Wyoming’s Wackiest High School Mascots
Is it difficult to have school spirit when your mascot is the Nimrods? Ask the students at Watersmeet High School in Michigan.
It could be worse, they could attend Yuma High School in Arizona, where their sports teams are affectionately called “The Criminals.”
Here in Wyoming, we don’t have any Syrup Makers (Cairo High School, Georgia), Orphans (Centralia High School, Illinois) or Beetdiggers (Brush High School, Colorado), but we do have our fair share of interesting high school mascots. Here’s the five wackiest high school mascots in the Cowboy State.
1. Big Piney Punchers – Located off State Highway 189, between Pinedale and Kemmerer, Big Piney High School has approximately 190 students. Over the years, the Punchers have been a football powerhouse, winning 8 state titles in the 2A division. Amazingly, the girls sports teams are called “The Lady Punchers”.
2. Campbell County Camels – Wyoming is known for its wildlife, but unless you’re in Gillette, you won’t find many camels. Located on Camel Drive, the north branch of Campbell County High School is among the largest schools in the state, with over 1,400 students. The Camels have one of the best high school football progams in the state, boasting four state titles. Last year, they made it all the way to the championship game, losing by a touchdown to Sheridan.
3. Glenrock Herders – Although the school mascot looks like a ram, this Converse County school call itself the herders. With just over 200 students, Glenrock’s Herders have won six state football titles over the years, most recently in 2008.
4. Newcastle Dogies – Miles from the South Dakota border in eastern Wyoming, you’ll find the Dogies of Newcastle High. In cowboy slang, a dogie describes a calf who has been separated from their mother in the herd. The mascot may have also been inspired by the traditional country western song “Get Along, Little Dogies”.
5. Kaycee Buckaroos – Best known as the former home of legendary songwriter and rodeo champion Chris LeDoux, this small town, off I-25 between Casper and Buffalo, is also home to the Buckaroos. With an enrollment of only 46 students, they are one of several schools across the state that play Six man football.