Fighting Zebras – Lincoln (CA) High School

Now, Zebras are scary enough. But fighting zebras? Egad!

Lincoln’s northeast of Sacramento, and has almost 50,000 people. It’s big-time suburban, and is one of the fastest growing cities in the US.

It was actually founded all the way back in 1859, but was pretty sleepy until just recently. Interestingly, the Lincoln is not who you think. It’s actually from one Charles Lincoln Wilson, the guy who brought the railroad to the area. 

The high school dates back 114 years, and currently has 1,670 students. They feature 20+ sports, including coed skeet and trap shooting. There’s one famous alum, Glen Edwards, an Air Force pilot who’s the namesake of Edwards Air Force Base.

Now, about those Zebras … Hard to believe, but the nickname dates back to the 1920s. It was originally applied to the town basketball team, which featured white & blue striped uniforms.

It was an easy extension to the high school. They, though, went with blue & gold stripes. It looks like they’ve ditched ‘em since then, but I do like those helmets.

Of course, it’s the “fighting” that really makes this one. And that came in 1957.

And, yes, they do have a real, live mascot. His name is - checking notes - ZOOse.

And he's fighting mad!

BTW, there’s only one other HS with a zebra as a mascot, Grandview TX. It is not, however, a fighting zebra. So there!

Devil Pups – Lejeune (NC) High School

To really know what’s going on here, you need to first realize that Lejeune means Camp Lejeune, a Marine installation on the North Carolina coast.

Second, you have to know that Devil Dog is a nickname for a Marine. Et voila, Devil Pups!

All well and good, but where the heck did “devil dogs” come from? Well, this one actually dates back to WWI, when the Germans called the Marines teufelhunden, or “devil dogs.” Kind of like schweinhund, but with respect.

Whoops, wrong devil dog

The high school dates back to 1944, and was founded by the Dept. of Defense. It’s located on base (indeed, students must live on base to attend). There are about 500 students.

Not too surprisingly, The Pups wear the traditional Marine red and gold.

BTW, there is a kid’s organization, sponsored by the Marines, that’s also called the Devil Pups. Kind of like a super hard-ass version of the Boy Scouts, I would imagine.

Curley Wolves – Prescott (AR) High School

Wolves? No problem. Curley wolves? WTH???

Prescott is in the southwest part of Arkansas, close to … well, pretty much nothin’. The town of 3,300 only dates back to 1873, coming to life when the railroad came through. It’s known for lumber, some obscure Civil War battlefields, and 18 “notable people” I’ve never heard of.

Lookin’ kinda sleepy

The high school, though it has only 325 students, is something of an athletic powerhouse. They’ve notched 5 state championships in football and 15 in track and field.

Bigger than downtown?

So, about those curley wolves … Once again, we’ve got a name that was given by someone else, supposedly an opposing coach. 

Now, why he called them that is the question. Well, it so happens that a “curly wolf” is “cowboy slang” for a “very tough, very dangerous person.” Now, I’m not really up on my “cowboy slang,” so I’m just gonna have to take their word for it.

“Curly wolf” is also the name of a haircut, a metal band, a beer, a coffee shop & even a series of kids books.

And, yes, they do have a mascot, one that looks, though, a lot like a repurposed furry.

Criminals – Yuma (Arizona) High School

Well, there’s gotta be a story behind this one.

Yuma is in the southwest corner of Arizona, just a couple of miles away from the Mexican border. It’s pretty large, with a population just under 100,000.

It’s also very hot and sunny. In fact, it’s the driest and sunniest place in the US. The average temperature is a scorching 90 degrees, and the city has 4 months with an average over 100.

All that and the nearby Colorado Rive, though, make Yuma an “agricultural powerhouse.” Several nearby military bases also help shape the local economy. 

By the by, Yuma does have one genuinely famous citizen, Cesar Chavez. 

Hot, yet flat

Because of its size, Yuma actually has 5 different high schools. The one we’re talking about, though, was the first, dating all the way back to 1909. The original building was, unfortunately, destroyed by fire a year later, forcing the school to move to the then-empty Yuma Territorial Prison. A couple of years after that, though, the city wanted its prison back, so a new school was built in 1914.

That’s the prison, not the high school

In the interim, however, another Arizona high school, which had just lost to Yuma in the state championship, derisively called them the criminals. In the fashion of Yankee Doodle, Yuma HS proudly adopted it as their own.

Indeed, that theme is reflected in uniforms, a group of supporters called the “chain gang,” parts of the old prison incorporated into the stadium, a merch shop called the "Cell Block" …

And, of course, we can’t forget Curt the Crim, black eye and all:

The school is a big one, with 1,200 students, and 22 sports teams. They actually have a famous alumnus as well, a Pro Football Hall of Famer with the wonderful name of Curley Culp.

County Seaters – Belvidere (NJ) High School

Just rolls right off the tongue, doesn’t it? 

Belvidere is a town of 2,700 in the northwest section of the New Jersey, right along the border with Pennsylvania. It dates back to 1845, and is known for its Victorian houses. The town name means “beautiful view.” Wikipedia lists 15 “famous” Belvidereans I’ve never heard of. 

The high school has 350 students. Sports teams seem to have had the most success in the rather more obscure sports of wrestling & field hockey.

As for the mascot … Well, Belvidere is the county seat. 

I just have to wonder, though, if they couldn’t have come up with something a little more interesting. Or boring even – you know, bulldogs, eagles, tigers, whatever.

Interestingly, the mascot appears to be a muscular and angry raccoon. 

Not sure where that came from. 

And, yes, they typically call themselves the Seaters, a word that is usually associated with furniture.

Cornjerkers – Hoopeston Area (IL) High

Jerk that corn!  Jerk it!  Jerk it!  Jerk!  Jerk!  Jerk!

Hoopeston is a town of 4,900 in east central Illinois, right on the border with Indiana. Flat, rural, and lots and lots of corn. Industries formerly included canning that corn, as well making the cans to can that corn. Today, it looks like we’ve got wind farms instead.

Me? You all care about lil ol me?

The town is know for its sweet corn festival, as well as being home to the Miss National Sweetheart Pageant. The latter is a beauty pageant for runners-up from state Miss America pageants. Finally, Wikipedia lists 2 athletes I’ve actually heard of, along with a politician and an author I have not.

The high school has 340 students, 16 different sports teams, and a website that appears to be way too clever by half (including sliding graphics, which give us some “interesting” combinations).

As for the mascot, it dates back to the 1920s, and was coined by a sportswriter, in derision. Somewhat along the lines of Yankee Doodle, the school embraced it. 

As for the word “cornjerker” itself, Wikipedia explains it all in gory detail:

“In times before modern machinery, sweet corn was pulled or jerked from the stalk. The leaves were shucked off and the golden ears were thrown in a wooden wagon pulled by a team of mules. This was called ‘cornjerking.’ In other parts of the United States, this harvesting process may have been known as corn snapping, corn shucking, or corn husking. The many laborers who walked the fields to harvest the crops were called cornjerkers.

The invention of the corn picking machine has made this hand harvesting process obsolete. By using modern machines, a farmer is capable of tending larger fields, thus producing more food with less effort. As a result, the term Cornjerker as used in the agricultural industry has become a colloquialism.”

For “hick,” I would imagine.

In something you often don’t see on Wikipedia, the author goes on to wax positively poetic:

“Cornjerkers come in all shapes and sexes. Brawny football players, lanky basketball players, speedy track team members, petite cheerleaders - all of these students are Cornjerkers. Coaches, faculty, and fans are also a part of the Cornjerkers.”

The mascot is named “Jerky,” which makes me think of another foodstuff entirely. 

Clerks – Cardozo Education Campus (DC)

File that document! Type those notes! Clerk! Clerk! Clerk!

So, a couple of explanations about this one …

First of all, the “Education Campus” used to be called Cardozo Senior High (and Central High before that). I’m not totally sure what an “education campus” is. I mean, isn’t that a bit redundant? (Turns out it just combines a high school and middle school.)

As for “Cardozo,” I have to admit I’m a little confused. My initial guess was that it was named for Benjamin N Cardozo, a Supreme Court Justice under FDR. And justices, of course, are known for their clerks.

Wikipedia, however, is telling me that the school is named for clergyman, politician & educator Francis Lewis Cardozo. Now, I’ve never heard of him, but he does have quite a distinguished background. None of that, however, seems to have anything to do with clerks. 

Thankfully, the Historical Marker Database site clears everything up. It’s telling me that the “clerks” come from the school’s history preparing students for a future in business. Whew! Glad we finally cleared up.

Our final mystery involves owls. Yup, that’s what appears on their logo. 

Sorry, no clue about that one. They are, though, typically associated with wisdom. At the college level, owls are the mascots for Rice, Temple & a few others.

Central dates back to 1877, and was the first high school in the city. Between Central and Cardozo, we’ve actually got some famous alumni, including J Edgar Hoover, Marvin Gaye, and a number of generals and admirals.

As for sports, I’m afraid I couldn’t find that much. Just for example, this is what the school’s athletics webpage shows:

Let me end with a callout to Benjamin N Cardozo High School, in Bayside NY. Their teams go by the name of Judges.