Vote for best high school mascot in America, Round 1: Clarkston Bantams vs. Rhinelander Hodags
The bracket is set for SBLive Sports' 2024 NCAA Tournament-style contest to determine the best high school mascot in America, and Round 1 is underway.
Vote below for the No. 4-seeded Clarkston Bantams (Washington) or the No. 13-seeded Rhinelander Hodags (Wisconsin) to advance to the second round, where the winner will face either the Fort Vancouver Trappers (Washington) or Polo Marcos (Illinois).
The Bantams earned a 4 seed by tallying 770 votes in last fall's Washington contest, while the Hodags won Wisconsin with five votes to earn a 13 seed.
The Rhinelander Hodags won SBLive Sports' first national high school mascot contest and finished second in last year's 66-team bracket.
Follow along: National Mascot Tournament 2024 Bracket
Voting for this matchup will conclude Wednesday, March 20, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.
4. Clarkston Bantams (Washington)
Originally the Sandpipers, Clarkston became the Bantams in 1937. They've also been called the Fighting Bantams and Mighty Bantams. The impressive Bantam (a rooster) logo the school uses today was designed in the early 2000s by an art teacher at the school.
13. Rhinelander Hodags (Wisconsin)
The history of the hodag is strongly tied to the city of Rhinelander, where it was claimed to have been discovered. The hodag — a fearsome creature resembling a large bull-horned carnivore with a row of thick curved spines down its back — has figured prominently in early Paul Bunyan stories.
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-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports
