Mascots do more than just decorate uniforms.
They can be a rallying cry, and even serve as a form of identity for students and townsfolk alike.
They elicit memories for graduates of Friday night lights, uniforms and school apparel they sported in their high school days.
They’re so much more than simple cartoons.
High schools across the state choose their mascot, some arbitrarily, some with a historical or regional connection in mind. While many schools rely on tried and true nicknames, some in Massachusetts have gone far outside the box with original monikers.
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There are 375 MIAA member schools, but just 140 different mascots across the state.
The most commonly occurring mascot is the Panther, which is the name of 20 schools’ teams. Right behind are the Warriors (18), Eagles (14), Tigers (12), and Cougars (10). In total, 20 different mascots are used by at least five MIAA schools.
Amidst all that banality, there are still some pretty unique mascots around the commonwealth.
Below, you’ll find 10 of the state’s most interesting mascots and the stories behind them.
Arlington Spy Ponders
This one is simpler than it might seem. Arlington is home to Spy Pond, a landmark pond that sits on the east side of town.
The term “Spy Ponder” refers to the ice-cutters and farmers that lived in the area in the 1800s.
Behind the logo lies a different story. The Native American figure featured prominently against an “A” is an homage to the sculpture “The Menotomy Hunter” by Cyrus Dallin.
Arlington’s school webpage notes its intent to honor the town’s history in using that logo, while disavowing any other Native American imagery that may be associated with the town.
Ashland Clockers
Ashland’s mascot pays tribute to a landmark invention that was made in town — the electric clock.
Henry Ellis Warren, an MIT graduate and electrical engineer, came to Ashland in 1904. After working for a few years at the Lombard Governor Company, Warren set out on his own and eventually invented the electric clock in 1916.
His namesake business, the Warren Clock Company, would eventually become the town’s major employee in the early- to mid-20th century.
A memorial to Warren, topped by a clock, was dedicated in the town center in 1992, while the Ashland athletics teams wear a cartoon clock on their uniforms.
Dracut Middies
Middies, or in longer form Midshipmen, are not in of themselves unique nicknames. However, when you consider that Dracut is completely landlocked, their choice of mascot does become a bit more curious.
The story behind the Middies goes back to the naming of one of Dracut’s neighborhoods. One section of Dracut is referred to as the “Navy Yard,” due in part to its appearance as such in the 19th century when the area produced lumber and ship knees to be sent to the Newburyport shipyards, and in part due to the town’s production of blankets for the US Military at the Merrimack Woolen Mills during World War I and II.
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As the story goes, legendary Dracut football coach Ed Murphy was chatting with a reporter in 1948. In conversation, Murphy let on that his then nameless football team featured many players who lived in the Navy Yard.
From then on, his team was dubbed the Middies.
Lenox Millionaires
Once a retreat for some of the country’s wealthiest individuals in the Gilded Age, Lenox picked up its moniker as a nod to the influx of high-rollers the town once saw in the summers.
While there has been debate as to whether the mascot really fits the town’s current demographics, a vote in 2018 saw that 51% of then Lenox Middle and High School students wanted to keep the name, against 32% who wanted it changed.
Marblehead Magicians
This enchanting, if you’ll forgive the pun, nickname dates back to 1934.
That year, Marblehead’s football team traveled down to Florida where they routed a team from Miami 52-12.
During the game, the team used several trick plays, enamoring onlookers and inspiring one reporter to write that they “moved the ball like Magicians.”
From then, the nickname stuck.
Millbury Woolies
A befitting cartoon sheep adorns Millbury High gear; another mascot that points to the history of industry in the town.
Millbury was the home to several spinning mills, and still houses the S & D Spinning Mill; which was built in 1753 and is one of the nation’s oldest continuously operated mills.
Today, the mill still produces wool for the inside of Rawlings baseball mitts.
Woburn and Peabody Tanners
Two towns historically known for leather production — Woburn and Peabody share the Tanner moniker.
Tanning is the process by which animal hides are made into leather through a dying process.
Both towns were among the country’s largest leather producers at one time, and each chose to celebrate this fact with their school mascot.
While Peabody goes with the more realistic mascot against Woburn’s cartoon cow, both point to the rich history of their towns.
Salem Witches
This one is about as on-the-nose as a witch’s wart.
Salem was infamously the site of the witch trials between February 1692 and May 1693. Over 200 people were accused of witchcraft during this period, with 30 convicted of the crime.
Today, Salem High students sport a cartoon witch as a nod to the hysteria that swept the town over 300 years ago.
Sutton Sammies and Suzies
Two for the price of one!
Sutton has two mascots, with its boys teams called the Sammies, and its girls teams called the Suzies.
The former is named after a Civil War cartoon, the gun-toting legend Old Sam Sutton.
Westford Academy Ghosts
The Ghost was not always the mascot for Westford Academy.
Until 1959, the high school’s teams were known as the Black Knights.
That year, a student council-led contest to determine the new mascot was held, and the “Grey Ghosts” was selected.
Some say this decision can be attributed to the popularity of the TV western “The Gray Ghost,” starring Tod Andrews, Phil Chambers, and Sherwood Price, that had concluded its original run around that time.
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The nickname has since been shortened to simply the “Ghosts,” due to concerns over the meaning of the mascot, and a new logo is currently being decided on after the conclusion of a student-submission contest.
A new logo was necessitated after the existing one was deemed to have “racist connotations.”
Stay tuned for our Best Mascots/Logos series!