In a light-hearted sense, there’s nothing neighborly this time of year about the high schools in South Pasadena and San Marino—outside of the short three-mile stretch separating the two campuses.
For all their geographic closeness, the Tigers and Titans might as well be worlds apart come Friday night when they square off in football, this time around in South Pasadena, starting at 7 p.m., renewing their annual rivalry.
With its storied past, the game—fierce, emotional, and full of history—returns to Ray Solari Stadium, where the Tigers (4-4, 2-0 in Rio Hondo League) look to continue a late-season surge and take a big step toward defending their league crown.
It’s more than a game. It’s a tradition, pride, and decades of bragging rights—and it’s about to add another chapter to one of the area’s oldest and most intense rivalries. Adding some extra spice, it’s also the Tigers’ homecoming game, complete with the usual fanfare, pomp, and circumstance.
Indeed, the contest is steeped in legacy, marking the 71st meeting between the schools. San Marino won the first matchup in 1955, shutting out South Pasadena 27-0. Since then, the contest has delivered everything from blowouts to nail-biters, streaks to upsets, heartbreaks to heroics.
“You have to throw out the records because anything can happen on game day,” said Tigers’ head coach Jeff Chi. “Besides, we are both undefeated in the league, so it should be another battle for the win.”
San Marino leads the all-time series 37-30-3, but the Tigers are clawing their way back. Last year, South Pasadena went into Titan Stadium and earned a narrow 24-17 victory—and now has its sights set on a second straight win.
The game also carries tangible rewards—not one, but two rivalry trophies: the historic Plaque, a symbol of local supremacy, and the Crowley Cup, named for the late Paul Crowley, who famously attended 58 consecutive games between the two schools before his passing. Crowley never played a down, but his passion for both schools embodied the spirit of the game—enduring, loyal, and deeply personal.
The Tigers are now finding their stride after struggling record-wise in the early going. South Pasadena, somewhat by design, limped through non-league play at 2-4, plagued by miscues and missed opportunities along with a strong schedule. Chi purposely put tough opponents in front of his club to prepare the Tigers for key league matchups against Monrovia, La Cañada, Temple City, and San Marino.
And it worked. In the last two weeks, South Pasadena’s game plan has clicked to perfection—and the turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable.
South Pasadena opened league play with a 23-21 victory over Monrovia, handing the previously undefeated Wildcats (5-0 at the time) their first loss of the year. A week later, the Tigers did it again, edging La Cañada 23-22, topping another unbeaten squad (7-0 entering the game).
“The win over La Cañada was a huge one for the program,” said Chi. “Now we are in the driver’s seat for the league title.”
Two games. Two dramatic wins. Two statements that the reigning Rio Hondo League champions aren’t ready to relinquish their throne anytime soon.
Now sitting at 2-0 in league, Chi’s squad controls its own destiny. Win Friday night against San Marino (3-4, 1-0) and again on the road at Temple City on October 24, and the Tigers would clinch a repeat league title and an automatic berth to the CIF-Southern Section playoffs. Even a slip-up in one of the next two games should get them in as likely the second-place finisher.
The mission never changes for Chi’s squad. The coach put it simply: “Every year we have three goals—win the league title, win CIF, and beat San Marino.”
Every year, Chi knows San Marino (3-4, 1-0) can be a dangerous and determined opponent, recognizing that the rivalry tends to bring out their best. Historically, this matchup has thrived on tight finishes—there was even a stretch of five straight games decided by three points or fewer.
The Titans’ upcoming slate is difficult. After visiting South Pasadena, they travel to Monrovia on October 24 before closing at home against La Cañada on October 31. That makes Friday’s clash even more pivotal as both teams have eyes on the postseason.
When these two teams line up under the Friday night lights, the records won’t matter much. For South Pasadena, it’s a chance to validate its comeback story—to prove that the early-season setbacks were just growing pains for a team now finding a way to win. For San Marino, it’s about redemption, reclaiming the Plaque, and stopping the Tigers from turning this into a new era of orange-and-black dominance.
Mark his words when Chi reminds everyone—it’s a huge rivalry game when these two teams collide.
“San Marino has some talented players on their team that can make some big plays on offense,” he said. “We cannot allow them to have those big plays on us. We have to keep everything in front of us and make good tackles. Defensively, they swarm to the football; therefore, we need to stay on our blocks and play aggressively. As always, we need to win the battle at the line of scrimmage for us to be successful on both ends. It’s going to take a total team effort to beat San Marino.”
