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I attended college in Columbia, Missouri, where the local high school named their athletic teams the Hickman Kewpies. Someone told me the football team debuted during the era when kewpie dolls were all the rage, and a parent declared loudly that they were as cute as kewpies at their opening game. I don’t know how true the story is, but you have to admit the name is memorable.
There are a bazillion school systems in the US, and most of them have athletic teams. In amongst the Tigers, Bears, and other ferocious animals are some pretty interesting team names.
Some names will make you hungry. Who could resist the New Berlin Pretzels, the Frankfort Hot Dogs, the Moorehead Spuds, or the Chinook Sugar Beeters?
More fascinating team names, after the jump.
A lot of teams are named after occupations, often something to do with a local industry. These include the Brush Beetdiggers, Hoopeston Area Cornjerkers, the Rocky Ford Meloneers, the Tonopah Fighting Muckers, the Cordozo Clerks (of Washington, DC of course), the Bauxite Miners, the Laurel Hill Hoboes, the John Marshall Justices in Richmond and the John Marshall Barristers in Los Angeles.
Vintage High School in Napa Valley named their team the Crushers. Yes, the Vintage Crushers.
There’s a few that make you wonder how the name is supposed to strike fear into the heart of the opposing team. Imagine firing up for a game against the Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms, the Fisher Bunnies, the St. Hubert Bambies, the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes, the Mt. Clemens Battling Bathers, the Roosevelt Teddies, or the Central Catholic Buttons. The above-cited Hickman Kewpies would belong in this category.
I found a few names that might be termed politically incorrect. There are Hurley Midgets, the Mcaughlin Midgets, and the Freeburg Midgets, which could be named after the British Leyland vehicle, but I doubt it. Idaho has the Orofino Maniacs. Centralia named their boys teams the Orphans and their girls teams the Orphan Annies.
Some are downright unlawful! There’s the Yuma City Criminals, the Van Vandals, the Orono Riots, and the Rawlins County Outlaws. Watch out, or you may run into the Garfield G-Men and end up meeting the Powell County Wardens! Maybe you could use the help of the two John Marshall high schools.
Other names are clever puns designed to match the school districts name. Who could argue with the Carlsbad Cavemen, the Normandy Invaders, the Polo Marcos, the Mars Area Fighting Planets and the Poca Dots. The Frankfort Hot Dogs fit here, too. Personally, I love the Webb Feet! The best pun of the lot is the Cairo Syrupmakers.
And some are headscratchers. I can’t quite figure out the Fairbury Jeffs, the Shoals Jug Rox, the Maryville Spoofhounds, the Yuba City Honkers, the Danville Little Johns, the Chattanooga Central Purple Pounders, or the Watersmeet Nimrods.
Those are but a small sampling of the colorful team names out there. Do you know of any others?
Comments (307)
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There’s a town in southeast Texas called Hutto anf their mascot is the Hippo…Hutto Hippos…they have a big hippo painted on the water tower by the highway and everything.
posted by Molly on 2-22-2007 at 8:28 am
Tillamook Cheesemakers … in Oregon.
Anyone who’s eaten the town’s sharp cheddar knows why.
posted by The G on 2-22-2007 at 8:33 am
Another one that doesn’t exactly strike fear in the hearts of opponents is the Lambkins of Fort Collins High School in Fort Collins, CO.
posted by Ben Erickson on 2-22-2007 at 8:42 am
Nimrod, I guess, refers to the great hunter of the Bible. Not a lot of coonskin caps in Biblical times, but hey, it’s high school sports.
I went to college in Columbia, too. No one in the wider world believes me when I tell them about the Kewps.
posted by Katrina on 2-22-2007 at 8:46 am
I had heard that Nimrod was a great hunter in the bible. Wikipedia states, “Mention of Nimrod in the Bible is rather limited. He is called the first to become “a mighty one on the earth” and “the mighty hunter before Yahweh.” He is said to be the founder and king of the first empire after the Flood, and his realm is connected with the Mesopotamian towns Babylon (Babel), Uruk, Akkad, Calneh, Nineveh, Resen, Rehoboth-Ir and Calah. (Genesis 10:8–10)”
So the Watersmeet “Great Hunters”.
posted by Russell on 2-22-2007 at 8:50 am
Mine aren’t really colorful; they’re either strange or, in some cases, inappropriate:
Strange:
my alma mater: Tartans
(umm … how do you fight/battle a pattern?)
my wife’s alma mater: Engineers
(she went to a tech school so I’ve always wondered if they mean train engineers or the ones with slide rules)
Inappropriate:
my (catholic) high school: Hustlers
(our colors were gold & green, and our mascot was a bee)
a local catholic grade school: Blue Devils (????)
posted by Dan H. on 2-22-2007 at 8:55 am
Don’t forget the Williamsport Millionaires. They were named for the north-central PA lumber boom in the 1860’s (now, Williamsport is a depressed area.) During the varsity football games, a kid in a top hat, a coat with tails, and monocle dances in front of the home stands.
posted by Jessica on 2-22-2007 at 9:12 am
Hee, I live near Frankfurt High School: The picture of their mascot is a mean looking dachshund. Other weird mascots in the area include the Crawfordville Berries, with Felix the Cat standing in for the berry in the logo for some reason, the New Castle Trojans, with the Trojan Man for the mascot (no, really), and my own high school- the purposefully misspelled Lafayette Jefferson High School Bronchos.
posted by Zach on 2-22-2007 at 9:20 am
Well, here in Winston Salem we have the Wake Forest “Demon Deacons”. The mascot is a white haired man in top hat and coat, though why a Baptist School would mix the words demon and deacon is beyond me.
posted by Jenny in NC on 2-22-2007 at 9:20 am
I actually dated a guy who was a Freeburg (IL) Midget- and he was 6′8″!
My high school mascot was a Rambler, and my college mascot was a Billiken. I’m going to spend the rest of my life explaining what they are…
Ramblers are so named because long ago the school didn’t have its own football field, so they “rambled” from field to field for their home games.
Billikens are elf/Buddha-like good luck figures that were popular in the early part of the 20th century. The fotoball coach at the time apparently resembled one, and the nickname stuck.
posted by MOD on 2-22-2007 at 9:30 am
HEY! I’m a former Kewpie too! I always thought we had the most bizzare mascot but I see we were not alone.
posted by Jacob on 2-22-2007 at 9:51 am
I also went to Missouri and chuckled at the Kewpies. But here’s the way I heard the story from the local sports writers I knew:
After a saddening football loss in the 1910s, the team was moping in the locker room. A newspaper reporter described the players as looking like sad kewpie dolls. And the name stuck.
Yeah, I never bought it either.
According to wikipedia, we’re both wrong:
The Kewpie is the mascot of Hickman High School in Columbia, Missouri. It is the only known school in the world with a Kewpie as its mascot. The name dates back to 1914 when a student working for the Columbia High School yearbook, the Cresset, drew a Kewpie holding a sign that dedicated the book to the basketball team “whose loyalty to the school and the Kewpie motto “Keep Smiling” has won the State Championship.”
posted by Griner on 2-22-2007 at 9:53 am
NYU called it’s teams “The Violets” in honor of the school colours, purple and white.
So now you know why I never bothered to become an All American athlete at NYU….
posted by actor212 on 2-22-2007 at 10:15 am
My best friend was a Frankfort Hot Dog! I never miss an opportunity to mock her for it. Although in middle school, we were the Godwin Governors, so I don’t have a whole lot of room to talk…
posted by Beth on 2-22-2007 at 10:16 am
Oh, yeah. The Poca Dots were rivals of my junior high school, the commonly named Andrew Jackson Raiders. Of course, Poca is a middle school so their letters are (wait for it) PMS.
posted by paperback writer on 2-22-2007 at 10:30 am
The Midwest is great for silly team names, though I guess they can be found everywhere. Me, I’m a former Maroon. Not like marooned from a ship. My team was simply the color maroon. Not too fierce, really.
Our story is that we used to be the Mighty Maroon Devils but then people thought kids should not have devil imagery and we simply became the Mighty Maroons. It’s pretty ridiculous but that’s southern Illinois for you.
posted by christinia on 2-22-2007 at 10:53 am
My catholic school was the “Blugolds”. . .guess the school colors?
posted by Liz on 2-22-2007 at 11:27 am
Windber, PA is home of the Ramblers.
posted by psupachic on 2-22-2007 at 11:30 am
I have one for you:
Yukon Millers (OK). No it is not a giant moth devouring the clothing of frightened opponents. Our mascot was actually a large man weilding sacks of flour. Our town was centerd around the large flour mill that still stands today. The Miller man was the guy who was in charge of the daily operation of the flour mill. So you can imagine how frightened our opponents must have been…
Also how about the Chickasha Chicks.
posted by Teach7 on 2-22-2007 at 11:34 am
Not a HS, but I live near UC Santa Cruz, whose mascot is the Banana Slug.
posted by Kellie on 2-22-2007 at 11:38 am
Banan Slugs, yum! There was a report of a team named the Snails, but I couldn’t find a reference to the team name on the school website, so I didn’t use it.
posted by Miss Cellania on 2-22-2007 at 11:46 am
There is a catholic school in Wisconsin, I think Milwaukee area, named something like Pope Pious IV H.S. The boys teams are called the Pope Pious Popes. Nothing funny there…the girls’ teams? The Pope Pious Lady Popes. Now that’s humor.
posted by Urquart P Urquart on 2-22-2007 at 11:54 am
there is a college in enterprise, alabama who are “the boll weevils”.
posted by jill on 2-22-2007 at 12:12 pm
My high school mascot in Allentown, PA was the Canary, so that made the Allen HS Canaries. One of the league rivals was the Northampton Konkrete Kids. Two unique mascots in one league.
posted by Dan on 2-22-2007 at 12:16 pm
Not exactly a high school, granted, but Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi has a Fighting Okra (read: fierce okra guy wearing boxing gloves) as its mascot.
posted by mc112358 on 2-22-2007 at 12:29 pm
My school mascot would fall into the “politically incorrect” category: the John Jay Indians.
posted by Alice on 2-22-2007 at 12:36 pm
When I was in high school we played a team from gainsville Florida called the blue waves and one from some other Florida town called the green waves. we were the Pirates but that ones pretty normal
posted by Karah! on 2-22-2007 at 1:22 pm
I went to college in Maryville, Missouri and never did get a straight answer on what a Spoofhound is. Apparently the guy who named the SPOOFHOUNDS is also tied to the Columbia-Hickman KEWPIES. (type Spoofhound into Wikipedia for the whole story)
Now, can a high school please pick up on my adult kickball league team’s name “Awesome Helicopter Ninjas”?
posted by Scott C. Jones on 2-22-2007 at 1:55 pm
I went to college in Maryville, Missouri and never did get a straight answer on what a Spoofhound is. Apparently the guy who named the SPOOFHOUNDS went on to be superintendent in the Columbia-Hickman KEWPIES’ school district. (type Spoofhound into Wikipedia for the whole story)
Now, can a high school please pick up on my adult kickball league team’s name “Awesome Helicopter Ninjas”?
posted by Scott C. Jones on 2-22-2007 at 1:56 pm
At Scottsdale Community College, the team name and colors went up for a vote many years ago, and apparently at the time the students were angry that so much of the school’s budget went to athletics. So in retaliation the school’s mascot became Artie the Fighting Artichoke, and the team colors became pink and green. For some sort of legal reason the school could change the team colors but not the name, so although the colors are now navy blue and green, Artie has stuck and is now just a funny story.
(Not sure if I got the details right but that’s the main idea.)
posted by Rob on 2-22-2007 at 2:23 pm
Not a high school, but I graduated from the University of California in Irvine where our mascot is the giant anteater. We’d often say, “Well, at least we’re not banana slugs.”
posted by Tomas on 2-22-2007 at 2:40 pm
I didn’t know there were other Honkers out there in the world! I went to elementary and junior high school in Kenmare, North Dakota, where the school teams are the Honkers. It refers to giant canada geese, which congregate (in the tens of thousands!) in the wildlife refuges around the town.
posted by Rachel on 2-22-2007 at 2:46 pm
I attended Algonac High School, home of the Muskrats!
posted by Erik on 2-22-2007 at 2:59 pm
I was a Miller, too, but of Noblesville Indiana. The junior high’s mascot was called a “mite”, thought it looked the same as a miller (flour-totin’-guy).
posted by Trena on 2-22-2007 at 3:23 pm
How about the Delta State University Fighting Okra? Think fierce, menacing green vegetable wearing boxing gloves. . .
posted by MC on 2-22-2007 at 3:36 pm
My school was the Oregon Episcopal School Aardvarks. We even had an aardvark mascot costume that someone wore for big games!
posted by Kat on 2-22-2007 at 3:42 pm
There is a high school in Pennyslvania called Abington High School. Their nickname is the Galloping Ghost.
posted by wayne dilla on 2-22-2007 at 3:53 pm
From Indianapolis, Indiana – the home of auto racing – comes the speedway sparkplugs. The sparkplugs.
posted by David on 2-22-2007 at 4:03 pm
One of our town’s elementary schools was the Riverview Raccoons. They really took the alliteration thing seriously.
posted by Jason on 2-22-2007 at 4:10 pm
Like a few others I was a Rambler (in Minnesota). Nobody seemed to have any sort of definite answer as to why we were the Ramblers and having a Ram as the mascot didn’t help any. Why I ask is this ram rambling, doesn’t he have a home?
In my undergrad days I had the pleasure of being a Marquette GOLD for a week or so. Under pressure to return to the pre-90s politically correct Warriors the board spent 6 months or so considering it and thats what they came up with. Swing and a miss. Needless to say, uproar ensued and they were forced to try again.
posted by Ben on 2-22-2007 at 4:27 pm
Outside Eugene, Oregon, is a small town called Pleasant Hill. Their mascot? The Billies (as in billygoats). This makes them the Pleasant Hill Billies. Just special.
posted by Seth on 2-22-2007 at 6:06 pm
My baby sister went to Dewey Middle School in Colorado,home of the mighty fightin’ Dewey Ducks. I always thought the “Dewey Decimal Systems” would’ve been cooler,but I never could figure what they’d use for a mascot….
posted by BamBam on 2-22-2007 at 6:14 pm
In high school, we were the John S. Battle Trojans … our favorite cheer was “we never fail!” At least, we hoped so … Then I moved on to college and became a Hokie! Go Virginia Tech!
posted by Abby on 2-22-2007 at 6:23 pm
Rhinelander, WI has the Hodag. A Hodag is ‘a resurrection of the restless spirit of dead lumber oxen.’ The Hodag is a 200-pound, seven foot-long, lizard-like beast covered with horns. (This according to RoadsideAmerica.com)
posted by cmk on 2-22-2007 at 6:30 pm
My old high school had different mascots for each team. Most notable was the football team: the stuyvesant “peglegs”. Not a particular fearsome name for a sports team. They were so named to honor Peter Stuyvesant, the former tyrannical governor of New Netherland (now New York) who had a wooden leg.
posted by chet on 2-22-2007 at 6:38 pm
My own high school was the ‘Greenwave’
You are currently saying, “what the … ?”
It has to do with wind blowing over alfalfa fields. You should see what the mascot looks like: picture a breaker wave, drawn in humanoid form and tinted green?
I always hated it until I heard that it was changed from the ‘Mellon Pickers’
posted by n2y2 on 2-22-2007 at 6:40 pm
Glen Ellyn, IL has the Glenbard West Hilltoppers. The castle-like building, built in the 1920s, stands up on a hill.
Their logo is a picture of a castle on a hill. Not very intimidating. It’s not even a spooky looking castle.
posted by Sara on 2-22-2007 at 7:10 pm
I always got a chuckle as I drove past the Lewisville water tower just north of Dallas…home of the Fighting Farmers.
posted by kph on 2-22-2007 at 7:42 pm
Where I went to catholic school, we were the crusaders.
posted by Aimee on 2-22-2007 at 7:52 pm
I currently live in Maryville, MO, home of the Spoofhounds (the original “spoofhound” was apparently an ugly dog statue sold at the county fair). Of course, our town is a haven for strange animals — as is evidenced by the college team, the Bearcats.
In the college’s history, the women’s teams were once called the Bearkittens. One time during that era, the basketball Bearkittens challenged the basketball Bearcats to a team. The Bearkittens won — the name added much insult to injury!
I also grew up in Illinois, where I knew about the Hoopeston Cornjerkers, the Fisher Bunnies, and the Havana Ducks (who could forget the Havana Ducks?)
posted by Lauren Leach on 2-22-2007 at 8:33 pm
There is another high school whose mascot is the Maroons (re # 16)- Austin High School(Texas). How odd that there are 2 of these!
And I’m so happy that Molly (#1) mentioned the Hustlin’ Hutto Hippos!
My daughter was a starting offensive lineman/woman on the Weiss College Battle Sows! (long story)
posted by Larriann on 2-22-2007 at 10:49 pm
My highschool’s mascot was a dart. The colors were brown and gold. I always thought that was bad.
I feel better now. Thanks.
posted by imeaj on 2-22-2007 at 11:04 pm
My high school in Hesston KS, had the “Swathers” as a mascot. A swather is the brand name of a farm implement that cuts hay that is made locally. The logo was the “Mean Machine” a kind of half-smiling half-snarling image of a swather from the front.
posted by Swather on 2-22-2007 at 11:05 pm
I was a Yuba City High Honker. I think the name comes from the large amount of migratory geese who view the town as something as a rest stop. More unfortunate were the brown and yellow school colors.
posted by Bryan on 2-23-2007 at 1:02 am
My sister’s college was the Evergreen Geoducks of Washington state, as in the large(ugly) mullusks that are native to the Olympic Northwest. It’s kinda hard to intimidate the other team when your mascot doesn’t have eyes. Or teeth. Or a face for that matter…
posted by Heather on 2-23-2007 at 1:28 am
My High School, Bowling Green High School was “The Purples”, and my mascot was “The Purple sSirit” My college, Western Kentucky Universtity,(Also in Bowling Green, KY) was the Hilltoppers, but our Mascot was “Big Red”.
Is it me, or was there a color theme going on here?
posted by Myra on 2-23-2007 at 7:48 am
I can’t believe no one has mentioned the Perry Commodores (Perry Township, Ohio). Love the ones that make you think.
posted by Alice on 2-23-2007 at 8:27 am
WHAT ABOUT THE MOST “OVERUSED” “UN-ORIGINAL” NAMES “TROJANS”…. I’LL BET THAT THERES A CONDOM HIGH SCHOOL SOME WHERE IN THE US USING THAT NAME..
posted by JOHN BROWN on 2-23-2007 at 11:40 am
Oh my GiddyGod, number 55! A Geoduck? Those things look like…well, they look like wankers to be honest. Yeegads, maybe the Geoducks could team up with the Trojans and just have a giant phallus being chased by a giant condom.
posted by Jenny on 2-23-2007 at 11:41 am
I actually went to high school near the Rocky Ford Meloneers! We played them for homecoming! Poor kids. Good cantalope though. Haha. We were the “Savages”, so we got hell for our name for a different reason.
posted by Kaliah on 2-23-2007 at 12:20 pm
I was a Rampant in high school. Our mascot was a lion-type thing (not much detail, just an outline) standing on its hind legs (rampant), like on a coat of arms.
posted by kt on 2-23-2007 at 8:07 pm
Ann Arbor has two: The Huron High School River Rats (due to its proximity to the Huron River), and the Pioneer High School Pioneers. Pioneer was originally Ann Arbor High School, and their mascot was the Pioneer. When Huron was built in the 60’s, it was deemed necessary to change the name of the school. Why the new name became that of the mascot, I have no idea.
posted by Andrew on 2-24-2007 at 3:01 pm
In Southwest Georgia, there is a small Town named Cairo. The largest industry in town makes the KARO brand corn syrup. Naturally the High School nickname is Cairo High Syrupmakers
posted by Chris on 2-24-2007 at 10:21 pm
My highschool’s team name was the Urbana Hillclimbers. Made sense, seeing as our castle-like school was located on top of a hill, and the football field was at the bottom, but our mascot was named Sparky. I never did understand how they were related. Then there’s a university in this area, Ohio Wesleyan, whose team name is the Battling Bishops. And their mascot is, you guessed it, a very angry looking bishop. I also went to a private school whose team name was the Griffons. Not quite as off, but it is a bit different.
posted by Jess on 2-25-2007 at 2:12 am
I went to a miltary college that had a kangaroo for a mascot! Not only does a kangaroo not incite fear in the eyes of our opponents, it isn’t even aboriginal to the USA! Who, besides Sylvester the cat, is going to be intimidated by a large marsupial?
posted by John on 2-26-2007 at 11:19 am
I was going to mention the Lewisville fighting farmers, but someone already did… Some people at my university (University of North Texas)wanted to change the mascot to an albino squirrel so they put it to a vote and people said they wanted to stay with the current one- an eagle. I was disappointed…Of course I never did actually attend ANY sporting event at the school. There really was an albino squirrel on campus.
posted by greenstrawberries on 2-27-2007 at 3:23 am
I lived in Idaho for a while and was floored when I heard of a nearby High School and, I know its spelled diferently but, isn’t High School hard enough without your school being the ‘Butte Pirates’. Don’t get me wrong, I think one should have every right to be a Butte Pirate if one chooses so… I would have liked to have been at that naming meeting if nothing else.
posted by David on 2-28-2007 at 5:11 am
Much like the other wave mascots mentioned upthread, the mascot for Tupelo High School in Tupelo, Mississippi is the Golden Wave. Mind you, Tupelo is in the Northeast corner of the state, so it’s about as landlocked as you can get. Why the high school founders decided to use the Golden Wave is unknown, at least to most students.
A funny side-effect of the high school being the Golden Wave: one local junior high’s mascot is the Ripple.
posted by Jennifer on 2-28-2007 at 6:13 am
Dunn School (in Los Olivos, California):
The Earwigs!!
(Sorry to all my alumni!)
posted by TLC on 2-28-2007 at 6:56 am
When I was a high school student around 1980 in Missouri, there was a college band in the state (can’t remember which one, as my memory is swiftly leaving me!), called “The Riverboat Gamblers”. Their uniforms were rather Mark Twain-ish in appearance. I’ve since heard that their name has been changed (I’m sure to something more potent!), but I loved that band!
posted by Kathy on 2-28-2007 at 7:00 am
In a bid for irony, Guilford College in NC has the Fightin’ Quakers.
posted by Brian C. on 2-28-2007 at 7:22 am
Rhinelander Wisconsin’s high school mascot is the Hodag. The Hodag is a (probably) fictional Wisconsin creature, 7 feet long and 30 inches tall, with spikes along its backbone and tail. It eats white bulldogs, and only white bulldogs.
posted by Ann on 2-28-2007 at 7:34 am
I have a third “Maroons” to add to the list – although officially, my high school doesn’t actually have a mascot. The Episcopal High School (Alexandria, VA – and yes, “the” is part of the name) calls themselves the Maroons; the school colors are maroon and black.
Amusing – it is a small private boarding school (mostly upper-class white males enrolled) but historically, a maroon is an escaped slave.
posted by Kimberly on 2-28-2007 at 7:36 am
The Rock Island Rocks in Illinois. The mascot looked like a huge “Pet Rock” and the school cheer was “Go Rocks!”
posted by David on 2-28-2007 at 7:36 am
I was a Pioneer in high school, and I think this was already mentioned, but the town nearby were Maroons. There was also a school with a mascot of Blue Devil. That is southern Illinois for you!
posted by Shawn on 2-28-2007 at 7:44 am
Jasper Polecats from Fairfield, IL
Bumper stickers read “Polecat Pride”
posted by Dave on 2-28-2007 at 7:50 am
I grew up in Grand Prairie, Tx. There were only 2 high schools. My was the South Grand Prairie Warriors, which although politically incorrect, wasn’t so wierd. But what was weird was the mascot for Grand Prairie High School—A gopher….. Just how intimidating is a gopher anyway? But with a city named Grand Prairie, what do you expect?
posted by Jennifer on 2-28-2007 at 7:51 am
University of Delaware has the Fighting Blue Hens.
posted by Rachel on 2-28-2007 at 8:16 am
My hometown, Menominee, MI, also has a high school team named the Maroons. That makes three…go figure. Their mascot, as near as I remember, was a big maroom M.
posted by Victoria Charnetski on 2-28-2007 at 8:21 am
There is a town in Cobden, Illinois known as the Apple Knockers (they have apple orchards). We played them in high school and loved to hear them cheer “let’s go knockers.” Perhaps not appropriate for high school!
posted by J. Brant on 2-28-2007 at 8:25 am
The New Braunfels, TX mascot is the Unicorns. That would strike some fear in their opponents!
posted by Sue on 2-28-2007 at 8:57 am
Small town in Plano, Illinois – Home of the Reapers…as in farm equipment.
posted by lauhal on 2-28-2007 at 9:06 am
In Potsdam, NY, the mascot for the high school is the Sandstoners. The name came from the large deposits of sandstone quarried here. A rough looking miner, bulky muscles, holding a pick axe, and a crazed look in his eyes does seem kind of scary. Except that we were always referred to as the “Stoners.” Well, some of the students fit the description. :-)
posted by Kim on 2-28-2007 at 9:28 am
I am a proud Campbell Camel. Watch out, they spit!!!
posted by Leslie on 2-28-2007 at 9:46 am
Not too intimidating by name, the “Poets” of Harve De Grace, Maryland
posted by Mel on 2-28-2007 at 9:47 am
Correction to #71 – it isn’t Guilford College that you mean, it it Elon University. And an update: they changed the team name to The Phoenix about three years ago. How about Willingboro HS in NJ? They are the Chimeras.
posted by Ed on 2-28-2007 at 10:30 am
Cheverus High School’s mascot is the Cheverus Stag. It used to be an all-boys’ school. Now, it is coed, and the girls’ team is the Lady Stags. Sounds a little obscene, no?
posted by Allison on 2-28-2007 at 10:37 am
Almost forgot this one – the Manhattan College Jaspers. They are named after Brother Jasper, one of the Catholic priests at the school and the man who, some say, “invented” the 7th inning stretch in baseball. Check the college website for the full story.
And to this day I don’t know what a “Hoya” is (Georgetown U.)
posted by Ed on 2-28-2007 at 10:42 am
or a “Hokie” (Virginia Tech)
posted by ed on 2-28-2007 at 10:43 am
I saw the Bauxite Miners in your list, but here’s a few others from Arkansas:
Alma Airedales
Danville Little Johns
Dardanelle Sand Lizards
Fordyce Redbugs
Gurdon Go-Devils
Harrison Goblins
Joe T. Robinson Senators (Joe T was, you guessed it, a senator)
Nashville Scrappers
Prescott Curley Wolves
Dierks Outlaws
Cave City Cavemen
Hermitage Hermits
Eureka Springs Highlanders
DeValls Bluff Scrappers
Smackover Buckaroos
And then there’s my college alma mater:
Arkansas Razorbacks, affectionately known as the Hogs – Woo Pig Sooie! is the cheer.
(Have you ever seen a real razorback? Those things are scary!)
posted by Jessica on 2-28-2007 at 11:04 am
I went to Montclair High School in southern California. Our mascot was the Cavalier (looked kind of like a Dumas musketeer after a rough night on the town). That in itself wasn’t too bad, but our school colors were black and blue.
posted by Carrie on 2-28-2007 at 11:34 am
I’m the proud parent of a basketball player on the Savannah,Ga’s Johnson High School Atom Smashers!
posted by william on 2-28-2007 at 11:47 am
in east tennessee, there is an odd rivalry. The morristown-hamblen west high school trojans vs. the cocke county high school fighting cocks. there are a lot of jokes to this rivalry and i guess you all can name them all.
posted by crake on 2-28-2007 at 12:27 pm
Don’t forget about the Amarillo High School(Texas) Sandies. On the high school it says “Home of the Golden Sandstorm.” Strikes fear into you. Also in Texas, the Winters Blizzards–junior high is the snow storms.
posted by dude on 2-28-2007 at 12:28 pm
What about the fearsome Sandie of Amarillo High School in Texas. On the outside of the school it says, “Home of the Golden Sandstorm.” Also in Texas, Winter High School is the Blizzards and the jr. high there is the Snowstorms.
posted by dude on 2-28-2007 at 12:32 pm
There’s a town just to the north of me that has a mascot that is a giant O… they call themselves the Sheldon Orabs.
“Orabs” stands for Orange and Black.
that’s the weirdest one I know. :)
posted by Bayliss on 2-28-2007 at 12:59 pm
There’s a small town in S. Texas which is in the middle of cotton country. Let’s hear it for the Robstown, Texas COTTONPICKERS!! They aren’t very ferocious, but they sure are hard workers!
posted by Donna on 2-28-2007 at 1:01 pm
NC School of the Arts in Winston Salem has the Fighting Pickles…and they don’t even have an athletic depatment
posted by Stella on 2-28-2007 at 1:07 pm
Eccentric Mascots? Every team I was on:
Canaries (6th-8th grade intermurals)
Meloneers (high school, RF, CO)
Threshers (Bethel College, N.Newton KS)
A thresher is a device that seperates grain from the plant. Silly Kansas people.
posted by Ken on 2-28-2007 at 1:33 pm
Good old Mattoon, IL has the high school mascot of “The Green Wave”. It’s my alma mater and I was proud to wear the green & gold!
posted by Shelly on 2-28-2007 at 1:46 pm
The high school in Lincoln, IL honors Abraham Lincoln by calling themselves the Railsplitters. Striking terror in rails, of course.
posted by Jaron on 2-28-2007 at 2:58 pm
In the Texas panhandle. The high school team in Pampa is called the Fighting Harvesters.
posted by Henry on 2-28-2007 at 3:36 pm
Back again….there is a high school north of Pittsburgh called Hampton, that has a nickname of the ‘Talbots’. I think it may derived from an English Sheepdog, I’m not sure.
We also have some high schools that incorporate their nickname from the town or school name, the four are listed below;
Ambridge Bridgers
Aliquippa Quips
Carmichals Mikes
Mapletown Maples.
posted by Wayne Dilla on 2-28-2007 at 3:46 pm
Don’t forget that the Austin High School’s Maroons mascot is a little fuzzy dot with a smily face and little feet and a poindexter beanie. Now that’s intimidating. (A fuzzy dot?!)
posted by Beckye on 2-28-2007 at 3:54 pm
I am the Aunt to a couple of proud Spudders. The town of Ridgefield,WA was very proud of the local crops, it was between the prunes or the potato crop. They became the Ridgefield Spudders,(sorry no Fighting Pruners here). The elementary school is(yep you quessed it)the Tater Tots! Tradition in the farming town is to spork (spoon/fork combo) people. Instead of wasting precious toilet paper, kids sneek out and insert as many sporks into the yards of their friends. They are also known for spreading instant mash potatoes over the lawn, only to have it rain and watch those potatoe buds grow!!
posted by Donna Spraycar on 2-28-2007 at 3:58 pm
Saltville Shakers (VA)
Key West Fighting Conches
posted by sumelton on 2-28-2007 at 4:19 pm
Ok, Carson High School Senators and Carson Middle School Solons, Carson City, NV. Are these politically correct?
posted by Keri on 2-28-2007 at 4:26 pm
I graduated from Hood College in Maryland, home of the ‘Blazers’. It used to be a women’s college, but has gone completely co-ed. The mascot is depicted as a horse, but the ‘Blazer’ name comes from the tradition of students receiving their class blazers (jackets) during their sophomore year. Animals always make better mascots than clothing…
Oh! Our women’s teams play against the Mary Baldwin Fighting Squirrels from Virginia!
posted by Krista on 2-28-2007 at 4:56 pm
In Renton, WA we were the Hazen High School Highlanders.
posted by Avanti on 2-28-2007 at 6:09 pm
Hey, John? Are you capable of NOT writing in all caps?
posted by Louis on 2-28-2007 at 7:03 pm
My cousins live in a small town in Idaho and they were all the Shelley Russets. Basically, potatoes. Their mascot is a potato with a crown on it. My brothers and sister and I all have to laugh at that.
Jordan High in Utah are the Beetdiggers as well, but it’s for sugar beets which were grown here for a long while.
posted by Janel on 2-28-2007 at 8:49 pm
My junior high school was called the Emerson Shamrocks. Even worse was the Alva OK team we played called the Goldbugs. And their junior high team? The Babybugs.
posted by Lisa on 2-28-2007 at 10:53 pm
Aitkin, Minnesota – the Gobblers. As in, turkey gobblers.
posted by Rebecca on 3-1-2007 at 3:25 am
John (message #65)- Don’t mess with those kangaroos! The University of Akron Zips (long ago, the Zippers) have a great kangaroo mascot, Zippy. To celebrate some major wins, they added a super design featuring the slogan “Fear the ROO!”, with a head-on drawing of a ferocious ‘roo.
posted by Barb on 3-1-2007 at 8:06 am
Until 1968, Connellsville, PA’s High School was known as the Cokers, which refers to the cooked coal used to make steel. I wish they hadn’t changed it… the present day mascot could have been some guy dressed as a straw. It combined with Dunbar High School and the student body was given the responsibility to choose a new name, and they promptly voted for the Condums. Unfortunately, sanity ruled and the administration renamed the combined district as the generic Falcons. One can only dream.
posted by Jay on 3-1-2007 at 8:14 am
I went to college in Moorhead, MN (not the omitted E) home of the high school Spuds. The unfortunate thing is many Spuds graduate and go to one of the local schools (my alma mater) and become the Concordia Cobbers. Yeah, from potatoes to corn. Lucky kids.
posted by Mary on 3-1-2007 at 11:01 am
See Post #31. What a great fighting slogan:
“At least we’re not the Banana Slugs!”
That would sure motivate a team!
posted by chris on 3-1-2007 at 3:51 pm
I was a tartan, but our mascot was an angry looking irishman in a tartan skirt.
Then I was a dolphin, I guess it makes sense since i live on the coast, but still… Dolphins don’t strike fear into anyone’s heart
posted by Erin on 3-1-2007 at 8:04 pm
Mine was the West Milford Highlanders. We have a whole Scottish theme running throughout. To each their own… but why did we have an ELK for a mascot???
posted by Christine on 3-1-2007 at 9:05 pm
Out near here there are the Pleasant Hill Billies. I believe the mascot is a Billie goat, but nothing say backwoods like “I’m a P-Hill Billie!”
posted by Tim on 3-2-2007 at 9:34 am
You have missed the best one of all. In the panhandle of Oklahoma there are mini-tornados called dirt-devils, that were once known as “dusters”. A town in the panhandle, Beaver,Oklahoma, gets excited about its team, the Beaver Dusters!
posted by Dan on 3-2-2007 at 10:23 am
Our college had (and still does as far as I know) a Missouri Mule for a mascot. The team was known as the Mules and the ladies team was (what else?) the Jennies.
No wonder I’ve never been interested in getting a license plate saying I went to “Mule School.”
PS: I always heard the mule was chosen because Warrensburg, the town where the college is located, used to be known as the Mule Capital of the World.
posted by Rose Mary on 3-3-2007 at 10:43 pm
My middle school was the Cave Cubs (not too bad, since the high school was the cavemen, although this is in southern Oregon, not even near the Oregon Caves, so I don’t quite get that part). Unfortunately, there was a large picture of a bear in a sweater on the wall, and, as my best friend always pointed out, he looked slightly constipated.
posted by Pointy-Hatted Geek on 3-3-2007 at 11:59 pm
In response to #123, I know the place which that contributor is referring to. It is Grants Pass, OR. While I was a Lady Caver, thankfully I was not a Cave Cub. I was a South Middle School Trojan. (Insert condom joke here.) But like I said at least I wasn’t a wanna-be Care-Bear. Besides Trojans were great warriors . . . right?
posted by Noelani on 3-6-2007 at 12:19 am
Hey, you didn’t get all the good dumb Arkansas mascots…
What about the..
Rose Bud Ramblers (Mascot is…what else…a rose)
Cave City CaveWomen
Mt. Plesant Bluebirds
Conway Wampus Cats…whatever the heck that is (check out Texas Bigfoot Labratories)
Wonderview DareDevils (You should see their mascot)
Stuttgart Rice Birds
Oh and I just wish Eureka Springs could pick a logo for the Highlanders…we played them at quiz bowl and every logo looked different!
And If you’re going into colleges…
Lyon Scots and Pipers
SAU Muleriders
UAM Boll Weevils and Cotton Blossoms (ironic, no?)
Arkansas Tech Golden Suns and…wait for it…WONDERBOYS!
posted by Emilee on 3-6-2007 at 7:29 pm
There’s a little town in Texas and their mascot is the Cowboys. Thats not bad. But the name of the town is Happy. So its the Happy Cowboys!!
posted by firstnonna on 3-9-2007 at 6:04 pm
Arkansas Tech University has the interesting mascot name for their male sports teams–the Wonderboys.
Their female teams are known as the Golden Suns…no similarity whatsoever, which is strange to me.
I also played in a softball tournament in high school where our formidable opponent was the Cobden Appleknockers. Their mascot was a barefoot old man in overalls with a corn cob pipe in his mouth. Extremely intimidating.
Of course, we were the Piggott Mohawks–we lived in Arkansas–the Mohawk tribe was indigenous to New York. Our mascot was also usually seen in a teepee, which is also completely inaccurate.
posted by Kristi on 3-13-2007 at 3:48 pm
Well, how many lions, tigers, zebras (Pine Bluff), jaguars or rams are native to Arkansas either?
Then there was the Newark Kangaroos…but they consolidated and are now the Cedar Ridge Timberwolves.
posted by Emilee on 3-24-2007 at 8:44 pm
In my home town we had the Patriots and the Braves (and Indian logo), and the Saints and the Demons. The demon was a little red devil looking guy named Denny.
Another school in North Dakota had a strange mascot for 80 years until they were required to change it. They were the Devils.
posted by Amber on 3-28-2007 at 7:26 am
My high school mascot in Washington state was the Richland High School bombers – our symbol was the mushroom cloud and the commonly quoted motto at athletic games was “nuke ‘em ’til they glow.”
(Some parts of the atomic bomb were designed at a neighboring facility and that is where the name originates.)
posted by Sarah on 3-28-2007 at 11:35 pm
I am an “Awesome Blossom” and the mascot you have shown on the website isn’t the “true” Awesome Blossom. The original Blossom is strictly black and white and has a plan circle nose and different eyebrows. It’s much better than the updated version.
posted by Annie on 4-9-2007 at 11:25 pm
Karah! Says:
“When I was in high school we played a team from gainsville Florida called the blue waves”.
I went to that school, but they are the singular “Blue Wave”. The Green Wave is Father Lopez, in Daytona Bch. Sounds like Karah went to Crystal River, perhaps?
posted by Lee on 4-25-2007 at 9:42 am
My high school team is the Floydada (TX)Whirlwinds. They were first known as the Knights of Green and White, but when they played the Amarillo High School Golden Sandstorms in the 1920s an Amarillo newspaper said the boys from Floydada were mere “whirlwinds against the mighty Golden Sandstorms.” The name stuck and the rest is history. (Our junior high players were called the Breezers!)
posted by Larry on 6-21-2007 at 9:05 am
Oregon is so fierce! University of Oregon has the Ducks and Oregon State (the College World Series Champs!!!) are the Ducks. Ferocious!!
posted by erin on 6-25-2007 at 4:55 pm
My school mascots growing up were pretty normal (Cubs and Panthers), but college was kind of out there. I’m surprised nobody’s yet mentioned the University of Evansville Purple Aces. Our mascot was a riverboat gambler holding a deck of cards and dressed in a purple suit with spats, a large-brimmed hat, and a cane. His name was supposed to be Ace Purple, but he was commonly referred to as “The Purple Pimp”.
posted by Rabbit on 7-2-2007 at 11:30 pm
The Fort Collins High School Lambkins of Fort Collins, Colorado. Watch out for “Klyd” the Lambkin, because “his” name is spelled real tough like he’s Lynyrd Skynyrd or something.
baa-a.
posted by Evan W. on 7-2-2007 at 11:38 pm
My high school had the boring name of Lincoln High School, appropriate enough for the first high school in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our mascot, however, is the Link. Like the piece of chain. The mascot himself is a little man costume, made of fur (the furry man I don’t really understand) with giant red “links” of chain draped over his body.
posted by Aaron on 7-3-2007 at 12:21 am
#120 says that you were the Pleasant Hill “Billies.” Fredonia NY didn’t even bother with the goat theme. We were/are the Hillbilles, with a rough looking, tattered guy for a mascot. Supposedly we used to be the hilltoppers (school at the top of the hill, what’s with that?) and it eventually became the hillbilles. Colors – Orange and Black, which I still consider the worst school color combo.
posted by julie on 7-3-2007 at 2:57 am
Western Mass is the home of the Aqawam “Brownies”. I’m not sure if it’s the food, the girl scout troup, or another connotation all together, but it’s not very intimidating.
posted by Bill on 7-3-2007 at 6:34 am
It’s not soweird that my highschool’s mascot was the Sharpsville Blue Devils.. but what always got me was that all the girls’ sports teams were called Lil’ Darlins??
And we played against various interesting names.. The Wave, and the Electrons were my favorites
posted by Rachel on 7-3-2007 at 6:50 am
Ashland, Mass. is the proud home of the Clockers. Evidently they made clocks there once. Sounds about right to me.
posted by Jess on 7-3-2007 at 6:59 am
In high school (Freeport) I was a falcon (pretty normal); I went to Colby College where I became a “white mule” (not scary–nice to see there are other mules out there). Now I work at Southern New Hampshire University where we are “penmen.” Ah, the paths we take…
posted by KCAydelott on 7-3-2007 at 8:37 am
When entering the quaint town of Smithville, Ohio, a sign welcomes you to the “Home of the Smithies.” As in blacksmiths, I guess, since their school newspaper is called the anvil. I wouldn’t mess with them!
posted by DSteinert on 7-3-2007 at 10:12 am
Well, i started off in middle school as a “Chipmunk”, highschool was a bit more fearsome with the “Parish Hill Pirates”, and then in college, i too was a Evergreen Geoduck.(Pronounced gooey-duck) A friend of mine was the mascot…he wore a giant, extremley phallic clam suit. At games he played solo hackey-sack, alernatley beating on a large metal pot with a wooden spoon, and playing the didjeredoo. Of course, all this fanfare was for the lacrosse team…we didn’t have football!
posted by thirty7 on 7-3-2007 at 12:22 pm
My high school was the Cicero-North Syracuse (NY) Northstars. Our sports mascot was Captain Northstar — a student dressed up like a superhero in the school colors (blue and green). BUT the worst part is the actual school mascot….a unicorn with the horn touching the northstar….the paper and yearbook were called “Polaris”. Talk about pitiful! I would have rather had something no one had ever heard of…but a freaking unicorn??
posted by Tendoy5 on 7-3-2007 at 1:13 pm
South Dakota has some great ones: the Sturgis Scoopers (as in cleaning up after a horse) and the Mitchell Kernels (as in corn).
And I was so happy the day Denver’s Metro State Roadrunners played the University of South Dakota Coyotes.
posted by Karen on 7-3-2007 at 1:21 pm
And if the Unicorn was not enough…
I went to Syracuse Univeristy for college. The Orangemen…but recently the school got a new president who thinks that giant orange may be offensive so we are not the COLOR ORANGE. ohhhh scary
posted by Tendoy5 on 7-3-2007 at 1:22 pm
Another proud Tartan here, though that’s a college mascot.
My dad teaches at the Colorado School of Mines, who are the Orediggers and Lady Orediggers. Their mascot is a pack mule, carrying dynamite and named “Blaster.”
posted by Mary on 7-3-2007 at 1:24 pm
Sadly, the forces of puritanism have prevailed, but for 80 years the mascot of the Devil’s Lake, ND high school was the Satans!
I’m so bummed that I missed my opportunity to buy a “SATANS” varsity jacket while I was stationed in ND in the early ’90s.
posted by Holmes! on 7-3-2007 at 6:19 pm
I went to high school in Ky. My school name was Harrison County HS. But the mascot was the Thorobred. No, that is not a typo. The cheerleaders happily spelled the mascot name in several of their cheers. I have since become an obsessive speller and nearly have a seizure when I get misspelled memos at work. Thank you, HCHS.
That is all.
posted by CentreChick on 7-4-2007 at 7:30 am
We were crosstown rivals with the Grand Prairie Gophers. Imagine a human sized BLUE gopher jumping around, cheering the team on. Sometimes I would be laughing so hard that i could barely play :)
posted by Bethie on 7-4-2007 at 10:09 pm
Bethie, I think you just identified why some of these mascots are so strange!
posted by Miss Cellania on 7-5-2007 at 6:56 am
My high school was Brooklyn Technical High School, and we were the Brooklyn Tech Engineers. I believe our mascot was a wrench.
posted by Lily on 7-11-2007 at 10:01 am
High Scool I was a Battle Duck (green and Gold) … frightining!!!!!!!
My brother goes to Central Michigan University…. they used to be the chippewas but that wasnt PC so they are now the “chips” (as in patato or buffalo variety i guess ?!?!?!) and the mascot is the FLYING “C”, the letter C
posted by Tyler on 7-19-2007 at 2:23 pm
I think I’ve read all of these and I can’t believe that no one mentioned the two absolutely most fearsome mascots in all of these United States – in Montgomery, AL, the Sidney Lanier Poets . . . and in Laguna, CA, the Laguna High Artists. Scary, huh?
posted by lr howard on 7-30-2007 at 11:55 am
in west texas there is a team called the hamlin pied pipers. you cant make that up. permian high school in odessa (of friday night lights fame) has MOJO for there mascot. im not really sure of what that one means. Cuero in south Texas is the Gobblers (as in turkeys) the breckenridge buckaroos, dallas highland park scots, groesbeck goats, hereford herd (formerly the whitefaces) mesquite skeeters, muleshoe mules
posted by jared on 8-29-2007 at 2:45 am
The late, lamented University High School in Bloomington, IN., were the Univees. No one has ever figured out what a Univee might have been, so we were more often referred to as the Guinea Pigs…
posted by k2 on 9-4-2007 at 2:32 pm
Actually Erin the Oregon State World Series Baseball champs are the Beavers. Slightly more ferocious than a duck!!
Oregon HS teams include:
Lady Mustangs (formerly the Fillies… womens team in Heppner. The boys are the Mustangs)
TigerScots… Milton-Freewater (two schools that combined and decided to keep both mascots.)
Lakeview Honkers
Madras White Buffalos
posted by jace on 9-28-2007 at 10:19 pm
I’m a proud alumna of Furman University in Greenville, SC, a private school that was, until the early 1990s, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Legend has it that we were once the Furman University Christian Knights, but I guess they didn’t think that acronym was appropriate for a Christian school. We’re now the Furman University Paladins, which still leads to questions (a lot of people don’t know that a paladin is a white knight on horseback – who happens to come to all of the football games), but the best part is, we still get to yell “FU!” when the referees make bad calls on the field.
In Peachtree City, Georgia, the elementary school (K-3) is the Oak Grove Braves, the middle school (6-8) is the Booth Warriors, and the high school (9-12) is the McIntosh Chiefs. What about grades 4-5, you ask? They are the Huddleston Hounds. I daresay our fierce braves, warriors, and chiefs wouldn’t want to take the plodding hounds into battle.
posted by Lynley on 10-4-2007 at 8:48 am
widener university in PA used to be the pioneers – with ‘rocky’ the shirtless, muscular mountain man in a racoon skin hat…but recently changed it to the ‘pride’ not really sure what the pride is, but ive heard the mascot is a male and a female lion…
posted by jane on 10-4-2007 at 9:57 am
Some local ones here besides the Awesome Blossoms and the Spuds:
Aitkin Gobblers
Sauk Centre Mainstreeters (for those who love Sinclair Lewis)
Jordan Hubmen (what?)
Thief River Falls Prowlers (Thief->Prowler)
posted by Pragmatic Cynic on 10-4-2007 at 10:07 am
I’m surprised to see “Cavemen” on this list…We were the Marengo Cavemen at my school. We never thought twice about it.
Now I’m a part of the Wolfpack though…which is slightly more glamorous.
posted by Kami on 10-4-2007 at 11:04 am
Some here in Utah are:
Beaver Beavers, Juab Wasps (try using that one in a cheer), Escalante Moquis (ancient navtive american), Davis Darts, Delta Rabbits (very fierce),Cedar Redmen ( now politically incorrect),Granite Farmers, Jodan Beetdiggers, Manti Templars and my all time weird favorite – Meridian Mongoose! I myself am a Panguitch Bobcat.
posted by J-girl on 10-4-2007 at 11:10 am
St Hubert’s Bambies (Philadelphia, PA) is a girls high school, so no unfortunate football team.
Arcadia University (right outside Philadelphia, PA) changed its name from Beaver College in 2001. Prior to that the mascot was the Beaver Scarlett Knights.
My high school moved away from the Indians as that wasn’t “politically correct” and had the unofficial mascot of the Council Rock ‘Rock’.
posted by sue on 10-4-2007 at 2:45 pm
VCHS in Valley City, ND is the Hi-Liners, named for the Hi-Line bridge that runs across the valley.
posted by E on 10-4-2007 at 3:02 pm
In Watertown, WI, the high school mascot is a gosling. As in a baby goose. Seems that 100 years ago or so, stuffed baby geese were all the rage in fine dining.
Also, in the neighboring town of Oconomowoc, the public school’s team is called the Oconomowoc Coons.
posted by Skip on 10-5-2007 at 6:46 am
When I was in highschool I went to a wrestling tournament. There was a team that we wrestled against called the Butternut Mighty Midgits. I always thought that was a lil odd.
posted by kati on 10-5-2007 at 6:47 am
My alma-mater, NSULA has ‘The Demons’. The mascot a big purple demon. I’ve never quite understood how that was ok in the land of conservative religious Steel Magnolias.
The school spirit sign is doing the devil horns with your fingers. ‘Fork ‘em Demons!’. I never went to a game…it would have felt like being at a metal show.
posted by Emily on 10-5-2007 at 8:55 am
Gotta love the Arkansas School for the Deaf Leopards.
posted by BobH on 10-5-2007 at 11:41 am
There were the Northeast Grape-Pickers and the Corry Beavers next to me growing up.
And then my university the Cornell Big Red (with a bear as a mascot), and the rest of the ivy league there is the Dartmouth Big Green (used to be an indian…but now its a keg), the Harvard Crimson, and the Brown Bears.
posted by Jeff on 10-5-2007 at 11:43 am
in the area i went to high school in, there were a few odd mascots. there were the north hagerstown hubs, i assume reffering to hub caps, and the brunswick railroaders. the logo for them was a train. it kinda makes sense, but its still odd. for the hubs though, there was a guy that at all the football games would dress up with a north high football jersey on, painted face, and he wore a hub cap around his neck, and he whould often carry around a spoon or something and bang on the hubcap with it.
posted by ian from MD on 10-5-2007 at 11:43 am
In college, our mascot was the dreaded “Little Giant”. I know our school mascot was an oxymoron, but we took pride in that. Now that I am in graduate school I am a Hilltopper, which is essentially a big red grimace of mcdonalds fame.
posted by Matt on 10-5-2007 at 11:58 am
In my area there are two that come to mind.
Biglerville Canners
and
Boiling Springs Bubblers
posted by Nathan on 10-5-2007 at 12:15 pm
hahaha i went to key west, what about us..
key west conchs! which is basically a snail!
posted by kodi on 10-5-2007 at 12:24 pm
st. anthony’s hs in long island, ny has the friars as a mascot. that doesnt sound that bad, but the visual representation of the mascot is a priest riding a horse. scary.
posted by milk on 10-5-2007 at 1:32 pm
I was a Jordan High Beetdiggers, thought it was the worst until I realized that Butte High School in Idaho is the pirates, yes, the Butte Pirates. They were in Maxim’s accidental porn one time.
posted by Bryan on 10-5-2007 at 2:24 pm
My old high school was home of the Cavaliers, but they called the girls team Lady Cavs, so everyone called them cows. (cav sounds like calf, a baby cow). also the junior hockey league had the squirts, peewees, mites, and midgets.
posted by Rina on 10-5-2007 at 2:59 pm
My hometown’s high school mascot was the vulcan. Every where we went people would ask if it was like Spock. But it was actually the greek god of fire/smiths
posted by Devin Foether on 10-5-2007 at 3:37 pm
I went to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. We’re the Mocs (short for “Mocassins”). Yes, shoes. The fighting footwear.
posted by Cheryl on 10-5-2007 at 9:19 pm
All of you suck. My high school mascot was the Effingham Flaming Hearts.
posted by Sean on 10-5-2007 at 9:24 pm
East Liverpool Potters.
We were the pottery capital of the world and our mascot was a giant kiln.
Our rivals were the Beaver Local Beavers.
Another rival: The Indian Creek Redskins.
I wish I could make this up, but it is unfortunately true.
posted by Ashlea on 10-6-2007 at 10:10 am
Earlier poster mentiones a Milwaukee HS, it is Pius not Pious. Anywho, growing up in MilTown…my 2 faves from said city. Washington HS named the Purgolders–guess their colors–duh. But, all time head-scratcher/insanity:::the Custer HS INDIANS !!! LOL
posted by steven b on 10-6-2007 at 2:55 pm
I went to a Catholic high school…the Walsingham Academy Trojans. We had all kinds of cheers that played on that. Also, I now go to the school that gave the Virginia Tech Hokies their name.
posted by garland g on 10-7-2007 at 12:23 am
The Cuba City Wisconsin Cubans. My friend went there and their mascot used to be a guy with a sombrero and a poncho but they had to get rid of it, too bad.
posted by buttchugger on 10-7-2007 at 1:47 pm
Pekin Illinois Dragons, formerly the Chinks. True story.
Also, my dad went to Rockford East High. They were the ERABs (East Red and Black).
posted by Nate on 10-7-2007 at 4:22 pm
you guys think your are so unluckly, My school from camas is the papermakers. Its cool though because we get to throw toiletpaper during the assemblys
posted by cwrightcamas on 10-7-2007 at 5:55 pm
The Freeburg Midgets are actually the Mighty Midgets. The mascot is a Midget Boxer equipped boxing gloves and a Black eye. They were named the midgets because the basketball team won the state championship in the early 50’s and the team averaged a height of about 5′7″.
We also played Roxanna, Illinois and they were the Shells. That was on o
FCHS Alum ‘02
posted by RJ on 10-7-2007 at 10:53 pm
In post #21, you said you heard of a team named the Snails. That would be the Madeira Snails in VA. I didn’t see it on the website either (I would imagine it’s probably not a big selling point), but on game days, there were signs saying “Go, Go Escargot!”
posted by Lesley on 10-9-2007 at 2:02 am
I attended a high school with one of the silly Arkansas mascots – the Harrison Goblins. To add insult to injury, our Drill/Dance Team was called the Goblinettes.
posted by Suze on 10-9-2007 at 5:22 am
Kerrville, TX Tivey High School: Antlers!
The fighting Antlers of Tivey High. That’s not even the whole animal, just a part that gets sloughed off once a year. And the drill team are the Antlerettes.
Aren’t Hookies castrated turkeys?
posted by Becky on 10-9-2007 at 9:55 am
There is a high school in Northern California called Live Oak. Their nickname… the acorns.
posted by KJ on 10-9-2007 at 10:31 am
I went from being a Saint in high school (Lutheran school) to being a Washington College “Shoreman.” I never saw a picture of our mascot, if there was one, but we were situated on the Chester River, so I’m guessing it would have been a decrepit old man in overalls, with an oyster shucker in one hand and an oyster (or blue crab) in the other.
And he would have smelled like fish.
I think we had the option to pick a new mascot at some point while I was a student there, but for some reason nothing happened. Our initials were WAC, and I think we should have been the WAC Whackers. But that’s just me.
posted by Molly on 10-9-2007 at 11:28 am
I graduated from Haverhill High School, home of the Haverhill Hillies, our colors were brown and gold. But our school symbol was “The Thinker”. Here it is years later and it still confuses me. What were they thinking?
posted by jen on 10-9-2007 at 12:12 pm
I went to Churchland high school in Portsmouth, Virginia. We were called the Churchland Truckers. You can imagine the taunts. Our mascot was a kid dressed in a flannel shirt and jeans, with an oversized plaster-of-paris trucker-head on his shoulders (kind of like the Norseman from “Freaks and Geeks”).
posted by Amelia on 10-9-2007 at 2:16 pm
Arkansas State University is considering changing their mascots, one of the possible mascots is the gorillas. Oh, and there used to be the Winslow Squirrels in Arkansas.
posted by Emilee on 10-9-2007 at 5:31 pm
There is a history behind the Hutto (Texas) Hippos. A circus passed through some fifty odd years ago and the hippo escaped. This was probably the most exciting thing to happen in Hutto, ever, but ever since, the hippo is more than just the high school mascot, he is the town mascot and is everywhere from the water tower to the odd lawn decoration.
posted by MN on 10-10-2007 at 6:03 am
There is a team in western South Dakota called the Scoopers.
posted by Morgan on 10-10-2007 at 6:55 am
In Rochester, NY how about the East HS Orientals, the West HS Occidentals, and the Franklin Quakers.
posted by ADL on 10-10-2007 at 1:15 pm
In Annandale, VA..the mascot was the Atoms. Yeah, the Annandale Atoms. Scary. Our school was built in the ’50s…the newspaper is the A-Blast too. For a while, we had a guy who wore hula hoops around at football games, now it’s just a gorilla in a football jersey…i don’t get it.
posted by JB on 10-10-2007 at 4:05 pm
“Special” mascots from around Oklahoma:
— Muskogee Roughers. Rougherettes for the girls’ teams. (Heck if I know what a “rougher” is.)
— Atoka Wampuscats (the second wampuscat mention on the list)
— Varnum Whippets (some kind of racing dog)
— University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Drovers
— Will Rogers Ropers (makes sense, but not something you see that often)
— Haskell Haymakers (had a farmer with a pitchfork on the sidelines)
— Henryetta Hens (they’ve since changed their mascot to something that doesn’t involve poultry on the sidelines)
— Sallisaw Black Diamonds
posted by lkb on 10-10-2007 at 4:36 pm
Speaking of purposeful misspellings: Kansas U was gonna sue us so my high school was the Urbandale J-Hawks.
posted by Skanky on 10-11-2007 at 9:56 am
#19 Thanks for giving the Fightin Chicks some love, my sister was the mascot in high school. There’s a town in C. IL called Pekin and they used to be called the Chinks. somebody else mentioned all the interesting Oklahoma ones
posted by Paul on 10-11-2007 at 4:01 pm
I went to Dixie Hollins High in St. Petersburg, FL. The school was named for an early educator in Pinellas county, I think. We were the Rebels, rebel flag and all. School fight song, “Dixie”. This was in the 60’s. Not exactly PC, but in those days, nobody saw it as a Black-White thing.
posted by tjhill on 10-12-2007 at 3:55 pm
in Mann, West Virginia, the teams are known as the Hillbillies!
and in Southern Ohio, there’s the South Webster Jeeps. (not the automobile, they have a little red animal type thing painted on the walls) ~ just google south webster jeeps to see the logo
posted by Becky : P on 10-12-2007 at 6:51 pm
From Hooker, Oklahoma… The Hooker Horny Toads!
posted by Prime on 10-15-2007 at 8:55 am
How could you forget the Macon (GA) Whoopies?
posted by Scott on 10-16-2007 at 10:51 am
I didn’t forget them, I just limited this article to high school teams. The Macon Whoopies were semi-pro hockey, but they changed their name a few years ago. You can still find a shirt, though!
posted by Miss Cellania on 10-16-2007 at 11:56 am
It has been entertaining to read both the article and the posts about team mascots. One misconception, however, that runs through many of the posts is that mascots are/aren’t striking fear into opponents.
A mascot, according to m-w dictionary is “a person, animal, or object adopted by a group as a symbolic figure especially to bring them good luck.”
While this would explain many of the unusual names/mascots, it removes NONE of the humor involved in these names…I thought the article and posts great!
posted by Ar on 10-21-2007 at 11:33 am
I graduated from the University of Alabama. Our nickname is the Crimson Tide. That should only embarrass men, not scare them. Our mascot is an elephant (Big Al). There are valid reasons as to both of them but they are still strange if you think about it.
posted by Jamie on 10-22-2007 at 9:15 pm
Mesa High School in Arizona has as its mascot the Jackrabbit. Many years ago, the students at Coronado High School in Scottsdale wanted the artichoke as their mascot but were denied. They did, however, get to use “Carry On” by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young as their school song.
posted by Dingo on 10-24-2007 at 9:01 am
The Sturgis, SD, Scoopers mascot was (when I attended) a scoop shovel. How is that for fierce.
posted by LS on 10-24-2007 at 3:30 pm
Someone already got the Mesquite Skeeters (i guess they annoyed the opponents into submission).
My favorite mascot is, without a doubt, the Henderson State University Reddies…
My friend explains it to me all the time, but it is still the stupidest thing I have ever heard before in my life. It is essentially a spirit that lives within.
Of course I also have to mention the OU Sooners and the Texas A & M Aggies (I’m currently a Longhorn. Hook ‘em!)
posted by Nikki on 10-29-2007 at 9:51 am
my little town of 941 is Tom Bean Tx, we are the Tom Cats….girls are the Lady Cats. I’m told we are the only mascots in USA named thusly….after an amourous feline….can anyone verify?
posted by lee on 10-29-2007 at 2:27 pm
I went to a parochial school where the girls and boys teams had different names. For the boys, the teams were the St. Thomas’ Saints. For the girls, the teams were the St. Thomas’ Wildcats. I always wondered if someone was passing judgment on the girls.
posted by Trisch on 10-29-2007 at 4:09 pm
Winthrop High, Winthrop Maines mascot is a Rambler = a School bus
posted by DP on 10-30-2007 at 8:49 am
My high school (Hockaday) mascot was the Killer Daisy. More info is available on Wikipedia by searching “Hockaday.”
posted by Molly on 10-30-2007 at 9:56 pm
How about the Halfbreeds, from Aniak, Alaska?
posted by Nick on 11-28-2007 at 9:22 am
I see you got the Reddies. I played for the Reddies in the late 70s. Currently I teach at Barrow Ak, home of the Whalers.
I also remember Fordyce Arkansas, home of the fighting redbugs, (chiggers)
posted by Mark on 11-30-2007 at 5:43 pm
I went to Cass Tech High School in Detroit. Probably our team name (the Technicians would win a prize for the combination of Least Original and Least Inspiring.
Dan Jenkins’ book “Semi-Tough” lists in passing several Texas high schools and their mascots: The Itasca Wampus Cats (just what IS a wampus cat???), the Hutto Hippos (mentioned waay back at the top), the El Campo Rice Birds (2nd mention of a rice bird), the Coleman Fighting Blue Cats, the Trent Gorillas, the Port Lavaca Sandcrabs, and the Cuero Gobblers (mentioned above?). All except the Coleman Fighting Blue Cats show up on Google.
posted by RandyC on 12-13-2007 at 9:59 pm
#203 referenced a team named the Rebels in Florida in the 60s. My high school (Moose Lake-Willow River MN) started to use the Rebels as a name/mascot in the mid 80s when they combined (I was told that the students who were voting were so upset about merging that they voted for the most inappropriate one they could get away with) and they flew the Confederate flag at football games until the late 90s. Colors were grey, red, and blue, of course.
Then I went to Luther College, which was the Norsemen until sports became coed and then they were the Norse–the sad thing is that we were proud of celebrating the rape-and-pillage history of the Vikings.
Grad school was at Iowa State–the Cyclones, but the mascot was a cardinal named Cy. ISU was originally the Cardinals, but after they had a good game/season following some bad cyclones, a newspaper reporter compared their playing to the way the cyclones swept through.
posted by J on 12-14-2007 at 1:55 pm
OK–to answer my own question, Wikipedia has an article about wampus cats. Coincidentally, it even lists high schools that use it as a mascot.
(or just do a google search on “wampus cat”)
posted by RandyC on 12-15-2007 at 10:27 am
Fordyce AR has a team called the redbugs from chiggers at their football practice.
posted by Ashley Harrison on 12-16-2007 at 2:51 pm
Our neighboring town is the Morton Potters. Not really sure what the deal is with that. The only thing the town’s known for is the Libby’s plant (and the annual Pumpkin Festival) and the CAT plant.
posted by Sarah on 12-20-2007 at 2:50 pm
My favorite is Freeport, IL High School PRETZELS! yes..salty Fighting Pretzels.
I went to an all girls catholic school whose mascot was the packers… named after the Green Bay Meat Packers.
posted by pegs on 12-28-2007 at 4:26 pm
Just graduated from Macalester College in MN…we’re the Fighting Scots! Our mascot looks eerily like Groundskeeper Willie, and is named, oddly enough, Scotty. Bagpipe playing is standard during major events, like graduation.
I keep saying, though…if our football team keeps losing, we might get downgraded to the Pacifistic Welsh or something…
posted by Sam on 12-28-2007 at 4:28 pm
I went from 3-year old nursery school to graduating high school as a Dexter (MI) Dreadnaught. The mascot was named for a World War I British battleship. Strange name for a land-locked town west of Ann Arbor. Easy jokes for a school that hasn’t claimed a football conference title in over 50 years.
posted by Matt on 12-28-2007 at 10:56 pm
Citing posts 185 and 202 . . .
I was a proud Pekin Community High School Dragon. However, I was shocked to learn that the mascot was not changed from the Chink until about 1980 or so. Here’s the story.
Pekin, IL, happens to be on or near the same latitude as Beijing (Peking), China. So, when the high school was formed in 1908, the founders chose the Chink as the mascot in order to honor the Chinese. The mascot was a Chinese guy with a long braided ponytail and a conical shaped hat, I kid you not.
Now, all was fine and dandy until Pekin west to win back to back to back basketball championships from 1965-67, and that’s when all the controversy started to change the mascot. In fact, some residents of the town still don’t accept the name change, and for those who didn’t, the T-Shirt House (that mysteriously burned down last year) had a back room a la 1920’s speakeasies where if you had the right password could gain you access to hard to find and illegal to sell Chink memorabilia.
My best friend’s sister (who is half-Japanese) still wants a T-shirt for her Chinese American husband. . .
posted by Kmanpat on 12-28-2007 at 11:45 pm
at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) there are only a few teams but their famed hocked team is called the Nads (Go Nads!) and their basketball team is the Balls. both teams have a giant penis as a mascot.
and my college mascot is purposely mispelled as Lyon after our founder Mary Lyon. kinda stupid.
posted by Sam on 12-30-2007 at 5:21 pm
My school, Ithaca High School, is just down the hill from Cornell University, the Big Red. IHS is doubtlessly the only school in the country whose teams are called the Little Red.
The current mascot is a teddy bear (Cornell’s being the Big Red Bear). When I attended IHS, though, we were not only the only Little Red, but probably also the only school whose mascot was a skunk. The class rings had little dancing skunks on them.
posted by JPtigercat on 12-30-2007 at 7:14 pm
My high school’s mascot is the Morton High School Potters because our town used to be famous for potters. Unfortunately, it gets us a lot of drug related jokes from opposing teams.
In grade school, our mascot was the Tars! It actually doesn’t mean anything, it was just short for St. Tarcisius, the school’s patron saint. We had to do a lot of explaining whenever people wanted to know our mascot, though!
posted by Bethany on 12-30-2007 at 11:19 pm
Im from Teaneck NJ and Im proud to say that Im a Teaneck Highwayman
posted by Sam on 1-2-2008 at 4:26 am
My high school mascot was PAPERMAKERS!!!!!!! it is very lame. I went to school in Camas, WA. at football games, the papermaker mean machine would run onto the field and it would have toilet paper coming out of its butt.
posted by Lauren on 1-3-2008 at 12:28 am
Hilltoppers and Blue Streaks
posted by Chris Pitorak on 1-3-2008 at 12:28 pm
My younger brother and sister both attended Live Oak HS in Morgan Hill, CA. Their mascot is the Acorns. They proudly display signs at athletic events stating, “GO NUTS!”
One of the local rival schools is the Hollister (CA) Haybailers.
posted by Steve W on 1-4-2008 at 10:11 am
Evidently, I am not the only one interested in team names/mascots. Some of the Oklahoma HS mascots I am familar with, in no order, are:
Perry Maroons (mentioned from other states)
Blackwell Maroons (ditto)
Pitcher Gorillas
Miami Wardogs
Claremore Zebras
Alva Goldbugs (already mentioned)
Sallisaw Black Diamonds (ditto)
Beaver Dusters (already mentioned)
Woodward Boomers — Boomers were the folks who touted the land later opened by the famous “land runs”. There were 5 seperate runs between 1889 and 1895. woodward was part of the 1893 “run”, which was the one depictd in the movie “Far and Away”.
“Sooners”, by the way, were the folks who snuck in before the start of the “runs”. They were the cheaters. Really impressive to have the college team named the Oklahoma University CHEATERS, isn’t it? Go figure.
Frederick Bombers
Midwest City Bombers
Hominy Bucks
Elk City Elks
Marlow Outlaws Another school, Weleetka or Wewoka, I think, are the Outlaws. The town of Marlow was actually named after some brothers who had trouble with the law. Supposed to be the basis for the movie “The Sons of Katie Elder”
Hulbert Riders
Roland Rangers
Nathan Hale Rangers (in Tulsa)
Jones Longhorns
Alex Longhorns
Dover Longhorns (I think)
Enid Plainsmen
Thomas Terriers
Paoli Pugs (the dog)
Okeene Whippets (racing dogs – already mentioned
Eufaula Ironheads
Dewey Bulldogers
Muskogee Roughers (already mentioned)
Sand Springs Sandites
Will Rogers Ropers (already mentioned)
Haskell Haymakers (already mentioned)
Chickasha Chicks ( ditto)
Henrietta Hens/ Knights (ditto)
There are one or two schools here called the Wampus Cats, already mentioned.
Like many other places, Oklahoma has lots of Tigers and Bulldogs. We have pirates, buccaneers, eagles, cardinals, bluejays, bears, grizzlies, panthers, lions, leopards, cougars, bobcats, wildcats, bearcats, trojans, spartans, yellow jacketts, wolverines, badgers, hornets, wolves, Scotts, and highlanders. We even have some scorpions. I just can’t remember which school they go to.
Bray-Doyel Donkeys — The girls are called the Donkettes
Wilberton Diggers — used to be lots of coal mining in that area in the 1890’s & early 1900’s.
The most often used names here reflect the State’s history. We have lots & lots of Braves, Chiefs, Chieftans, Indians, Warriors, Redskins, and even a few Savages. Some of the larger high schools have been pressured to become PC and drop the names. So far they haven’t. The Colleges almost all have caved in, so we no longer have the OkCU Chiefs, Northeastern State Redmen, or S’Eastern State Savages. Bacone is still the Indians, but since they started out as an Indian college, it is PC for them to call themselves that.
It is interesting to note that two towns in the United States the among the highest per capita Indian/Native American population are Anadarko and Stilwell. The Anadarko Warriors and the Stilwell Indians. And the student body of the two schools really like those names, and are really proud of them.
Really have enjoyed reading what the different mascots from different parts of the country are. Was familiar with the already mentioned Hutto Hippos, the Hereford Whitefaces (after the cattle), Muleshoe Mules, Colby College White Mules, Central Missouri Mules & Jennies, the Muleriders and Wonderboys in Arkansas, the Harrison Goblins, also in Arkansas, the Van Buren Pointers & alma Airdales, still yet in Arkansas. I came to this site trying to find out how many high schools, nation wide, use the mule as a mascot. Besides the above mentioned high schools & colleges, I know of Meuhlenburg College in Meuhlenburg (spelling?), Penna. Does anyone out there know of others?
posted by Tim Poteete on 1-4-2008 at 11:54 pm
My high school in Mahtomedi, MN, is the Zephyrs.
posted by Sue R on 1-6-2008 at 10:04 pm
I actually am a student at Freeburg High and am a “Mighty Midget” however politically incorrect as it may be. I heard that it was in the top 10 craziest high school mascots so that is pretty cool for a town of 3900. As u can tell…not much excitement around here. lol
posted by Kyle on 1-22-2008 at 10:40 pm
If Midgets are strange, then can Little Giants (Ross High School, Fremont OH) be on this list, too? Shelby (OH) Whippets are in a league with Norwalk Truckers, too. I’m also not sure if there are a whole lot of Polar Bears out there; I only know of two: Margaretta (Castalia, OH) and Hardin Northern (Dola, OH).
posted by Jebus on 1-29-2008 at 10:56 pm
From Colorado, some already mentioned:
Clear Creek HS Golddiggers (proud history of gold mining in the immediate area)
Wheat Ridge HS Farmers (yeah, they used to farm wheat in the area)
Alamosa HS used to be called “the Maroon,” but for some reason changed to “the Mean Moose.” Go figure.
Eaton HS and Arvada HS are each “the Reds,” though only Eaton still uses an indian-style logo. We joke that if Eaton is forced to drop their indian-derived name, they should adopt the Beavers as their mascot.
Silver Creek HS is the Raptors, but their visual mascot is the Owls. A few years back the swim team got in trouble for selling shirts that dubbed the team the HOOTERS.
John F Kennedy HS is the Commanders. Don’t know what their logo looks like.
The Aspen HS Skiers (yup–dudes on skis)
The Steamboat Springs HS Sailors (there’s a rock formation near town that looks like a steamboat)
I’ve always found some irony in the name of the Colorado Springs Christian School Lions.
Poudre HS Impalas. The 4-legged critter, not the 4-wheeled chevy
and the Palmer HS Terrors. I wonder if this is what GW Bush is fighting a war against?
posted by Shawn on 1-29-2008 at 11:10 pm
Cleveland OH is home to Glenville Academic Campus, alma mater of Ted Ginns Sr. and Jr – mascot = “Tarblooders.” Milan, OH, near Sandusky, the birthplace of Thomas Edison – the Edison Chargers.
posted by Jebus on 1-29-2008 at 11:45 pm
hey my school is the chinook sugar beeters in montana it is a small town and i moved there 2 years ago.GO BEETERS!!!!!! ant proof email me at grizz_qb@hotmail.com there colors are blck and orange
posted by Jake on 2-5-2008 at 8:52 pm
Orifino Idaho — the “Maniacs”…what’s interesting (or inappropriate — you decide) is that Orifino is the site of one of Idaho’s largest hospitals for the mentally ill. Thus the name “maniacs”!!
posted by Dan on 3-4-2008 at 2:06 pm
Couple of other weird High School mascots in Idaho:
The Shelley High “Russets”! Now try to psych your opponents out by acting like a baked potato!
And the Sugar Salem “Diggers” — named after the implement used to dig potatoes from the farmers fields. Pretty dangerous equipment!
posted by dan on 3-4-2008 at 2:10 pm
One of my all-time favorites when growing up in Northern Illinois was the Lanark Beavers. Also known as the Fighting Beavers. Go Beavers!
posted by Eric on 3-23-2008 at 10:43 pm
I believe the school Amber from North Dakota is talking about as being the Devils, is Devils Lake High School which was the Satans. They did have to change their name and they are now the Firebirds, I believe. I was a Starkweather Stormking or Stormqueen for the girls. They consolidated with another local school the Munich Magicians and are now the Magic Storm.
posted by Steph on 6-7-2008 at 6:23 am
I didn’t see anyone mention the Speedway Sparkplugs (maybe i missed it?) Home of the Indy 500, Speedway, Indiana. Colors brown and gold. when i was a kid the mascot was a little donkey named Sparky. I wonder what it is now?
AND yes Vintage High School in Napa CA is the homeof the Crushers, colors are burgundy and gold, like red and white wine. my kids go there–go Crushers!
posted by trazmom3 on 6-18-2008 at 12:24 am
I was a Franklin and Marshall College “Diplomat”…
negotiate a victory, anyone?
posted by archaeologistbarbie on 7-5-2008 at 8:28 am
okay, for real…
i was a carson high school senator. yep. that’s right carson city, nevada.
and a sad piece of trivia for you about the chs senator mascot that looks very much like a blue and white uncle sam: originally, he had a cigar in his mouth but some parents and administration tought that it promoted smoking so now he just has a big gaping hole in his mouth where the ciger used to be.
posted by Meaghann on 7-11-2008 at 1:16 am
Orchard Park High School Quakers (yes, as in the pacifist religious movement).
And then I went to college where my mascot was a Griffin (the mythical creature).
posted by MS on 7-31-2008 at 1:15 pm
The Foxcroft Ponies, I know I’m trembling in fear.
posted by Sean on 8-25-2008 at 12:10 pm
And I thought our
Paideia Pythons
were weird!
posted by Lily on 10-2-2008 at 10:59 pm
A couple more from Oklahoma:
Thomas Terriers
Bray Donkeys
Paoli Pugs
posted by Tracy Mussett on 10-8-2008 at 11:04 pm
My high school’s mascot is the Quakers, mind you it’s because our town was originally settled by Quakers. It’s kind a wimpy name, but our teams are anything but wimpy, we kick everyone’s a** at football and volleyball. That’s y all the other schools around us hate the Quakers. Kinda ironic dont u think?
posted by Jennifer on 10-9-2008 at 8:14 pm
I seen the two comments about the Sturgis (SD) Scoopers and they are wrong in how the name was derived. It was not about scooping horse manure. Fort Meade was an old cavalry post, now a veteran’s hospital, and a town popped up outside of the town. (Now present day Sturgis). It didn’t have a name so the soldiers from Fort Meade called it Scooptown since it consisted mostly of bars, whorehouses and casinos that would “scoop” the money out of their pockets. The town was later named Sturgis after a commander of Fort Meade and his son who lost his life at the Little Bighorn with George Custer. The high school later adapted the name Scoopers in honor of the towns original name.
posted by Moonshine on 10-13-2008 at 10:23 pm
We are the Camas Papermakers, because we have a paper mill in our town.
GO PAPERMAKERS!!!!!!!!!
posted by Camas red head on 10-18-2008 at 1:22 pm
Someone mentioned Robstown, TX in an earlier post. That is my hometown but I went to another nearby school district. They are definitely Cottonpickers but before you can become the picker of cotton you must endure three years of middle school as a Boll Weevil.
posted by wildcat on 10-22-2008 at 2:04 pm
Central Catholic in San Antonio is the Marianist high school for St. Mary’s, the Marianist University. The mascot for St. Mary’s is a rattlesnake (the Rattlers). The parts of the rattlesnake’s rattle are called…Buttons. Hence the name.
posted by Doug on 10-31-2008 at 2:11 am
I was a Thayer bobcat, but we sometimes played the West Plains Zizzers. The younger teams are the Whizzers. They sometimes have a lightning bolt with the name, but even they have trouble explaining it.
posted by Lauren on 11-6-2008 at 8:31 pm
my highschool mascot was the gargoyles….the school around the corner was the unicorns
posted by Dev on 11-9-2008 at 2:35 pm
In Durant Oklahoma we have the Southeastern Oklahoma State University wait for it…”Savage Storm” and the masscot is a freaking tornado. omg it is the gayest thing ever. They used to be just the Savages but the Native Americans threw a fit that it was insensitive
posted by Matthew on 11-9-2008 at 2:38 pm
I live in Nevada, so I am familiar with the Tonopah Muckers mentioned in this article, as well as with the Greenwave (Fallon), and the Carson Senators which have been mentioned. There are also the Sparks Railroaders, which fits the city well but is not the most ferocious of names. ;)
There were also the Green Valley Gators in Las Vegas (technically Henderson, actually), which I always found weird, since there are no gators in NV, it being a desert state and all. Then again, every school down there is obsessed with alliteration of names, as all but the very oldest of schools down there have alliterated mascot names.
posted by Noelle on 11-9-2008 at 4:37 pm
I had the great misfortune to go to Musselman High in Bunkerhill WV. When the school began, Musselman applesauce company (right down the road) donated a lot of money to build the school. Therefore guess what our mascot is… an Apple. We were the fierce and fighting Applemen.
Think of that the next time you see a jar of Musselman’s Applesauce on your grocery shelf…..
posted by Jerry H on 11-9-2008 at 5:09 pm
Bridgeport Sissies in Texas
posted by lauren on 11-9-2008 at 5:27 pm
My college baseball team is nicknamed the “dirtbags”–long beach , California
posted by laura on 11-9-2008 at 6:21 pm
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga were the mocassins. It was decided that Indian footwear was not PC. Several mascots were considered. One of those favored was the Water Mocassins, a poisonous snake native to the area. Instead, they chose the Mockingbirds. They still call them the Mocs. Mockingbird, a bird which copies other birds. Should have just called us the UTC Plaigerizers. Although plaigerism will get you kicked out.
posted by Sharon on 11-9-2008 at 6:48 pm
My highschool mascot is the Haybalers. Which makes sense, as Hollister, California was the hay capital of the world back in the day.
posted by John on 11-9-2008 at 7:14 pm
My town is home to NHS Rangers, the Thacher Toads, and the OVS Spuds. You don’t want to battle us in sports.
posted by Aubrey on 11-15-2008 at 9:36 pm
There is a high school in MD that are the Glen Burnie Gophers. There’s also the Brooklyn Bees in MD. Re: A previous post about the North Hagerstown Hubs… the hubs actually have nothing to do with hub caps. According to Wikipedia, “North Hagerstown High’s nickname “Hub” stems from the historical and geographical location of the city along waterways, railroads, and interstate highways. Major highways intersect within the city, including I-70 and I-81, and provide arteries of transportation to and from the East Coast. Just as these highways form the center or “Hub,” North Hagerstown High is the center of its students’ preparation for advanced education and the professions to learn a skill or trade, and to acquire sufficient knowledge and understanding to enable them to succeed.” I think the mascot just wore a hubcap around his neck because, well, what else can you use to signify a hub, lol?
posted by Stacey on 11-17-2008 at 10:38 am
My high school mascot was a Talbot. Now when researching for this article, how could you pass that up as we are the only school with that as a mascot and we are on 10 mile down the road from the Fightin’ Planets. And if you were wondering what a talbot was, it is an extinct hunting dog similar to a beagle or bloodhound yet more aggresive. It went extict in the 11th or 12th century for mainly a lack of care.
posted by Garrett on 11-29-2008 at 10:26 pm
I receintly moved down from Alaska where they have the Aniak Halfbreeds. I will leave the comments and wondering up to you.
posted by Chris on 11-29-2008 at 11:55 pm
Im from Glendora High in California its a small city near Pasadena and we are the Tartans which is a piece of plaid fabric from Scotland
posted by Kim on 12-1-2008 at 1:39 am
Midland High School in Midland, Michigan are the Chemics (my guess is that it has something to do with chemicals/chemistry, since Dow Chemical was founded there).
posted by Christie on 12-1-2008 at 12:36 pm
Don’t forget WKU’s mascot, a big red schmoe named, get this, “Big Red”.
Or the same town’s high school’s mascot, “Purple”, who is supposedly a ghost on steroids, according to one student there.
posted by dragonboyjgh on 12-8-2008 at 11:32 pm
A couple more from Indiana to go along with the Frankfort Hot Dogs and Logansport Berries-
One of the schools in Indianapolis is the Space Pioneers.
Madison-Grant Argyles
My favorite is the Vincennes Alices, named after the prostitute who hid George Rogers Clark before he took the city from the French.
posted by Justin on 12-14-2008 at 5:11 am
HEY NOW………….we have no problem at all being the HARRISON GOLDEN GOBLINS!!!
There is no other school in the NATION with that mascot, and not only are we good, we take great pride in
GO
GOBS
GO
Or for that fact……..
Woooooooooooooo
Pig
Soooooowwwwiiee!!!!!!!!!
posted by Shirley on 12-15-2008 at 11:59 pm
Our North Kingstown, Rhode Island high school mascot is the Skippers. It’s an old man with a giant white beard in a yellow raincoat holding one of those old wooden ship wheels. He looks like the guy from the Gorton’s Frozen Fish food boxes.
posted by Amanda on 12-23-2008 at 2:51 pm
well, our high school’s mascot is the Mules, and a nearby town is the home of the Clippers (like the ships).
I also heard of one school somewhere in California whose mascot is the Banana Slug……?
posted by ruru on 12-29-2008 at 3:49 am
forgot to mention: it’s the newmarket mules and the portsmouth clippers (both New Hampshire)
posted by ruru on 12-29-2008 at 4:04 am
A friend from college went to Millville High School, in central PA. His mascot was the “Fighting Quaker.” Ironic, no?
posted by Susan on 1-29-2009 at 2:41 pm
SalomeHigh School…Salome, Arizona
Frogs…Go Frogs… Lady Frogs??!!??
posted by Laurie Scully on 2-23-2009 at 4:31 pm
The “brush beetdiggers”?? Way to steal a mascot! I was a Jordan High Beetdigger, and considering that the school has been around since about 1908, I would say we have been dupped.
posted by Erica on 2-24-2009 at 3:15 pm
rockville high school in rockville indiana is the Rockville Rox…and the mascot is the Roxman
posted by Leslie on 3-30-2009 at 7:06 pm
Geneseo Maple Leafs
No… not Maple Leaves… Maple Leafs.
posted by Mary Jean on 4-26-2009 at 12:08 pm
I live in Texas, home of the Knippa Rockcrushers and Lady Rockcrushers. Also the Fight’n Hutto Hippos and the Winter Blizards, who’s school song is….wait for it…..”Walking in a Winter Wolnerland”.
posted by Craig on 5-8-2009 at 5:08 pm
I go to an all catholic school and our mascot is the Titan. Ironic that a Christ whorshiping school has a pagan god as thier mascot.
Also a team in the area is called the east erabs(east red and black school). Yes the east east red and black school highschool. Dumb huh.
Freeport pretzels. Belvidere north blue thunder.
posted by J-Dub on 5-28-2009 at 9:52 pm
Nimrod is a bible character.
posted by steve on 7-13-2009 at 4:46 pm
I read many years ago there was a private school in California that was the Argyle Academy Socks.
Hooker, Oklahoma does have a summer baseball team called the Horney Toads but the school is the Bulldogs.
Lutheran High School in Denver is the Lights.
Kansas also has it’s share of unusual mascots:
Chaparral is the Roadrunners.
Belle Plaine used to be the Applepickers.
Bucklin is the Red Aces and the junior high is the Dueces.
Bunker Hill was the White Owls (cigar anyone).
Cherryvale used to be the Fighitng Cherries.
Ellis, Heringto, and Newton are all the Railroaders.
Hardtner was the Tornadoes (the town was nearly blown away by a tornado I believe in the 30s).
Hill city is the Ringnecks (named for the pheasants).
Hunter was the Huntsmen.
Inman is the Teutons (a Germanic warrior).
Jackson Heights is the Cobras.
Palco is the Roosters.
Partridge was the Quails.
Pratt is the Greenbacks (a frog is the mascot).
St. Patrick’s in Parsons was the Leprechauns.
Olathe Northwest is the Ravens.
To be sure, Kansas also has more than it’s share of Tigers, Wildcats, Bulldogs and Eagles as well.
posted by Glenn McFall on 7-26-2009 at 2:17 pm
Live Oak HS Acorns, Morgan Hill CA
posted by Alex on 7-28-2009 at 12:42 pm
River Rats
Huron High School
Ann Arbor Michigan
posted by alex k on 7-28-2009 at 12:43 pm
Pennsylvania is already well represented, but I don’t see the Northumberland Pineknotters. (Maybe they’ve changed their name to something more conventional since I lived there.)
posted by Bo on 7-28-2009 at 12:57 pm
Named for Charles F. Brush’s invention, the Arc lamp, the Brush High School Arcs’ mascot is Arcy (pronounced ark-ee), an anthropomorphized light bulb with a lightning bolt through his head.
posted by James on 7-28-2009 at 1:20 pm
Both my school and the next door school had unique mascots…. the St. Stanislaus Rock-a-Chaws and the Our Lady Academy Crescents!
posted by anna on 7-28-2009 at 1:44 pm
The Gobblers
Aitkin, MN
(Pronounced Ay-kin)
So they are…..
“The Aitkin Gobblers”
posted by JF on 7-28-2009 at 3:05 pm
Goodrich, MI – Goodrich Martians
posted by Susan on 7-28-2009 at 3:41 pm
Correction:
It is not the Yuma City Criminals, but Yuma High School Criminals.
I grew up in Yuma and was supposed to attend that school but opted for the local magnet school instead.
posted by M Graham on 7-28-2009 at 9:04 pm
The Shoals Jug Rox are named after the local geological attraction, the jug rock. As you might imagine, it’s a rock shaped like a jug.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jug_Rock
posted by Jason on 7-29-2009 at 10:27 am
I graduated from Gig Harbor High School, home of the Tides.
http://www.tidesfootball.com/
http://www.gigharborhs.psd401.net/
posted by Laura on 7-29-2009 at 7:58 pm
GO KEWPIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SENIORS 2010!
posted by morgan on 8-5-2009 at 12:52 pm
In Southeast Missouri, there is a small town/school called Clarkton. Their mascot is the Purple Reindeer.
That’s insane on more than one level!
posted by Adam on 8-6-2009 at 12:50 pm
Detroit has a bunch of them:
Detroit Pershing Doughboys (obvious WWI reference)
Detroit Southwestern Jungleers
Detroit Crockett Rockets (relatively new school)
Michigan has some others as well:
Zeeland East Chix and the Zeeland West Dux
Houghton Gremlins
Bessamer Speedboys
Kingsford Flivvers
Gwinn Modeltowners
posted by dayooper on 8-7-2009 at 7:21 pm
Proud Kingsford Flivver representing! If you don’t know what a Flivver is, it’s a Ford Model T. There was a Ford factory here until the ’50s. This is also the town where charcoal as we know it was invented; I always thought the women’s teams should be called the “Briquettes”. Our crosstown rivals are the Iron Mountain Mountaineers.
We’re pretty close to the Marquette Redmen, the Escanaba Eskymos, Menominee Maroons and their cross-river rivals the Marinette Marines, North Dickinson Nordics (we affectionately omit the “r” when we pronounce it) and the West Iron County Wykons, as well as the previously-mentioned Hurley Midgets, Bessemer Speedboys, Houghton Gremlins, Gwinn Modeltowners and Watersmeet Nimrods.
Both Kingsford and Gwinn made Sports Illustrated’s “Top 10 Strange Mascots” list several years ago.
Still scratching my head as to what a modeltowner and a wykon might be… of course, a few miles up the road there’s a town named “Felch” so maybe I should just accept it.
posted by Pierre on 8-17-2009 at 9:32 pm
Nnnnooooooooooo-body messes with the Papermachine! That was what we yelled to cheer the Camas, Washington Papermakers in the 70’s. If you knew the history of the Crown Zellerbach paper machine number 20, you would need no explanation!
The mascot was a cute young man with black bell bottoms and a red shirt. (Yes, those are our school colors.) He was blonde, looking to the side, and had his hands on his hips. Nothing fierce about him, and I’ve been told they were “modernizing” his appearnce.
We NEVER had the image of a paper machine as our mascot. That’s what my husband says appears on line, but the true Papermaker is a human, not a machine. CZ was a major employer and supporter of Camas schools, and that is where the mascot originated, along with the middle school – James David Zellerbach.
When I was in high school in the early 70’s the mascot was painted on the wooden floor, as you entered the high school. NO ONE walked on him…we all showed our respect by walking around the Papermaker!
posted by Rhonda Beatty-Gallo on 8-22-2009 at 11:50 am
My HS Alma Mater I still believe is one of the worst. It was named after the Canning factory in town. The agreement was that if they funded the school to be built, that the mascot would be a “Canner.” So the Mascot, to this day is, “The Biglerville Canners”. They have a “Canner Man” that runs around at Football games. It was, and will always be the laughing stock of neighboring schools souly because of the jacked-up mascot.
Biglerville High School located in Biglerville, PA
Enjoy!
posted by Andrew on 8-24-2009 at 10:11 pm
http://blogs.eveningsun.com/athletes/biglerville.jpg
posted by Andrew on 8-24-2009 at 10:14 pm
My high school is in North Carolina. The mascot was the blue comets! Original but stupid! Really like some of the other submissions. Some funny stuff out there
posted by Ryan on 9-21-2009 at 7:36 pm
My high school mascot was the Norsemen and the girls teams were the Lady Norsemen. Midland High School in Midland, Mi has the chemics as a mascot. Albion College is the Britons, formerly the Methodists.
posted by Erica on 10-5-2009 at 12:56 pm
The Fairbury Jeffs are called such because the town is in Jefferson County, Nebraska. The Mascot “Jeff” is from the cartoon “Mutt and Jeff”.
posted by Ladd Bausch on 10-27-2009 at 3:09 pm