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School nicknames are for the (Bull)Dogs BY
VINCENT D. JOHNSON "Welcome to this years IHSA 4A state final, with the Bulldogs of Highland taking on the Bulldogs of Carmi-White County and stick around for the 5A Title game, Oak Lawn Richards Bulldogs vs. the Chicago Senn Bulldogs." Ok, so it's a little far fetched, you're right. "A Chicago team in the state finals?" you say. Actually in all seriousness, a Bulldog vs. Bulldog match up could happen in just about all 6 class. If you sort all the schools by team name you'll find that there are 28 Bulldogs. This goes along well with the 26 Warriors, 28 Wildcats, 27 Tigers and 28 Indians (this doesn't include Redskins, Injuns, Chiefs or Illineks). A total of 20% of school nicknames in Illinois belong to those five names. The point being made here is; aren't school nicknames suppose to stand for something? Or should I say, weren't school nicknames suppose to stand for something? School nick names have long been a source of pride in small towns and interwoven communities. Often times the name of a team was relevant to the history or location of the area. Such as the Joliet Steelmen, Cobden Appleknockers, Lockport Porters and the Hoopeston Cornjerkers. Somewhere, the idea that a school's nickname or mascot should be associated with the community, was presented and embraced. Somewhere along the line everything just went to the Bulldogs. Now this isn't a trash session for schools without an original nickname. It's more like a prod for administrators and board members of soon to open high schools. Along with the parents of soon to be students. Although it may sound silly, but wouldn't you have a little more respect if Naperville Neuqua Valley just called themselves the Valley Boys & Girls instead of the Wildcats. Which by the way is already in use just 10 miles or so to the south in Plainfield. Speaking of Plainfield, they'll be receiving a new H.S. in a couple of years. Possible names for the Plainfield/Joliet Way West H.S. are now being accepted. E-mail them to us. New Lenox will open up Lincoln Way part II this year. A possible name, "The Fighting Commuters" has already been rejected, so it looks like Black Knights, White Knights and Shinning Knights are your front runners. Also plans are in the works for New New Trier, in the Wilmette area. Any takers for that one?
Here's a list of names that for one reason or another has won us over or made us wonder. Names that work Salt Fork Storm (Catlin & Sidell (Jamaica)?
ok two schools share this name, but it's very catchy. Names to think about Sobos (South Beloit) ? still beats a
wildcat any day. Names
that may need rethinking Orphans (Centralia) ? strange name for a team
of under aged kids With a school violence on the rise, it might not be long before these schools have a new mascot.
Bombers - Argenta-Oreana, Brownstown, Macomb & Williamsfield. Girls teams seem to be an afterthought when it comes to picking a mascot name. Most end up being the same as the boys teams or have the name "Lady" attached to the front. Here are a few girls teams that didn't fair so well in the name game. Golden
Girls (Crescent City-Irquois) ? who would have guessed it would have become a
TV show? Now, not all of the girls teams in Illinois came up short handed. What football team wouldn't want the Wild Kittens of Love Joy cheering them on?
Comments? e-mail us: ihsfw@ihsfw.com
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