Murray vs Taylorsville Football Rivalry
War on 54 (name unconfirmed) · 32 meetings · Strong
Taylorsville leads 19–13 — 32 meetings since 1981. Murray High was established in 1916 and moved to the west side of State Street in 1954.
How it started
Murray High was established in 1916 and moved to the west side of State Street in 1954. Taylorsville High opened in 1981 on Redwood Road to serve a growing Taylorsville, so the series cannot start before 1981. Beyond those two dates, nothing about how this rivalry began is documented anywhere we could find.
The games that made it
No defining game is recorded in any published account. Murray won the 2026 meeting 48-0 in non-region play. Taylorsville leads the all-time series 19-13.
Where it stands
The schools sit in different classifications, so this is an early-season non-region game rather than a region fixture.
What we could not find
Everything, starting with the name. 'War on 54' does not appear in Deseret News, KSL or the Salt Lake Tribune in connection with these schools, and the usual explanation — that it refers to State Street — does not hold, because Taylorsville High is on Redwood Road. 5400 South is the road that actually runs between the two campuses, which would make more sense of the name, but that is an inference and nobody has published it. Confirm with both athletic directors before this name goes on the site.
Both programs
| Program | 2026 | Rating | Statewide | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murray | 7-3 | +1.5 | #57 | 4A |
| Taylorsville | 1-9 | -46.5 | #104 | 5A |