Mascots are central to the identity of any high school. Whether it's a live animal or a representation of a mythical character meant to be cute or authentic, it serves as a point of pride and a unifying force for the school's current students and alumni.
Taking into account every prep school mascot in the nation, almost all common domesticated and wild animals are being used as monikers. The same can be said for most of the symbolic characterizations roaming sidelines across the country.
So, which school in the country has the best mascot? For the second year in a row, USA TODAY High School Sports is currently conducting an online voting contest to find out.
Eight unique mascots from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia (a total of 408 mascots) have been selected to participate in the contest.
The contest, which started today, will consist of three rounds of online voting. The final round is set to end on April 25.
Voting to determine the best mascot in each state is currently underway at http://contest.usatodayhss.com. Fans may vote as many times as they'd like for a particular mascot and may vote to determine the best mascot in other states as well.
The eight nominations vying to be named Ohio's best mascot are listed below.
Crooksville Ceramics – Some would say that Roseville is the pottery capital of Ohio, so it makes sense that Crooksville High School's athletics teams are known as the Ceramics. Crooksville is 10 miles down the road and is also known for pottery. Crooksville is home to Hull Pottery, which is one of Ohio's best-known pottery companies.
Cleveland Glenville Tarblooders – In the 1900s, the Glenville community was home to many railroad workers. The workers were known as "Tarblooders." These workers used stakes and tar to get the railroad tracks to stay on the ground. The tar often splashed on their faces and arms, causing them to bleed. Many say it looked as if they were sweating blood. Today, Glenville High School is home to the Tarblooders. This mascot is half-man and half-robot, symbolizing fearlessness and ethics.
Gilmour Lancers – In keeping with the English architectural style of Gilmour's main building, Tudor House, the Lancer was selected as the mascot. In English tradition, the Lancer was the iconic image of a warrior. In the school's early years, the mascot was brought to life by a student dressed in armor on horseback until, on one occasion, the rider fell off and the horse escaped the campus boundaries, only to be found later in a wooded area of town. Since then, the mascot has been horseless. In 2013, a modern version of the Lancer debuted, and after a vote by the student body, was named Sir Lancelot.
Oyler Madhatters - Oyler High is located on Hatmaker Street, near where a hat-making company was located in the late 1800s. Mercury was used in the curling of the hats, and hat makers were known to "go mad" from the mercury fumes. The hat makers suffered from mercury poisoning, which led to confused speech and distorted vision.
Norwalk Truckers – You could say that Norwalk High School has gone through a few identity crises over the years. At one time, they were the Phantoms, then the Raiders and now the Truckers. In 1948, Norwalk went through their most recent renaming. The Truckers was selected by coach Grant Walls and the athletic board in 1948 because Norwalk was home to the headquarters of both Norwalk Truck Line and W.L. Mead Co. With two large trucking companies in the town, it only seemed appropriate for the local high school to show their appreciation.
Philo Electrics – In the early 1920s, an Ohio power company built a power plant in the town of Philo. At the time, the plant was one of the most technologically advanced power plants in the world. The plant provided hundreds of jobs to people in the area. The school's athletic teams adopted the name Electrics to honor the school's connection to the power plant and the moniker was adopted in the 1930s. The power plant stopped being used in the mid-1970s but the Electrics live on.
University Preppers – University School was founded as a college preparatory school. According to the school archivist, US didn't originally have an athletic nickname and the Preppers' moniker was made up by a newspaper sportswriter in the 1920s and stuck. Although students have created images and mascots over the years, University School does not have an official mascot.
Shenandoah Zeppelins – In 1963, Shenandoah High School was built. There was no debate on what to name the school and mascot. In 1925, the USS Shenandoah, a Zeppelin airship, embarked on a promotional flight to the Midwest. The airship was caught up in thunderstorms over Ohio when it was torn apart due to the turbulence, causing it to crash in Caldwell, Ohio. The pieces landed in various parts of the county.
For more Northeast Ohio high school sports news, scores, photos and videos, visit usatodayhss.com/Cleveland.
