The Fighting Illini did have a mascot named Chief Illiniwek until 2007, when the movement against derogatory Native American mascots hit a fever pitch and made most college versions go away. # Vikings 26. Albion,Chgo Lourdes, Lacon, Lena,Lily Lake,Littleton,Loami,Lockport Sacred Heart AcademyLondon Mills,Ashkum. Credit: Associated Press. McLaughlin High School. There are a couple of stories about where this, uh, interesting nickname came from, but it officially stuck around 1940, when something totally normal and not-at-all-disturbing happened: A student covered himself and his horse in bedsheets and galloped onto the football field to deliver the game ball. # Eagles 33 (There are 2 Golden Eagles, 1 Eagle Owls, 1 Mighty Eagles and 1 Screaming Eagles) # Wildcats 32. Worst College Mascots of All Time. Hudl. Fairdale,Farina,Ferris,Foosland,Fountain Green, Freeport St. Mary. Sign up for our daily email to stay up to date with Illinois politics. Larger-than-life U.S. college mascots live at the heart of the college experience. The nicknames and mascots that we have been made aware of are listed below in alphabetical order. My wife and I celebrated our anniversary recently. Key School administrators havent fully adopted the team name and say there is no official school mascot. Here are 13 of the scariest school mascots and nicknames in the country. Fighting Okra - Delta State University. Hoopeston is the "sweet corn capital of the world," and before modern machinery, corn had to be jerked off the stalk. Argenarta,Easton,Gladstone,Hettick,Hinckley,Mt. Honorable mention goes to the Arkansas School for the Deaf Leopards, which is undeniably brilliantI just couldn't find a good picture of the logo. This was cornjerking. ', The final story, and most popular, claims that Coach Trout was unwilling to spend exorbitant amounts of money on uniforms. What was the moment that filled you with the most school pride? The Washington Redskins' owner's refusal to change the team's offensive name may be getting a lot of national coverage these days, but the NFL team is far from the only one with a mascot problem. If you need to flag this entry as abusive. Nebo,Perry. Hmmmbecause sensitivity to the black community is not a concern. I WONDER WHERE HE GETS HIS INSPIRATION. Reporting on what you care about. Aug 29 Top 5 Worst High School Mascots. And finally, the Centralia High School Orphans (boys teams) & Annies (girls teams), submitted by Kathleen & Tom. Apparently the high school and the mental hospital are right next to each other. The Best (and Worst) High School Mascots in Missouri By Lindsay Toler on Mon, Sep 15, 2014 at 8:00 am . The Washington Post ranked more than 2,300 high schools based on a formula it calls the "Challenge Index" ratio, which is calculated by taking the total number of advanced placement, international baccalaureate and advanced international certificate of education tests administered at a school in 2014 and dividing by the number of seniors who graduated that same year. 8. Pleasant High School, Providence, Rhode Island), The Mighty Bunnies (Benson High School, Omaha, Nebraska), The Millionaires (Williamsport Area High School, Williamsport, Pennsylvania), The Nimrods (Watersmeet Township School, Watersmeet, Michigan), The Obezags (Key School, Annapolis, Maryland), The Orphans (Centralia High School, Centralia, Illinois), The Pretzels (New Berlin High School, New Berlin, Illinois), The Purple Pounders (Chattanooga Central High School, Harrison, Tennessee), The Spudders (Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield, Washington), The Winged Beavers (Avon Old Farms School, Avon, Connecticut), The Wooden Shoes (Teutopolis High School, Teutopolis, Illinois), The Zizzers (West Plains High School, West Plains, Missouri). Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. A new report was released ranking the nation's most challenging high schools, and 72 schools in Illinois made the cut. Here are the top 20 most challenging Illinois high schools, nearly all of which are among the top 3 percent nationally. The mascot is a mean-looking big red dot. But being different isnt always a good thing, as these 12 teams would attest. Joliet Guardian Angel,Joliet St. John/St. The company must have sold something made by a "Viking company -- I think it may have been carpet. Here are 17 obscure mascots and icons used by high schools around the state. Gibson City,Sorento,Chicago St. Gregory. Imagine being a student who has witnessed a relative enter the system. Polo, Ill. Polo High School wasn't always known as the Marcos, according to USA Today, which held a mascot contest in 2013. It took their finest MS Paint artists a dozen man-minutes to design. Eugene the Jeep was a character with magical or supernatural abilities in the "Popeye" comic strip in the 1930s. This super-humble mascot dates to the late 1800s, when Williamsport had more millionaires per capita than any other city thanks to its successful lumber industry. Group again asks high school to drop 'Midgets' nickname, Virtual or in-person? Adair,Alexander,Alma,Anna,Anna Union,Apple River,Arlington (Bureau County),Atlas. The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees Thursday endorsed a strategic plan for the university system through 2026. Go to https://buyraycon.com/fivepoints for 15% off your order! Drop us a line if you can help uslist them atihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. Although the Pretzel seems at first to be a rather obscure nickname, Freeport High and New Berlin High both root for this salty snack. 2) Red Peppers. Hoopeston,Hoopeston-East Lynn,Hoopeston John Greer(?). Like Edward Scissorhands, but with beaters as feet and a thousand times more horrifying. The mascot honors the art of cheese making in the area around Monroe. Many school teams, especially those at lower levels whether it be high school or smaller colleges, sometimes like to think outside the box when coming up with their team names and mascots. Chattanooga Central Purple Pounders (Harrison, Tennessee). As for the Purple Pounders mascot? Ladd,Lake Forest Ferry Hall,Lakewood,Lane,LaPlace,LaPrairie,LaSalle St. Patrick,Lee,Lemont St. James,Lima,Lisbon,Lisle Manual,Lisle Sacred Heart,Lockport Sacred Heart,Lorraine,Ludlow. The nickname was originally the Purple Warriors but somehow morphed into the Purple Pounders, which undoubtedly makes the teenage student body chuckle. He kind of looks like he swallowed a giant cowboy hat. Illinois is familiar with the debate over Native American mascots. The schools mascot is Artie the Artichoke and came about during a time of student unrest in the early 1970s. From the Washington Post on its methodology: The Challenge Index is designed to identify schools that have done the best job in persuading average students to take college-level courses and tests. This is no coincidence. There are many towns known as the "Heart of America.". Feroze Dhanoa, Patch Staff. Carbondale Crispus Attucks,Chatsworth,Cooksville,Elkville,Forest City,Strawn,Valier. Background: The population of the school district and town are predominantly Latin American, and the mascot is in honor of the towns cotton farming tradition. The town was named Pekin because someone, long ago and not too bright, figured it was exactly on the other side of the world from Peking China. In today's world, that gloating sometimes gets elevated to an art . The town's name is Poca, so it was a no-brainer. Last week, we declared that the Laurel Hill Hoboes had the best high school nickname/mascot/logo combination. New Braunfels High School has had this mascot since 1928, when they decided to honor the unicorn from the family crest of Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, the man who founded the town as a German colony in the 1840s. Iola,Ina,Irvington,Irwin Sacred Heart. Bardolph,Buckner,Bureau Township,Calhoun,Camden,CarrierMills,Chestnut,Chgo Luther Inst.,Chgo NW Div/Tuley,Cisco,Colusa,Cypress,Fillmore,Flat Rock, Franklin Grove,Glenwood,Hammond,Hume,Lyndon,Minier,New Holland,New Holland-Middleton,Noble, Raritan,Springerton,Stewardson Community High School TigersStonington,Toluca,Wapella,West Union,Wing,Winslow, Catlin,Chgo Westcott,Waterman,Wheaton-Warrenville. Here are Some of the Strangest High School Mascots in Illinois I mean, the Centralia High School Orphans? Watch. Traditional Magnet Charter. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. Chgo Acad. TOP 15 MOST POPULAR MASCOT NAMES. The move takes effect at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year and l, CENTRALIA If Thursday's boys golf tournament were a boxing match, the fight would have been stopped after a series of standing eight counts . Galesburg Corpus Christi,Galesburg Costa. This confusion doesn't bode well for a college sports mascot. VIENNA The loud scream that could be heard in the gym coming from the visitors locker room after the game indicated that the Massac County g, Hornettes pulled out a 40-30 win over Du Quoin to remain undefeated in the River-to-River Mississippi Division in a girls basketball game on T, PINCKNEYVILLE The Pinckneyville Panthers took control in the second quarter and held on to beat Carterville, 60-50, to knock the Lady Lions . The team won, and it became their good-luck mascot. The town is home to the National Historic Cheese Making Center. I presume that Pekin Illinois HS has dropped its long-standing team nickname, The Chinks. Enough said. Sammy the Slug - UC Santa Cruz. It was later discovered that the coat of arms depicted a lion instead, but the mascot stuck, according to Keller Williams Realty in New Braunfels. Or heck, imagine being a student at this school who was once harassed by law enforcement. According to the Herald Review, a city resident referred to Effingham as the "Heart of America" in a campaign to attract visitors to the city, though no one is quite sure where the "flaming" came from. Quincy College Academy,Quincy St. Mary / Notre Dame. Rank Status. Their football team is the Peglegs.--. Avon,Broadlands A-B-L,Elburn,Edwardsville Lincoln,Enfield,Gilson Hawcreek,HIghland St. Paul,Loda,Maroa,Metropolis,Peoria Bergan,Skokie Niles East,Stronghurst,Tampico,Thomson,Toulon,Toulon-LaFayette,Troy McCray-Dewey,Victoria,Worden. 1 - 13383+. We hold major institutions accountable and expose wrongdoing. Fort Collins, Colorado - Lambkins. Crescent City,Crescent-Iroquois,Metcalf Young America. A Tyrannosaurus rex is their game mascot. National Rank. There are also Speedgirls. All Time Most Offensive School Mascots: Pekin (Ill) Chinks. Lunch: 41.0%Challenge Index: 3.086, National rank: 567E&E: 48.4%Subs. Why have a mascot that makes light of a country's three century long slave past? High school athletes participate in fall, winter and spring sports such as football, basketball, volleyball and cross-country, proudly wearing their their school colors and mascots. What is happening in Illinois? If the school or district genuinely believes the culture of the school or the traditions will fade because an offensive mascot has been retired, then the school has other issues to resolve. The issue with this nickname isnt that it is abstract, but that it seems to be a rip off of fellow Ivy League school Harvard. Update: Here's their scoreboard, courtesy of Nanook of the South 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Brought to you by Raycon. Richland is home to the Hanford nuclear site, which supplied plutonium for the nuclear bomb detonated over Nagasaki, hence why their symbol is a MUSHROOM CLOUD and why student chants have included "Nuke 'em 'til they glow!" They used to be the Apostles, but in 1939 the school held a vote and Marcos won with the official mascot depicting the explorer. Here are some pretty unusual high-school mascots, culled from ShareRanks and USA Today's mascot contest. His once-feared bat is a matter of nostalgia. Top 5 NBA Playoff Buzzer Beating Game Winners (2000s), Top 5 NCAA Football Winning Plays on the Last Play of the Game, Obamacare Survives, Trump Embarrassed By His Own Party, Former Trump Campaign Chair Manafort, Secretly Worked For Russian Government, Senate Republicans Silence Widow of Dr. MLK, Voters Reject Progress, Economic Stability, and Elect Trump, National Security Advisor Michael Flynn Resigns in Disgrace, Rep. John Lewis Questions Trump's Electoral Legitimacy, Pres. I recently took my 5-year-old grandson to T-ball practice. Last Friday night in Texas, the Frost Polar Bears hosted the Itasca Wampus Cats in a football game. The story behind the Alva Goldbugs mascot is painted on the wall of the Alva High School gym, as shown in this May 25 photo. 7) Cardunals. They went with potatoes. Best high school mascots in America: 15 most unique nicknames (Stuff Bracket) Welcome to the 10th of 12 editions in our quest to find the fans' favorite high school sports nickname. Selling my baseball cards for beer money when I was in college is one of my great regrets. At Southwestern, in Piasa, Illinois, it's their home team. It is always good to know that it could have been worse. In todays world, that gloating sometimes gets elevated to an art form. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. The Carbondale Lions Club dedicated a new eyeglass collection box Friday -- one custom built by Carbondale Community High School students. We invited readers to try to top these . Obsessed with travel? Native American-themed mascots are common throughout Illinois. Peter & Paul. Much worse. High school athletes participate in fall, winter and spring sports such as football, basketball, volleyball and cross-country, proudly wearing their their school colors and mascots. Hickman won, so they kept the doll as a good luck charm. Early settlers of Key West and its long-time residents are referred to as Conchs, according to the Conch Tour Train in Key West. Altona,Capron Boone-McHenry,Carpentersville Irving Crown,Charleston Eastern,Chgo North Park,Highland St.Paul,Lemont St. Vincent,Low Point,Nauvoo-Colusa,Sheridan, Annapolis,Buffalo,Casey,Chgo St. Michael Central,Chgo Willibrord,Crete,Downs Kickapoo,DuQuoin Lincoln,Eldred,Ewing,Granite City South,Joy Westmer,LaRose,Monmouth Warren,Peoria Woodruff,Rockford West,Tonica,West Salem. Apparently, in the 1940s, a Chicago sportswriter noted that the boys' basketball team looked so shabby in their tattered uniforms that they looked like orphans. The unicorn was originally taken from the coat of arms of Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels,asa nod to the city's German roots. Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place! Well there's something you don't see every day. St. Mary,St. George,St. Jacob,St. James,St. Rose,Salisbury,Sandusky Young,Schram City,Scottville,Seatonville,Secor,Seward,Shields,Shobonier,Shumway,Sibley,Sigel,Silvis,Simpson,South Chicago,Spring Bay,Sterling Nazarene,Stonefort,Sugar Grove,Sycamore St. Albans. Polo High School wasn't always known as the Marcos, according to USA Today, which held a mascot contest in 2013. You have permission to edit this collection. The university operates a number of athletic facilities, including Memorial Stadium for football, the State Farm Center for both men's and women's basketball, Illinois Field for . Thus, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers paid a visit, met some of the students and posed for pictures. Lunch: 13.0%Challenge Index: 3.136, National rank: 521E&E: 79.4%Subs. Clemens for a soak any more, you can still head there to see the Battling Bathers do their thing in the gym or on the field. Cable,Caledonia,Calumet City Wentworth,Camargo,Camp Point Maplewood,Carbon Hill,Carmi East Side,Castleton,Cazenovia,Cedarville,Champaign St. Mary,Channahon,Chatsworth St. Peter & Paul,Cherry Valley,Chgo Aquinas,Chgo Armour Inst. *The Dutch made wooden shoes, so maybe they just confused that for Deutsch (German)? Check out Reboot Illinois to see the top 10 most challenging high schools in Illinois. List of college sports team names and mascots derived from indigenous peoples. The basketball team's unusual name has gotten them in commercials on ESPN and the subject of a documentary, "Nimrod Nation.". Oakdale,Oakford,Oconee,Ohio St. Joseph,Ohlman,Omaha,Onarga Grand Prairie Seminary,Opdyke,Orland,OttawaSt. Columba,Ottawa St. Xavier. Punahou School doesnt have an official mascot, but the Buffanblu has been adopted as the nickname.