No, this is not a Tolkien reference.
Instead, it refers to the fact that Houlton is the seat of Aroostook County. Wait, what?
Well, it’s a little convoluted, so bear with me … First, the British have counties too. They often, though, call them “shires.” And the “capital” or “seat” of a county/shire is typically called the “county town” or “shire town.”
Unfortunately, Houlton was fouded after the Revolutionary War, so it was never really British. Same thing goes for Aroostock County. So, there goes that theory …
Any controversy surrounding the source of that mascot pales in comparison, though, to that around a change in the actual mascot on the field. It was formerly a penguin, but is now – gasp! – a judge.
I mean both do fit (it gets pretty darn cold up there in northern Maine), right?
Houlton? It’s got about 6,000 folks and is right on the Canadian border. Its main claims to fame include being the:
- Terminus of I-95
- Site of an air base
- Hometown of Samantha Smith, a cute little preteen who was a goodwill ambassador to the USSR during the Cold War
Aroostook? Well, would you believe it’s the second largest county east of the Mississippi? Heck, it takes up all of the northernmost part of the state:
The county (or shire or what have you) is mostly famous for potatoes.
The high school? Well, it’s home to not quite 400 students. Couldn’t find out much more on it, I’m afraid.
One thing I do know is that you don’t want to confuse it with the Houlton School, in Rugby, England:
It’s the UK, so they have uniforms there, and not just for the athletes.
The Shiretowners?. Well, first of all, they’re usually called the Shires. A little easier on the tongue, no? Fits on a jersey better too.
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