9 of the quirkiest high school mascots in Delaware
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Sixty-one high schools participate in interscholastic athletics in Delaware, packing surprising mascot diversity for such a small state.
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The First State is home to some original team names that pull at times from state history, extinct animals and far-away college athletic programs. There are also a few that, while unique to their schools, can’t have taken much thought to come up with.
Like them or not, they’re weird, quirky, and fun, more creative than the standard Bulldogs, Wildcats, Tigers or Vikings.
Before we get started, a quick disclaimer: Weird does not mean bad by any means. In fact, some of these team names are downright excellent.
Ranging from the halls of government to the far-reaching corners of the animal kingdom, here are nine original mascots that can be found across Delaware, plus one bonus nickname from a bygone era.
Dover Senators
It’s fitting that the state capital’s only high school uses such a government-inspired team name and earns extra points for choosing one of the most dignified titles in state government. Lawyers, representatives and cabinet secretaries don’t quite have the same ring.
Centreville Layton Gryphons
Created in 2014 by the merger of Centreville School and Layton Preparatory School, the new Centreville Layton School had to choose between the two old schools’ mascots: Bulldogs and Gryphons. They wisely opted with the latter — a mythical part-lion, part-eagle creature — to earn a spot on this prestigious list.
Caesar Rodney Riders
Just about every Delawarean has grown up with the story of founding father Caesar Rodney and his heroic ride to sign the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. With that in mind, good luck finding a more harmonious school name-mascot combination than this Kent County high school.
Odessa Ducks
Don’t be fooled by the green-and-yellow color scheme, or the block O logo, or the Duck mascot itself — you’re not watching a certain Pacific Northwest state’s flagship university out on the football field. While Odessa may have been inspired by the University of Oregon, the end result was a quirky, fun mascot that is completely unique for Delaware high schools.
Padua Pandas
This all-girls Catholic school in Wilmington’s Cool Spring neighborhood holds the undisputed title of cutest mascot in the state. We do have to wonder just how appropriate a nickname this is for Padua, though. These Pandas run a cross country and track powerhouse, while real-life pandas are known to be some of the slowest-moving members of the animal kingdom.
Tower Hill Hillers
Tower Hill proves without a shadow of a doubt that unique does not always mean creative when it comes to team names. We get it, your campus is on a hill. Although, they do deserve some recognition for having a White Tiger mascot that hangs around the sidelines of sporting events.
Salesianum Sallies/Sals
Same deal as Tower Hill, just minus the cool tiger. A whole world of mascots to pick from, and you land on a shortening of your school's name? At least no one’s lining up to steal it.
Charter of Wilmington Force
Of all the Delaware high schools that play sports, Charter of Wilmington is the only one whose team name doesn’t end in S. Since it’s tough to personify the very ambiguous ‘Force,’ Charter’s physical mascot is a calculator — not likely to strike fear in the eyes of opponents, but hey, it’s clear they didn’t copy anyone’s homework.
Archmere Auks
This Claymont Catholic school boasts both the most famous alumni of any Delaware high school (a certain former president and his children) and the (somewhat subjective) title of quirkiest mascot in the state. As a general rule of thumb, it’s always an asset on the creativity scale when the average person has to google your school’s mascot. We’ll save you the trouble — Archmere’s team name comes from the great auk, a now-extinct flightless bird that was essentially the Northern Hemisphere’s answer to the penguin. If that’s not creative, quirky and weird, then what is?
Honorable mention: P.S. du Pont Dynamiters
Though it’s been over 40 years since this Wilmington high school was open for business, this is still the greatest team name that Delaware (and possibly America) has ever seen.
Jackson Cooper is an intern reporter for Delaware Online/The News Journal. He can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 9 of the quirkiest high school mascots in Delaware