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Thursday, August 18, 2005
What’s in a name?
By my count, there are 1,027 public high schools in Texas that will field varsity football teams during the 2005 campaign. A few schools, like the newly-opened Lehman HS in Kyle, will play only on the JV and freshman levels this year.
Over the summer, I spent some time making sure we here at the Statesman had all the information we need to cover the upcoming season. As I was compiling our list of all the schools in the state, I couldn’t help but notice that certain mascots seemed to be popping up. Everywhere.
And that got me to thinking: what are the most popular mascots for high schools in Texas? And what are some of the most unique?
Turns out that the state’s 1,027 varsity football teams use a total of 198 mascots.
The most popular choices? Bulldogs (76 schools), Eagles (75), Tigers (57), Panthers (52), Wildcats (46) and Mustangs (42); more than a third of our state’s varsity football squads uses one of those six mascots.
Closer to home, “Eagles” was the most popular choice, claimed by eight schools in the Central Texas area.
At the other end of the spectrum are the following nine Central Texas teams, each of which is the only one in the state with its particular moniker:
- Academy Bumblebees
- Austin High Maroons
- Cameron Yoe Yoemen
- Fredericksburg Battlin’ Billies
- Hutto Hippos
- Lake Travis Cavaliers
- New Braunfels Unicorns
- Shoemaker Grey Wolves
- Taylor Ducks
In fact, Taylor claims to be the only high school in the nation whose fans root for the Ducks, while Hutto boosters have a careless carny zookeeper to thank for their school’s distinctive handle.
Overall, 109 varsity football teams in Texas have a mascot they can truly call their own. From that group, here’s a list of 10 of the funniest and most unique names:
- Frost Polar Bears
- Itasca Wampus Cats
- Mason Cowpunchers
- Mesquite Skeeters
- Port Isabel Fighting Tarpons
- Robstown Cotton Pickers
- Texas City Stingarees
- Van Vandals
- Winters Blizzards
and, my personal favorite, from District 9-A, the Pied Pipers of Hamlin.
