TWENTYNINE PALMS — Desert Valley League play will finish Friday with the rivalry football game pitting Yucca Valley against Twentynine Palms. This year the Trojans will travel to Twentynine Palms High School.
The Wildcats have been struggling with injuries and depleted numbers this year. They’re coming off a strong defensive effort with a 14-0 loss to Indio High last week.
The Trojans are 3-5 overall and 1-1 on the league, coming off a difficult 47-24 loss to Coachella Valley last week.
The Battle of the Bell tradition began in 1968, the first year the Morongo Basin had two high schools.
The winning team receives a perpetual trophy made from a ship’s bell donated by the Kiwanis Club.
The bell was originally given to John List, a longtime Yucca Valley resident and Kiwanis member, by Val Jones.
Jones, a local businessman, and his wife, who taught in the old Pioneertown School, had acquired the naval bell during their travels and felt the Kiwanis Club might find it useful. The bell was engraved and became a permanent trophy to be shared by the two high schools.
The first game was played in October 1968. That year, Yucca Valley High School had just been formed from students attending Twentynine Palms High School. Thus the two student bodies and the competing football teams had all been members of the same high school the year before.
Yucca Valley won the first game and the Battle of the Bell has continued ever since. It has been held every year since 1968 except 2022, when there was a fight and lockdown at the Yucca Valley campus on the morning of game day.
This year’s game will be played Friday, Nov. 1, at the stadium on the east side of the Wildcat campus, 72750 Wildcat Way, with the junior varsity game tentatively set to begin at 4 p.m. and varsity match beginning at 7.
Battle of the Bell winners
1. 1968 - Yucca Valley, 39-6
2. 1969 - Yucca Valley, 20-14
3. 1970 - Twentynine Palms, 16-6
4. 1971 - Yucca Valley, 51-0
5. 1972 - Twentynine Palms, 14-0
6. 1973 - Twentynine Palms, 26-12
7. 1974 - Twentynine Palms, 20-0
8. 1975 - Twentynine Palms, 17-13
9. 1976 - Yucca Valley, 19-0
10. 1977 - Twentynine Palms, 15-6
11. 1978 - Twentynine Palms, 12-7
12. 1979 - Yucca Valley, 9-6
13. 1980 - Twentynine Palms, 35-0
14. 1981 - Twentynine Palms, 20-6
15. 1982 - Yucca Valley, 9-7
16. 1983 - Twentynine Palms, 19-6
17. 1984 - Twentynine Palms, 13-0
18. 1985 - Twentynine Palms, 20-15
19. 1986 - Twentynine Palms, 49-6
20. 1987 - Yucca Valley, 32-0
21. 1988 - Yucca Valley, 24-20
22. 1989 - Twentynine Palms, 50-0
23. 1990 - Yucca Valley, 20-12
24. 1991 - Yucca Valley, 40-15
25. 1992 - Yucca Valley, 45-15
26. 1993 - Yucca Valley, 28-20
27. 1994 - Yucca Valley, 21-7
28. 1995 - Twentynine Palms, 19-16
29. 1996 - Twentynine Palms, 21-20
30. 1997 - Yucca Valley, 7-6
31. 1998 - Yucca Valley, 52-7
32. 1999 - Yucca Valley, 53-6
33. 2000 - Twentynine Palms, 45-14
34. 2001 - Twentynine Palms, 49-0
35. 2002 - Twentynine Palms, 28-10
36. 2003 - Yucca Valley, 13-10
37. 2004 - Yucca Valley, 30-23
38. 2005 - Twentynine Palms, 28-16
39. 2006 - Twentynine Palms, 41-8
40. 2007 - Twentynine Palms, 41-6
41. 2008 - Twentynine Palms, 29-13
42. 2009 - Twentynine Palms, 37-20
43. 2010 - Twentynine Palms, 31-7
44. 2011 - Twentynine Palms, 26-7
45. 2012 - Twentynine Palms, 29-14
46. 2013 - Twentynine Palms, 21-0
47. 2014 - Twentynine Palms, 47-20
48. 2015 - Twentynine Palms, 47-0
49. 2016 - Twentynine Palms, 41-22
50. 2017 - Twentynine Palms, 34-12
51. 2018 - Twentynine Palms, 53-30
52. 2019 - Yucca Valley, 21-6
53. 2020 - Twentynine Palms, 43-7
54. 2021 - Twentynine Palms, 37-10
2022 - Not played
55. 2023 - Yucca Valley, 83-7