From Aardvarks to Volcanoes, these mascots would win many Halloween costume contests.
Some of the fun on Halloween is checking out other peoples' great costume ideas. We're taking a little different approach: We found 19 mascot costumes that would be spectacular choices on Halloween.
Graphic by Ryan Escobar
One of the great aspects of the high school sports experience is the mascot.
Not only do mascots serve to lead rallying cries at games, pep rallies and other school functions, but they can also occupy an integral part of a school's identity and history.
MaxPreps looks at some of the most unique mascots in the country, all of which would make incredible Halloween outfits. The only problem is, while the average Halloween costume costs well less than $100, a good mascot costume can run upwards of $5,000.
19 amazing high school mascots that would make great Halloween costumes
Photo courtesy of Hoopeston High School
Cornjerkers
School: Hoopeston (Ill.)Cornjerking, also known as cornhusking, played an important role in the history of Hoopeston, known as the Sweet Corn Capital of the World. "Jerky" the mascot was born in 1965.
See more about the Cornjerkers in the MaxPreps Mascot Monday story for Illinois{PAGEBREAK}
Photo courtesy of Huron High School
River Rats
School: Huron (Ann Arbor, Mich.)Built in 1967 near an old medical waste site along the Huron River, Huron students were derisively called "River Rats" by students from the established Ann Arbor High School. The name eventually stuck and became a source of pride. Now, the River Rat, which appears to have taken up bodybuilding in its spare time, is nothing to scoff at.{PAGEBREAK}
Photo courtesy of Joliet High School
Steelmen
School: Joliet (Ill.)The "Steelman" mascot is derived from a sculpture that appeared in the 1933-34 World's Fair in Chicago. The sculptor, Louise Lentz Woodruff, was raised in Joliet and attended the high school. It was officially adopted as the school's mascot on Oct. 10, 1935. On that day each year, the school prepares Steelman a birthday cake that is served to students.{PAGEBREAK}
Photo courtesy of Anaconda High School
Copperheads
School: Anaconda (Mont.)Although neither anacondas nor copperhead snakes are indigenous to Montana, the Copperhead mascot at Anaconda is alive and thriving. It's more than likely a reference to the town's founder, Marcus Daly, who built a copper smelter when he founded the town, and was known as one of Montana's "Copper Kings" in the late 1880s.
See more about the Copperheads in the MaxPreps Mascot Monday story for Montana{PAGEBREAK}
Photo courtesy of Calhoun High School
Sandcrabs
School: Calhoun (Port Lavaca, Texas)The fishing industry is an important part of the economy in Port Lavaca. The Sandcrab mascot has spawned the identity of the entire athletic department, "Sandcrab Nation."
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Photo courtesy of Chester High School
Volcanoes
School: Chester (Calif.)Believed to be the only non-Hawaiian school with a volcano mascot, Chester's Volcano is no ordinary magma-filled mountain. It appears ready to erupt at any moment. The name likely comes from the school's proximity to Lassen Volcanic National Park and its namesake peak, which blew its top in a big way in 1917.
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Photo courtesy of Frisco ISD
Raccoons
School: Frisco (Texas)"Frisky" turns a small, pesky nuisance into a giant, intimidating creature. In addition to being the only raccoon mascot in the country, Frisky has been known to showcase his skills in
breakdancing. His ringed tail has been wagging for Frisco since 1924.
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Photo courtesy of Goodrich High School
Martians
School: Goodrich (Mich.)While "Martian" normally conjures up images of a green intruder from another planet, Goodrich's Martian actually refers to Mars, the Roman god of war. Mars is also associated with agriculture, so the nickname made sense for Goodrich, which has its roots as a farming town. Prior to the 1930s, Goodrich was known as the Gladiators. We like Martians better.
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Photo courtesy of Hutto High School
Hippos
School: Hutto (Texas)Legend has it that Hutto's mascot derives from an incident in 1915 in which a circus hippopotamus got loose and established residence in a local creek. Nowadays, the Hutto Hippo is a far more refined creature, with a smile made for the big screen.
See more about the Hippos in the MaxPreps Mascot Monday story for Texas{PAGEBREAK}
Photo courtesy of Lebanon High School
Cedars
School: Lebanon (Pa.)"Rooty" is like a cross between the Stanford Cardinal and the Philly Fanatic. The Cedars reference is likely a biblical one, and the Lebanon Cedar is on the flag of the Lebanese Republic, located on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean. Rooty has achieved such fame that he has his own bobblehead doll.
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Photo courtesy of Lemon Bay High School
Manta Rays
School: Lemon Bay (Englewood, Fla.)Lemon Bay is a stone's throw from the Gulf of Mexico, home to a population of manta rays. It is the only high school in the country with the manta ray mascot. Though you can't tell by the photo, the costume is completed with a pair of flippers.
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Photo courtesy of New Berlin High School
Pretzels
School: New Berlin (Ill.)Two high schools in Illinois are known as the Pretzels. In the case of New Berlin, the name originated from an incident in the 1930s in which players tossed pretzels at each other.
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Photo courtesy of Oregon Episcopal School
Aardvarks
School: Oregon Episcopal (Portland, Ore.)When Oregon Espiscopal sought to get rid of its falcon mascot identity, it held a student vote for a replacement. Amazingly, of all possible animals, the student body voted for the aardvark, becoming the only school in the country with such a mascot.
See more about the Aardvarks in the MaxPreps Mascot Monday story for Oregon{PAGEBREAK}
Photo courtesy of Palmer High School
Moose
School: Palmer (Alaska)Located on the outskirts of Anchorage, where moose have been known to wander around town, the Palmer Moose is an Alaskan Bullwinkle. However, he might be a little creeped out by what hangs in the Palmer gymnasium: a real, giant, stuffed moose.
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Photo courtesy of Ridgefield High School
Spudders
School: Ridgefield (Wash.)Ridgefield is known for its potato farming, so "Spudders" is a natural fit. Ridgefield's mascot wears a golden crown and, at least in local parades, is known to drive a four-wheeler.
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Photo courtesy of St. Saviour Academy
Pandas
School: St. Saviour (Brooklyn, N.Y.)The history of St. Saviour's mascot is unclear, but it could be a nod to the school's founders, the Sisters of Notre Dame, who did mission work in China in the early part of the 20th century. The all-girls school embraces its gentle giant mascot.
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Photo courtesy of Sturgis High School
Scoopers
School: Sturgis (Mich.)"Scooper Sam" reflects Sturgis' historical roots in which calvarymen stationed in Fort Meade claimed Sturgis merchants "scooped" them every Thursday. The Sturgis merchants, meanwhile, claimed they made so much money it could be "scooped" from the streets. Nowadays, Scooper Sam dresses like a disheveled teenager but is a fond reflection of Sturgis' past.
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Photo courtesy of Valley Vista High School
Monsoons
School: Valley Vista (Surprise, Ariz.)Stormy the Monsoon is one of the most unique mascots in the country. Dressed like an ancient deity and with lightning bolts on his forearms, Stormy is the best anthropomorphization of a monsoon we've seen yet.
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Photo courtesy of Winters High School
Blizzards
School: Winters (Texas)Not only is Winters' school song "Walking in a Winter Wonderland," but the Blizzards' mascot is equal parts awesome and terrifying, as his face appears to be in a perpetual state of blowing cold air on opponents. And that's odd because he comes from an area of Texas where it gets into the 70s well into November.
