Top 10 high school mascots in Indiana: Vote for the best

From Argylls to Athenians to Jimmies, meet the best high school mascots in Indiana

Few high school mascots can snarl like the Frankfort Hot Dog in Indiana. / SBLive archives

If you're a high school sports fan in Indiana, forget the 49ers.

Instead, break out the Hot Dogs and check out the Fighting 59ers in honor of some of the best high school mascots in Indiana.

Over the next couple of months, SBLive/SI will be featuring the best high school mascots in every state, giving readers a chance to vote for No. 1 in all 50.

Vote: Best high school mascot in Hawaii

Vote: Best high school mascot in Idaho

Vote: Best high school mascot in Illinois

The winners and highest vote-getters will make up the field for our NCAA Tournament-style March Mascot Madness bracket in 2025. The Coalinga Horned Toads (California) are the defending national champions.

Here are High School on SI's top 10 high school mascots in Indiana (vote in the poll below to pick your favorite):

The poll will close at 11:59 p.m. ET Tuesday, Oct. 8.

1. Argylls (Madison-Grant HS)

Yes, crossword puzzle fans, an argyll is a covered gravy holder of silver or other metal containing a detachable central vessel for hot water to keep the gravy warm. But these Argylls are named for people from the Scottish isles of Argyll, off the west coast of the mainland.

2. Athenians (Crawfordsville HS)

In 1836, Crawfordsville dubbed itself the “Athens of Indiana” because of the number of popular authors either born in Crawfordsville or living there. The authors aren’t as famed as they once were (Meredith Nicholson, Lew Wallace, Susan Elston Wallace, Mary Hannah Krout, Maurice Thompson), but the name Athenians stuck with the high school.

3. Fighting 59ers (Andrean HS)

Nope, not the 49ers, and for good reason. Not only was Andrean founded in 1959, but its address is 5959 Broadway.

4. Hot Dogs (Frankfort HS)

Named in tribute to Frankfurt, Germany, the town has a Hot Dog Festival every summer, but it's worth noting that the high school mascot is a snarling dog, not a guy named Nathan or Oscar.

5. Jeeps (Northeast Dubois HS)

A group of Northeast Dubois basketball players were tasked with giving the school a nickname in 1936, and their love of the Popeye comic strip informed their choice. They went with the Jeeps thanks to the character in the strip who said only “Jeep, Jeep, Jeep.” Eugene the Jeep has been the school’s mascot ever since.

6. Jimmies (Jimtown HS)

A “Jimmie” is a nickname for a railroad worker, and Jimtown is right near a rail yard, so Jimtown Jimmies is more than just a catchy name.

7. Jug Rox (Shoals HS)

Jug Rock, also known as mushroom rock, is a natural sandstone formation near Shoals that’s distinctive enough to be turned into a mascot. That mascot, by the way, is called “Roxer Boxer.”

8. Oracles (Delphi Community HS)

The Oracle of Delphi was the most important shrine in all of ancient Indiana, er, Greece.

9. Shiners (Rising Sun HS)

The school’s logo is backed by a nice, bright sun, so it’s definitely going for a reference to the city’s starry name rather than the slang term for a black eye.

10. Sparkplugs (Speedway HS)

Located near Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it seems a given that Speedway High School had to pick a racecar-themed nickname. The choice is perfect for sports, and they’re the only high school Sparkplugs in the country.

—

-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive | @sblivesports