Classic Texas High School Mascots

Given the size of Texas, and the ferocity of its sports fans, I feel compelled to offer in my defense a brief explantion for the chosen few. My criteria: (1) tiny schools only (for now), less than 200 students total, (2) near where I live, grew up or competed against, otherwise this hub would be 250,000 words, and (3) originality, if there are multiple schools with the same mascot, they are out. Sorry Bulldogs, Eagles, Tigers, Wildcats...YAWN!

Also, please feel free to submit other cool mascots in your comments below, some are just priceless.

Here goes:

10. WAMPUS CATS.

The Itasca Wampus Cats. I don't know what a Wampus Cat is, but it sounds ferocious. I would certainly keep my cat, Alfie, away from any Wampus Cats...I'd probably keep my dog, Oliver, away from any Wampus Cats too. Wampus Cats. It just sounds cool.

The Wampus Cats are apparently deserving of their own Wikipedia page.

9. YELLOWHAMMERS.

The Rotan Yellowhammers. Apparently, a Yellowhammer is some form of bird. Ornithologists please let me know. The school colors are not yellow, though; orange and white, actually...close enough. The uniqueness alone is cool enough to make this list.

8. JAYBIRDS.

The Jayton Jaybirds. Birds abound, but as a criminal defense lawyer, I couldn't pass up the resemblance to many of my clientele (jail birds). Perhaps the smallest school on the list, but one of the coolest mascots.

7. PIED PIPERS.

Yes, you guessed it, of Hamlin (the real town's spelling, not a misspelling). The Hamlin Pied Pipers. Probably not the most ferocious mascot on this list, but literary references always deserve bonus points (education being the point of it all, is it not?). So, literary reference = cool mascot, spelling notwithstanding.

6. PUNCHERS.

The Mason Punchers. Are they boxers(?), party drink consumers (?), who knows? But most definitely a cool mascot.

Fortunately, the women are not the Punchers, they are the Cowgirls.

5. BLIZZARDS.

The Winters Blizzards. Yes, Blizzards in Texas. Winters, Texas to be exact. And with the fight song Winter Wonderland (no joke) playing in the background of an August opening season game, with game time temperatures approaching 101 degrees, it's hard not to sit back in wonder.

4. POLAR BEARS.

The Frost Polar Bears. In keeping with the wintery Texas theme. Naturally.

Frost? Polar Bears? Winters? Blizzards? (...) These are Texas mascots?

3. ARMADILLOS.

The San Saba Armadillos. Quite frankly I'm surprised that there is only one school in Texas with the mascot Armadillos. Can you think of a more Texas-ish icon (other than the longhorn, of course)? Had there been one other school in Texas with the mascot Armadillos I couldn't in good conscience put it on the list. But in a state the size of Texas, how can there not be any other Armadillos? In Texas we have eight schools that are the Brahmas, but only one Armadillos, come on people.

2. MOGULS.

The Munday Moguls. A tribute to my lovely wife's alma mater (she was a proud Mogulette), and the 2007 Class A football Texas state champions. Congrats Moguls!. The Moguls could have fit in the winter section of this list, but I am assured that the Moguls are not ski slopes, rather a type of Mongolian warrior.

1. PLOWBOYS.

The Roscoe Plowboys. A tribute to my alma mater, and a darn cool mascot for the farming (obviously) community of Roscoe, Texas, political correctness aside (the women being the Plowgirls). I have found no other Plowboys anywhere. If you exist, please let me know.

My apologies to you Rockcrushers, Sand Crabs, Skeeters, Exporters (are you kidding me?), Roughnecks and other great mascots, maybe another time.