-San Dimas fan. The communities of San Dimas and La Verne each have a high school of their own with which to identify. I am sure the rivalry will be keen. I am also sure that the sportsmanlike tradition which has always been true of the citizens of both communities will continue to exist. Enthusiasm and competition with responsibility are fine things to promote in any high school and in any community. I am sure this new rivalry will be a fine experience for everyone involved.
Sincerely,
Louis E. Rosen,
Principal, Bonita High School, 1972
San Dimas’ PRINCIPAL MESSAGE, 1972
My initial reaction to an invitation from the Bonita Boosters’ Club to write a few paragraphs to be included in this program was to extol the virtues of the first Bonita-San Dimas football game and to mark this as the beginning of a long and friendly rivalry. Some retrospection, however, has led me to think more in terms of competition and how it may affect our total lives, I would like to consider some of the things that athletics have meant to me, and, hopefully, to you as we finish another football season. Through athletics we have learned the value of hard work, dedication, concentration, honesty, and, most importantly, how to accept defeat. Adult persons who find necessary various means of escape in their lives are often those who have not learned to accept defeat. It takes courage to continue to strive and to bounce back after a loss. Remember, “winners never quit . . . quitters never win.” Remember, too, that what YOU do, what YOU are to become is largely dependent upon what YOU expect of YOURSELF!! As we begin a great San Dimas-Bonita football tradition, let us consider the long-range benefits from such a contest!
Sincerely,
Edward J. Weber, Ph.D.,
First Principal, San Dimas High School, 1972
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)