Tuscola-Pisgah Rivalry

Tuscola-Pisgah Rivalry

The Tuscola–Pisgah rivalry, also referred to as the Pisgah–Tuscola rivalry, the Haywood County Championship Game, the Iron Bowl, the Battle for Haywood, the Paper Bowl, and the County Clash is one of the best known and fiercest high school football rivalries in the southeastern United States. It has also been named the best high school rivalry in the state of North Carolina by USA TODAY. It typically draws between 10,000 and 15,000 fans per year. The intensity of the rivalry is caused by the fact that these are the only two high school football teams in Haywood County, North Carolina and are located less than 9 miles apart. Tuscola High School is located on a hill in Waynesville, NC that houses students from the western part of the county, primarily Waynesville, Maggie Valley, Crabtree, Fines Creek, Jonathan Creek, and western portions of Clyde. Pisgah High School is located on the banks of the Pigeon River in Canton, NC and houses students from the eastern part of the county, primarily Canton, Beaverdam, Bethel, Cruso, and eastern Clyde.