IN STATE BORING
Publication:
Published: 02/15/1986
Page: P1B
Headline: IN STATE BORING
Byline: TOM ALUISE
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!
Give me a break.
The problem with
schools' nicknames. For the most part they are boring. Apologies,
of course, are extended to the Poca Dots.
Where are the Anteaters, Caterpillars and Rhinoceros? (Would
you be more fired up for the Hundred High Hornets or the Hundred
Rhinos?). Why isn't someone called the Conquistadors?
It is always
the Trojans, Patriots, Cavaliers, Pioneers and ugh
...Pirates.
Zzzzzzzzz.
And why are the creatures of the deep always neglected in the
animal department?
Most schools with animal nicknames selected a member of the cat
family or something with wings. Unofficially there are 28 high
schools in
. Seven are called the Wildcats, the second-most popular moniker in
the state. And naturally you have your share of Tigers, Bobcats,
Cougars and Panthers, which, by the way, is the third most popular
nickname in the state.
Schools choosing to name their teams after winged animals,
including Owls, Blue Eagles, Bees, White Falcons and Blue (Blue?)
Eagles, number 18.
But what about the guys who live in the ocean or, less
specifically, beneath water? The heck with tradition. Schools.
should make their student council meetings
interesting. Why not kick
around the idea of changing a nickname? It does not have to be
extreme. And keep in mind the deep blue.
Bag the Wildcat label. Make it the Wildcatfish. If
you're the
Lions, you can become the Sealions. And if you desire
eccentricity,
I'm sure becoming the DuPont Electric Eels instead of the Panthers
would turn a few more heads. The folks at Rowlesburg
High have the
idea. They call themselves the River Lions.
So what is the most popular nickname in the state? If you
guessed Bulldogs you are correct but only half correct. An
unscientific study found eight high schools across the state called
the Bulldogs. There were also eight schools known as the Indians.
Here are some of the best nicknames: Gauley Bridge
Travelers;
Iaeger Cubs; Keyser Golden Tornado; Baileysville Rough Riders;
Clay-Battelle Cee Bees;
Fairmont West Polar Bears; Musselman.
Applemen; Richwood Lumberjacks and Roosevelt Wilson
Presidents; Lewis
County Minutemen; Man Hillbillies and the Weirton Madonna Blue Dons
Not accepting Poca High's Dots title as the best in the state is
unjustifiable. But the Bramwell Millionaires and the
preparatory seminary Thanes in
Those people know how to give nicknames.