Lions, Tigers, and Bears... Pied Pipers?

Moguls. Maroons. Skeeters. Ganders. Swifts. I bet you never would have guessed that they were mascots of high schools in Texas. What even is a gander or a skeeter?

The state of Texas is known as being extremely proud of its originality and uniqueness. One could almost look at some of the things Texans are most proud of as novelty. Whether it be a San Saba Armadillo or a Grandview Zebra, the bleachers across the state are always packed with loud and proud supporters of some of the more unusual mascots I've ever seen.

1.) Hamlin Pied Pipers

The Hamlin High School decal.
(Photo: Courtesy  Hamlin ISD)

When I moved to the small town of Hamlin, Texas in 2^nd grade, I expected my black and gold tiger t-shirts from my previous school to be replaced with some run-of-the-mill mascot such as the lions, indians, or eagles. To my surprise, my dad brought home my first Hamlin Pied Pipers shirt. According to legend, the pied piper mascot derives from the folk story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin who was hired to lure rats away from a town with his magical pipe and in-turn ended up baiting the children of the town to leave with him after being denied payment for his services.                               

2.) San Antonio Lanier Voks

Vok and Lady Vok performing at a football game.
(Photo: Courtesy San Antonio ISD)

What is a vok? One day my dad and I were discussing the weird mascots we liked and stumbled across a new suspect for our list. The San Antonio Lanier Voks. Neither one of us knew what a vok even was, leading us to believe this could be one of the best. For you Transformers fans out there, you may know a vok as an alien race, but the true meaning of the Lanier Vok is behind the school’s purpose. According to its website, Lanier was the first vocational school in San Antonio, which was shortened into vok. 






3.)  Mason Punchers/ Winters Blizzards

The Mason Puncher before a game at the "Puncherdome."
(Photo: Courtesy San Angelo Standard Times)

Perhaps one of the more colorful regions of Texas is the area not many people choose to visit. West Texas is one of the hidden gems of the Texan lifestyle since it is mostly acres upon acres of farm land. When it comes to the mascots, they include many of the most original. One district is home to both the Mason Punchers and the Winters Blizzards. No the punchers are not a boxing school, rather a more intimidating way of saying a cattle pusher or cowboy. The puncher's district foe lies in the form of the blizzards. They certainly can accept the humor in their name. I remember laughing to my mom when I heard their fight song and realized it was to the tune of “Winter Wonderland.” Who would’ve thought a town that plays most of its games in triple-digit temperatures would be home to the blizzards? 

I have been keeping a list of all the Texas high schools I want t-shirts from since I was 9 years old. The list now has more than 80 schools and there is simply no way I could write about each of them without going on for pages. However, I will leave you with a few of my favorites. The Progreso Red Ants, Roscoe Plowboys, Baytown Lee Ganders, Cuero Gobblers, Mesquite Skeeters, and the Itasca Wampus Cats. The list could go on and on but I'll leave you to discover some more on your own.