supercentex
08-24-2005, 11:41 AM
Mascots, colors, rivalries: Tradition starts here
Much of the magic of high school football revolves around your team's specific traditions.
Ralph Barrera/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/00/35/96/image_1796350.jpg
Westlake's Zak Coppinger leads his team in a celebration after a victory last fall. The Chaps do the 'Mexican Hat Dance' at every pep rally. The Chaps also top our list of favorite
Kelly West/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/01/35/96/image_1796351.jpg
Depending on which alumnus you believe, Austin High's mascot 'Mr. Maroo' is best described as an 'overgrown dustbunny,' a 'piece of belly lint' or 'one of the goblins chasing Pac-Man.' One ex-student says Maroo is 'the lovechild of a martian and a human.'
A dozen or so Lehman High School students gathered over pizza last summer to create something the new school sorely lacked:
An identity.
What would Lehman represent? For starters, one student suggested, "Huskies" might be ideal for the school's mascot. Or perhaps the "Lobos," another chipped in. The Lehman Eagles, the Lehman Lightning and the Lehman Longhorns also made the short list.
After hearing the possibilities, a few students and their parents objected to "Huskies," saying the dogs best known for pulling sleds in the Arctic would make them sound fat.
"They should be happy they don't go to Hutto," joked one Austin football coach, referring to the Central Texas high school which answers to the Hippos.
Put to a vote, students bound for the new school in Kyle chose Lobos over Huskies in a close race.
Lobo tradition starts now.
Tradition — the handing-down of customs, beliefs and stories from generation to generation — is the foundation for Texas high school football teams.
If you attended high school in Texas, there's a good chance you were an Eagle (there are 70 of them in Texas), Bulldog (76), Tiger (58) or Panther (51).
Tradition is built on fight songs, school colors, neighborhood and town-to-town rivalries, and football success stories.
"When we play, we know that we're playing for the 100 football teams that represented the school before us," Austin High defensive coordinator Craig Charlton said.
The winner of the annual McCallum-Travis game claims Old Bell No. 988, a locomotive bell that has been a fixture in McCallum's trophy case for six straight years.
Westlake boasts that "winning" is the school's top tradition. Given that the Chaparrals have reached the playoffs 17 straight years and are Central Texas' winningest program over the past 25, who can argue?
Reagan High will re-establish an old tradition this season by having its community use blue lights on its porches on nights the Raiders play.
Lake Travis Coach Jeff Dicus started a new tradition two years ago by having the first day of summer practice at midnight. The reward for playing under the stars — breakfast tacos at 3 in the morning and another practice around 5.
At Lago Vista — which is entering just its sixth football season — students slowly are creating their own traditions. This will be the first football season where pep rallies will be held for every game, not just home games. The marching band will have uniforms for the first time.
But the Vikings don't have a natural rival yet. They've never won a district football game.
"So I guess when we do win that first district game, that's our rival," Coach Alan Haire said.
Lehman High's Lobos are silver and royal blue, and their fight song — which still lacks lyrics — was taken from the music pages at Louisiana State University. So what works for an LSU Tiger certainly will work for a Lehman Lobo. The new school's alma mater was written by a teacher from Wallace Middle School, Dawn Taylor.
The Lobos (Spanish for wolves) will have a menacing decal on their football helmets. What kind of Lobo is Lehman looking for?
"A mean one — with its teeth showing," said Lehman principal Elsa Hinojosa. "We don't want a Lobo that's howling at the moon. We want a mascot that fits the description."
Lehman, roughly 20 miles south of Austin, will play a varsity schedule in every sport but football this school year. The Lobos won't bite into varsity football until 2006.
From Georgetown to San Marcos and Fredericksburg to Lockhart, Central Texas football teams boast proud football traditions.
Some are funny. Some are serious. All have special meaning to the schools.
Just ask the Taylor Ducks, Austin High Maroons, Hutto Hippos and Fredericksburg Battlin' Billies. With nearly 1,300 public high schools in the state, those Central Texas teams can boast about having mascots unique to their schools.
Beware the sombrero
Scott Sparks had no idea a tradition was born when he danced around a hat during a Westlake pep rally in 1970.
A football lineman, Sparks was pushed onto the floor of the old gym by a buddy, Bob Mayo. The impromptu dance drew such a positive response from the crowd, Westlake counselor Toody Byrd suggested the football team do the "Mexican Hat Dance" at every pep rally.
Former Westlake football coach and athletic director Ebbie Neptune said it was an honor for a player to be chosen to do the hat dance. Ken Dabbs, Westlake's first head coach, designated a lineman to always do the dance, but few predicted a few fancy steps around a Mexican sombrero would become so dangerous.
Two Chaps have sustained serious injuries when they accidentally stepped on teammates' feet during their routines.
Lineman Jay Lucas sustained a deep thigh bruise that kept him out of the lineup for two weeks in 1985. Lineman Seth McKinney, who went on to star at Texas A&M and now plays in the NFL, broke his foot while dancing at a pep rally in 1996. He required surgery and missed the first five games of the season, but when he returned, he helped the Chaparrals go 15-0 and win the state championship.
"We almost got rid of that tradition for good after Seth's injury," Westlake Coach Derek Long said.
Chaparral senior right guard Blake Dietrich said it's an "honor'' to be chosen Westlake's new hat dancer. By circumstance, Dietrich recently finished a summer job at an orphanage in Guadalajara, Mexico.
"I was a little embarrassed, but I got some of the locals to teach me how to do it," Dietrich said.
Dietrich said he's not too concerned about the history of hat dancers being injured on the job.
"I'm not going to do too many crazy moves," he said.
Marooned in Austin
What's a Maroon?
Better yet, why would the oldest continuously-run public high school in Texas want a "Maroon" to be its official mascot?
Stories abound at Austin High about the origin of the Maroon. Isn't it ironic that maroon is the official team color for Texas A&M, the local university's chief rival?
The school's mascot, "Mr. Maroo," is an "overgrown dustbunny," wrote Marcy Cox, Class of '98, in an Austin High School Web site.
"A piece of belly lint," said 1990 graduate Lori Trombley Peach.
"It's one of the goblins chasing Pac-Man," said 1984 grad Adam Chin.
"I was told that the mascot was the lovechild of a martian and a human," said Melissa Ceresa, a 1992 graduate. "Whoever thought that would be a good school mascot is beyond me. We're so tough, we're gonna fluff you up."
The real story begins when the school opened its doors for the first time in 1880, said Jenna McEachern, who has had three children graduate from Austin High. With no other schools around, there was no need to have a mascot until McCallum (Knights) and Travis (Rebels) were built in the 1950s.
For several years, Austin High referred to its athletes as the "Crimson Kids." The official "symbol" of the school was a pine tree, similar to the one representing Stanford University.
Windy Winn, the head cheerleader of the school from 1939 to 1941, later would draw a lovable puffball with a freshman beanie to be used in a newspaper milk ad. There have been various changes to Mr. Maroo over the years, but Winn often is given credit for drawing the original.
"We need to have a unique mascot, not the Austin High Tigers," McEachern said. "With the history this school has had, you wouldn't want to be a Lion or a Bear."
Austin High is the only high school in Texas to be called the Maroons, but it might surprise many to learn the mascot has another home, too. Roanoke College (enrollment: 1,900) in Salem, Va., also has a Maroon for its mascot.
Hip to be a Hippo
When a hippopotamus busted loose from a carnival in Hutto in 1915, a mascot was born.
For better or worse, students who've roamed the Williamson County school for 90 years have been known as the Hippos.
The official school colors of Texas Orange and White give Hutto something in common with a large local university that answers to Bevo. But while the Longhorns have spawned mascots for 17 other schools in the state, the Hippos stand alone.
It is believed to be the only high school in the country with this mascot.
"Kids who are new here say, 'Oh, my gosh, I'm going to be a Hippo,' " said Donna Sills, director of Hutto schools and a Hutto resident for 20 years. "Adults tend to think it's unique and cool. The kids who'd rather be a Panther or a Tiger don't realize how fierce a Hippo can be."
As legend has it, the hippo that busted out of the circus was tracked down at a nearby creek. Some townspeople were so impressed by the way the hippo stood its ground, they suggested the new school name its mascot after the belligerent animal.
Hutto students have heard all the fat jokes about their mascot, but it could be worse, Sills said.
"By comparison, who'd want to be a Taylor Duck?" she quipped.
What's in a NAME?
It's Friday night, 7:30, and kickoff is here, another magical football night in Central Texas pitting two area powers against each other.
Over on this sideline, the Cedar Park … Titans?
Over there, the Titans' opponent: the Stony Point … Knights?
Opening a new school is hard enough. So is naming one. But coming up with a mascot? That's an entirely different matter.
Here's a look at some recently opened schools in Central Texas, and what they almost were named:
Vista Ridge Rangers — Other possible school names included Arrowhead, Brushy Creek, John F. Kennedy, Robert Lane and Charles Rouse. Vipers, Rattlers and Rebels were discussed for mascots.
Stony Point Tigers — It was always going to be called Stony Point, named after the longstanding community of the same name, but some folks wanted the mascot to be the Knights. Why? Because sister school Round Rock's mascot is the Dragons.
Cedar Park Timberwolves — By and large, Cedar Park was the runaway favorite for the school's name. But the other three finalists for mascots were the Titans, Bulldogs and Cardinals.
Connally Cougars — Named for former Texas governor John B. Connally, "cougars" was the mascot all the way. Officials wanted to keep the cat theme to go along with sister school Pflugerville and its Panthers.
Hendrickson Hawks — So much for the cat theme and Pflugerville ISD. Though the third choice for a mascot was the Bobcats, the second pick was Huskies.
Our favorite MASCOTS … and why:
Chaparrals (Westlake) — Roadrunners still roam the area.
Rattlers (San Marcos) — Don't mess with the snake.
Hippos (Hutto) — Heavy hitters.
Ducks (Taylor) — Ever met a friendly duck?
Bumblebees (Academy) — Funny name. Savage sting.
Unicorns (New Braunfels) — One of a kind.
Timberwolves (Cedar Park) — Growling in the shadows.
Jaguars (LBJ) — Fast mascot. Cooler car.
Battlin' Billies (Fredericksburg) — The town is surrounded by goats, so the mascot and team are perfect.
Buffaloes (Florence, Giddings) — Not to be confused with the Bills.
Our favorite HELMETS … and why:
Cedar Park — First, this year's helmet has a new decal. Second, it shows a proud and rough mascot in sharp colors.
Westwood — The feathers floating off the orange "W" give it a classy touch.
Ellison — That ferocious eagle really stands out on Killeen's white helmet.
Lehman — Now that's a mascot with teeth. As far as helmets go, students at the new school picked the right nickname.
McNeil — Strong and graceful, this helmet really charges forward. Kind of like the Mavericks did last year.
Luling — That proud bird is framed neatly by the "L."
Copperas Cove — Simple. To the point. Easy to see.
Burnet — A nice depiction of a bulldog, on cool green.
Manor — Menacing colors and an angry horse. Gotta love it.
Dripping Springs — Don't mess with these Cats.
Much of the magic of high school football revolves around your team's specific traditions.
Ralph Barrera/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/00/35/96/image_1796350.jpg
Westlake's Zak Coppinger leads his team in a celebration after a victory last fall. The Chaps do the 'Mexican Hat Dance' at every pep rally. The Chaps also top our list of favorite
Kelly West/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/01/35/96/image_1796351.jpg
Depending on which alumnus you believe, Austin High's mascot 'Mr. Maroo' is best described as an 'overgrown dustbunny,' a 'piece of belly lint' or 'one of the goblins chasing Pac-Man.' One ex-student says Maroo is 'the lovechild of a martian and a human.'
A dozen or so Lehman High School students gathered over pizza last summer to create something the new school sorely lacked:
An identity.
What would Lehman represent? For starters, one student suggested, "Huskies" might be ideal for the school's mascot. Or perhaps the "Lobos," another chipped in. The Lehman Eagles, the Lehman Lightning and the Lehman Longhorns also made the short list.
After hearing the possibilities, a few students and their parents objected to "Huskies," saying the dogs best known for pulling sleds in the Arctic would make them sound fat.
"They should be happy they don't go to Hutto," joked one Austin football coach, referring to the Central Texas high school which answers to the Hippos.
Put to a vote, students bound for the new school in Kyle chose Lobos over Huskies in a close race.
Lobo tradition starts now.
Tradition — the handing-down of customs, beliefs and stories from generation to generation — is the foundation for Texas high school football teams.
If you attended high school in Texas, there's a good chance you were an Eagle (there are 70 of them in Texas), Bulldog (76), Tiger (58) or Panther (51).
Tradition is built on fight songs, school colors, neighborhood and town-to-town rivalries, and football success stories.
"When we play, we know that we're playing for the 100 football teams that represented the school before us," Austin High defensive coordinator Craig Charlton said.
The winner of the annual McCallum-Travis game claims Old Bell No. 988, a locomotive bell that has been a fixture in McCallum's trophy case for six straight years.
Westlake boasts that "winning" is the school's top tradition. Given that the Chaparrals have reached the playoffs 17 straight years and are Central Texas' winningest program over the past 25, who can argue?
Reagan High will re-establish an old tradition this season by having its community use blue lights on its porches on nights the Raiders play.
Lake Travis Coach Jeff Dicus started a new tradition two years ago by having the first day of summer practice at midnight. The reward for playing under the stars — breakfast tacos at 3 in the morning and another practice around 5.
At Lago Vista — which is entering just its sixth football season — students slowly are creating their own traditions. This will be the first football season where pep rallies will be held for every game, not just home games. The marching band will have uniforms for the first time.
But the Vikings don't have a natural rival yet. They've never won a district football game.
"So I guess when we do win that first district game, that's our rival," Coach Alan Haire said.
Lehman High's Lobos are silver and royal blue, and their fight song — which still lacks lyrics — was taken from the music pages at Louisiana State University. So what works for an LSU Tiger certainly will work for a Lehman Lobo. The new school's alma mater was written by a teacher from Wallace Middle School, Dawn Taylor.
The Lobos (Spanish for wolves) will have a menacing decal on their football helmets. What kind of Lobo is Lehman looking for?
"A mean one — with its teeth showing," said Lehman principal Elsa Hinojosa. "We don't want a Lobo that's howling at the moon. We want a mascot that fits the description."
Lehman, roughly 20 miles south of Austin, will play a varsity schedule in every sport but football this school year. The Lobos won't bite into varsity football until 2006.
From Georgetown to San Marcos and Fredericksburg to Lockhart, Central Texas football teams boast proud football traditions.
Some are funny. Some are serious. All have special meaning to the schools.
Just ask the Taylor Ducks, Austin High Maroons, Hutto Hippos and Fredericksburg Battlin' Billies. With nearly 1,300 public high schools in the state, those Central Texas teams can boast about having mascots unique to their schools.
Beware the sombrero
Scott Sparks had no idea a tradition was born when he danced around a hat during a Westlake pep rally in 1970.
A football lineman, Sparks was pushed onto the floor of the old gym by a buddy, Bob Mayo. The impromptu dance drew such a positive response from the crowd, Westlake counselor Toody Byrd suggested the football team do the "Mexican Hat Dance" at every pep rally.
Former Westlake football coach and athletic director Ebbie Neptune said it was an honor for a player to be chosen to do the hat dance. Ken Dabbs, Westlake's first head coach, designated a lineman to always do the dance, but few predicted a few fancy steps around a Mexican sombrero would become so dangerous.
Two Chaps have sustained serious injuries when they accidentally stepped on teammates' feet during their routines.
Lineman Jay Lucas sustained a deep thigh bruise that kept him out of the lineup for two weeks in 1985. Lineman Seth McKinney, who went on to star at Texas A&M and now plays in the NFL, broke his foot while dancing at a pep rally in 1996. He required surgery and missed the first five games of the season, but when he returned, he helped the Chaparrals go 15-0 and win the state championship.
"We almost got rid of that tradition for good after Seth's injury," Westlake Coach Derek Long said.
Chaparral senior right guard Blake Dietrich said it's an "honor'' to be chosen Westlake's new hat dancer. By circumstance, Dietrich recently finished a summer job at an orphanage in Guadalajara, Mexico.
"I was a little embarrassed, but I got some of the locals to teach me how to do it," Dietrich said.
Dietrich said he's not too concerned about the history of hat dancers being injured on the job.
"I'm not going to do too many crazy moves," he said.
Marooned in Austin
What's a Maroon?
Better yet, why would the oldest continuously-run public high school in Texas want a "Maroon" to be its official mascot?
Stories abound at Austin High about the origin of the Maroon. Isn't it ironic that maroon is the official team color for Texas A&M, the local university's chief rival?
The school's mascot, "Mr. Maroo," is an "overgrown dustbunny," wrote Marcy Cox, Class of '98, in an Austin High School Web site.
"A piece of belly lint," said 1990 graduate Lori Trombley Peach.
"It's one of the goblins chasing Pac-Man," said 1984 grad Adam Chin.
"I was told that the mascot was the lovechild of a martian and a human," said Melissa Ceresa, a 1992 graduate. "Whoever thought that would be a good school mascot is beyond me. We're so tough, we're gonna fluff you up."
The real story begins when the school opened its doors for the first time in 1880, said Jenna McEachern, who has had three children graduate from Austin High. With no other schools around, there was no need to have a mascot until McCallum (Knights) and Travis (Rebels) were built in the 1950s.
For several years, Austin High referred to its athletes as the "Crimson Kids." The official "symbol" of the school was a pine tree, similar to the one representing Stanford University.
Windy Winn, the head cheerleader of the school from 1939 to 1941, later would draw a lovable puffball with a freshman beanie to be used in a newspaper milk ad. There have been various changes to Mr. Maroo over the years, but Winn often is given credit for drawing the original.
"We need to have a unique mascot, not the Austin High Tigers," McEachern said. "With the history this school has had, you wouldn't want to be a Lion or a Bear."
Austin High is the only high school in Texas to be called the Maroons, but it might surprise many to learn the mascot has another home, too. Roanoke College (enrollment: 1,900) in Salem, Va., also has a Maroon for its mascot.
Hip to be a Hippo
When a hippopotamus busted loose from a carnival in Hutto in 1915, a mascot was born.
For better or worse, students who've roamed the Williamson County school for 90 years have been known as the Hippos.
The official school colors of Texas Orange and White give Hutto something in common with a large local university that answers to Bevo. But while the Longhorns have spawned mascots for 17 other schools in the state, the Hippos stand alone.
It is believed to be the only high school in the country with this mascot.
"Kids who are new here say, 'Oh, my gosh, I'm going to be a Hippo,' " said Donna Sills, director of Hutto schools and a Hutto resident for 20 years. "Adults tend to think it's unique and cool. The kids who'd rather be a Panther or a Tiger don't realize how fierce a Hippo can be."
As legend has it, the hippo that busted out of the circus was tracked down at a nearby creek. Some townspeople were so impressed by the way the hippo stood its ground, they suggested the new school name its mascot after the belligerent animal.
Hutto students have heard all the fat jokes about their mascot, but it could be worse, Sills said.
"By comparison, who'd want to be a Taylor Duck?" she quipped.
What's in a NAME?
It's Friday night, 7:30, and kickoff is here, another magical football night in Central Texas pitting two area powers against each other.
Over on this sideline, the Cedar Park … Titans?
Over there, the Titans' opponent: the Stony Point … Knights?
Opening a new school is hard enough. So is naming one. But coming up with a mascot? That's an entirely different matter.
Here's a look at some recently opened schools in Central Texas, and what they almost were named:
Vista Ridge Rangers — Other possible school names included Arrowhead, Brushy Creek, John F. Kennedy, Robert Lane and Charles Rouse. Vipers, Rattlers and Rebels were discussed for mascots.
Stony Point Tigers — It was always going to be called Stony Point, named after the longstanding community of the same name, but some folks wanted the mascot to be the Knights. Why? Because sister school Round Rock's mascot is the Dragons.
Cedar Park Timberwolves — By and large, Cedar Park was the runaway favorite for the school's name. But the other three finalists for mascots were the Titans, Bulldogs and Cardinals.
Connally Cougars — Named for former Texas governor John B. Connally, "cougars" was the mascot all the way. Officials wanted to keep the cat theme to go along with sister school Pflugerville and its Panthers.
Hendrickson Hawks — So much for the cat theme and Pflugerville ISD. Though the third choice for a mascot was the Bobcats, the second pick was Huskies.
Our favorite MASCOTS … and why:
Chaparrals (Westlake) — Roadrunners still roam the area.
Rattlers (San Marcos) — Don't mess with the snake.
Hippos (Hutto) — Heavy hitters.
Ducks (Taylor) — Ever met a friendly duck?
Bumblebees (Academy) — Funny name. Savage sting.
Unicorns (New Braunfels) — One of a kind.
Timberwolves (Cedar Park) — Growling in the shadows.
Jaguars (LBJ) — Fast mascot. Cooler car.
Battlin' Billies (Fredericksburg) — The town is surrounded by goats, so the mascot and team are perfect.
Buffaloes (Florence, Giddings) — Not to be confused with the Bills.
Our favorite HELMETS … and why:
Cedar Park — First, this year's helmet has a new decal. Second, it shows a proud and rough mascot in sharp colors.
Westwood — The feathers floating off the orange "W" give it a classy touch.
Ellison — That ferocious eagle really stands out on Killeen's white helmet.
Lehman — Now that's a mascot with teeth. As far as helmets go, students at the new school picked the right nickname.
McNeil — Strong and graceful, this helmet really charges forward. Kind of like the Mavericks did last year.
Luling — That proud bird is framed neatly by the "L."
Copperas Cove — Simple. To the point. Easy to see.
Burnet — A nice depiction of a bulldog, on cool green.
Manor — Menacing colors and an angry horse. Gotta love it.
Dripping Springs — Don't mess with these Cats.