Halloween comes once a year but the Goblins have called
Harrison (Ark.) home for a century.
Harrison celebrated its mascot's 100th anniversary at its Oct. 23 football game against
Dardanelle, marking a milestone for a school identity born on Halloween and later given a mean streak by a football coach.
According to the school website, the Goblin originated with student Tom Millard, who created the name for the school newspaper. Its first edition appeared Oct. 31, 1926. The basketball team adopted the mascot that year, followed by the football program when it began in 1929.
For decades, Harrison's Goblin wore a smile. That changed in 1968 when football coach Hulen Quattlebaum wanted a more intimidating image, particularly for his defense. An angry Goblin with a red face and ragged yellow hair appeared on the team's new blue helmets. Basketball retained the friendly version for several years, but the "mean" Goblin eventually became the school's standard.
Harrison is the only school in the country to have a Goblin mascot, however it has plenty of company among high schools whose mascots make every football season feel a little like Halloween.
At
Sleepy Hollow (N.Y.), a costumed
Headless Horseman riding a black horse leads the Horsemen onto the field, turning Washington Irving's famous tale into a dramatic pregame entrance.
Irving's frightened schoolmaster also has a place in high school sports.
Ichabod Crane (Valatie, N.Y.) competes as the Riders. Away from the field, the school has documented an annual "Trick or Treat for Hunger" tradition, with Interact Club members collecting food donations on Halloween night.
A headless horsemen leads the Sleepy Hollow football team to the field for a 2013 game against Ossining. (PHOTO: Patrick Tewey)
Cathedral (Los Angeles, Calif.) supplies a spooky setting that requires no costume. The Phantoms' campus and football field occupy the former Old Calvary Cemetery. Recovered tombstones have been displayed and illuminated around the field's perimeter, giving "The Graveyard" nickname a historical foundation.
At
Kaukauna (Wis.), the Galloping Ghosts' Phantom Horse and Rider delivers the opening football to officials. The district dates the tradition to 1943 when a student and his horse, cloaked in sheets, thundered onto the field.
At
Concord (N.C.), the entire stadium came into play. Named Webb Field after longtime educator James Webb, football fans noted that opponents were "lured into the spider's Webb." Due to the popularity of the saying, the school eventually adopted the Spiders as the school mascot.
Even the trophies fit the season. The
Witches of
Salem (Mass.) and
Brewer (Maine) began competing for the Cauldron Cup in 2023 through the Ken Perrone Witches Classic, honoring the coach who led both programs.
