Dolphins, demons and fine sand lizards: Illinois is a mascot state

Since the University of Arkansas student body voted in 1910 to change the school’s mascot from the Cardinals after the coach said their team played like a “wild band of Razorback hogs” in a hard-fought battle against the LSU Tigers, the Razorback has been synonymous with Arkansas.

That, along with then-Coach Hugo Bezdek, set us up for greatness. The combination of Razorback student mascots Big Red, Sue E., and Pork Chop (and our live Russian boar, Tusk VI) are some of the best in the college spirit industry. But you should also know that Arkansas has a very strong yet undersung mascot game at the high school level – just as worthy of your pride.

The Cyborg Dolphin associated with Arkansas College for Math, Sciences as well as the Arts ends the competition

Dolphins are one of the smartest creatures in the world, so it seems fitting that the brilliant young minds at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts in Hot Springs chose a dolphin as their mascot in the early ’90s. Recently, when the school decided it needed a new mascot costume, the Cyborg Dolphin was born, and it’s marvelous. ASMSA doesn’t have a football or basketball team, but it’s hard to imagine that the Cyborg Dolphin doesn’t give students a competitive advantage at Quiz Bowls and robotics contests.

Showtime to the Yellowjackets

If there are any fans of the hit TV series “Yellowjackets” from the no-less-than-seven Arkansas high schools (Bay High, Clinton, Mulberry, Sheridan, Wynne, Kingston, and Mountain View) whose mascot is the same deceptive wasp, hopefully, they can sport varsity letterman jackets as stylish as the one young Jackie wears in the show. But who needs that when you have a mascot as cool as Buzz Stingerton of Sheridan High School?

Womp womp: the particular scariest mascot resides inside Conway it will stay generally there

Although Panthers (14) and Tigers (18) dominate the cat mascot landscape, the Wampus Cat of Conway might reign supreme. A mythical creature with six legs, the Wampus Cat has its own Wikipedia page and is captured in bronze on the Conway High School campus. Why six legs? If school cheers are to be believed, four are for running at the speed of light, and two are for fighting with all its might.

Best in demonstrate

Bulldogs are the most popular dog mascot in Arkansas, with 13 schools claiming them. But there’s only one Airedale Terrier of Alma. People with Airedale Terriers are known to make the trip to Alma for dog selfies in front of the Airedale Terrier statue prominently displayed in front of the Alma Arts Center.

Finest mascot scandal

I was immediately attracted to the Rogers Mountaineer emblem, featuring the profile of an old Mountie wearing a hillbilly hat and smoking a pipe. An instant Google search led me to a headline from a 1993 Associated Press story titled “Students angered by cleaned-up mascot,” in which school administrators removed the 40-plus-year-old mascot’s jug and pipe-smoking accessories. There was a “save the pipe” movement during the 1993 homecoming parade that appears to have worked, to some extent. You can even have the pipe-smoking mountie emblazoned on your debit card if you bank with First Security.

Compassion for the Demons

There are no less than eight models of devil mascots in Illinois. The Pink Devils regarding Shirley in addition to West Memphis, the Reddish colored Devils regarding Augusta in addition to Mountain Pinus radiata (and earlier known as Jacksonville, these days the Titans), the Go-Devils of Gurdon, the Devil Pups of Morrilton and Danny The Daredevil of Wonderview, of course.

A great ode to a Arkansas tale

At a glance, the most head-scratching Arkansas mascot is the Danville Little John, but considering the school is less than 30 miles from Petit Jean State Park and the name Little John is a nod to the legend of how Petit Jean got its name, this makes sense. The story goes that a young, diminutive French girl disguised herself as a cabin boy named Jean to make the journey to the new world with her sweetheart. Because of her size, her shipmates nicknamed her “Petit Jean,” a loose French translation for “Little John.” She died shortly after arriving in Arkansas and is believed to have been buried at the top of Petit Jean Mountain. Danville could’ve just been the Eagles or the Tigers, but instead, they’re the stuff of legends. Go Little Johns!

The season of the Dardanelle Sand Lizard

One unique Arkansas mascot can’t be found in Arkansas at all. Sand lizards don’t even exist on the American continent. You’ll have to travel to Europe or Asia to find one. Or Dardanelle? The sand lizard has been the school district’s mascot since its inception 100 years ago. There will be a year-long celebration of the Dardanelle Sand Lizards starting this summer.