Mascots are the heart and soul of your team. It gives your team and school identity. Sure, people will shout “Go *insert school name here*” but where’s the fun in that? Mascots give the inspiration for the witty entrance and student section signs and sometimes even the lyrics to the fight songs. A school’s mascot is the pride that the community has in itself, wrapped into one logo, nickname, or even a physical mascot on the sidelines.
So, what are some of the best ones in the beautiful state of Tennessee? Here’ a top 10 list:
(1-5 on this list are solely unique to the Tennessee school that they belong. No other school in America has that name. 6-9 are unique in the state of Tennessee and is not reused anywhere in the state. Stats and Info collected from MaxPreps, photos from individual schools’ Twitter accounts)
10St. George and L&N STEM Gryphons
This is the only mascot on the list that didn’t make the cut of uniqueness, and it only barely missed. There are two schools in Tennessee that use this name that I could find. I thought the name was interesting enough to still earn the last spot on the list. A hybrid of two of the most impressive animals on earth, a half Lion half Eagle creature is nothing to mess with.
9Haywood Tomcats
While not as physically imposing as a Lion-Eagle a Tomcat is a cool mascot. In a space diluted with Wildcats to the nth degree, Tomcats is a nice break from the norm. The way Haywood utilizes the grey color that comes to mind when you think Tomcat along with their primary purple color makes for a really solid logo. Also, anyone else who grew up watching Tom and Jerry will understand my soft spot for this one.
8Pearl-Cohn Firebirds
Not Pontiac, but Pearl-Cohn checks in at number eight on the list with not a classic car, but an actual bird made of fire. Not to mention one of the nicest logos I’ve ever seen. If you look closely, you’ll see that the bird’s tailfeathers spell out “PC” for Pearl-Cohn.
7Ravenwood Raptors
With another misleading bird name, Ravenwood lands at number seven on the list. You may have thought I was about to talk about a high-tension kitchen scene from 1993’s Jurassic Park, but “Raptor” is actually another word for birds of prey. It is used well by Ravenwood who thankfully didn’t go with the painfully obvious “Ravenwood Ravens.”
6Memphis Nighthawks
We finish our run of birds of prey with the Nighthawks, which would’ve been my vote for the Titans when they moved to Tennessee. I think “Nashville Nighthawks” has a nice ring to it. The Memphis Nighthawks however are a homeschool football organization that according to their website, “travel throughout the south to play the best homeschool and private school competition possible.”
5Webb Feet
Number five starts off our five names that are completely unique in all of America and The Webb School would have a strong case to be at the top of that list if it was solely based on uniqueness. The Webb School was named after its founder William R. Webb and played under the name “Scholars” for a while. Then, the new name of “Feet” was adopted. They even have a giant foot mascot that seniors get to portray to support their teams
4St. Mary’s Episcopal Turkeys
St. Mary’s Episcopal lands at number four. Their mascot name “Turkeys” is just fantastic, and the actual turkey mascot has the hardware to prove it. In 2013, The St. Mary’s Turkey won USA Today’s best mascot in Tennessee and the Southeast Region. It then went on to place fifth nationally.
3 Elizabethton Fighting Cyclones
It’s a really great retro sounding mascot to go with a fabulous retro logo. These were phased out a while ago, but this one has stood the test of time and should never change. Good on you Elizabethton. Well done.
2Howard Tech Hustlin’ Tigers
A tiger while overused is still a good mascot. Exotic and powerful predators that would be intimidating to most creatures on Earth. Howard Tech takes it the extra mile. You wouldn’t stand a chance against a tiger that is casually chasing you, playing with its food so to speak. A Hustlin’ Tiger? A tiger that is mad and made up it’s mind about you… you’re in trouble.
1Sevier County Smoky Bears
Topping off the list at number one overall is The Sevier County Smoky Bears. Not only does no other high school in America have that mascot, but it is inspired in its uniqueness, by its location. The school is located on Dolly Parton Parkway in Sevierville, which is the home of The Smoky Mountains and as we all know… bear country.
