Zizzers – West Plains (MO) High School

Zzzz … What a snoozer of a mascot.

Hard to believe, but “zizzer” once had a much more lively meaning. According to the school website, a “zizzer” is a:

“N. 1. an expert in any activity - adj. (colloq) FIRST RATE; 2. a person of the highest caliber, ability, or reputation. 3. One who is victorious; (syn) A WINNER! Because to be a ZIZZER means to be the BEST at WHATEVER you do!”

Unfortunately, that bit of slang dates back to 1908. Seems an English teacher used it to describe one of the school’s first yearbooks.

West Plains? The town of 12,200 dates all the way back to 1832.  They’ve got no less than 6 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s right on the border with Arkansas, so was the scene of lots of guerrilla warfare in Civil War. The town’s last brush with history came with an explosion in a dance hall that killed 37.

It claims several notable sons & daughters. These include actor Dick Van Dyke, C&W singer Porter Wagoner, and baseball players Bill Virdon & Preacher Roe.

Porter & friend

Finally, it has a very unique flag. I’m a big amateur vexillologist (realfunwithflags.blogspot.com), so I was happily surprised to see this one.

Couldn’t find out much about the high school except that it has 1,145 students.  I did count 13 sports, as well as 38 state titles (29 being in cross country). 

This just in … They now have a real, physical, on-field mascot, one Bolt.