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

From Cajuns to Gents to Nautilus, meet the best high school mascots in Louisiana

Archbishop Chapelle in Louisiana is the only high school in the country with Chipmunks as its mascot. / Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK

It seems odd that U.S. high school sports have just one team in the nation called the Cajuns, but high school mascot fans won't be surprised to learn that team is in Louisiana.

Also, Ladies and Gents, these aren't just Gators among us: Watch out for the Blue Gators.

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 Iowa

Vote: Best high school mascot in Kansas

Vote: Best high school mascot in Kentucky

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 Louisiana (vote in the poll below to pick your favorite):

The poll will close at 11:59 p.m. ET Wednesday, Oct. 16.

1. Blue Gators (Ascension Episcopal)

More than 100 high schools in the U.S. go by the Gators, but there’s only one Blue Gators, and they’re in Lafayette, Louisiana, at Ascension Episcopal.

2. Cajuns (Metairie Park Country Day)

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has the Ragin' Cajuns, and Metairie Park Country Day — located between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain — has the less angry Cajuns. It seems like more than one Louisiana high school would be called the Cajuns, but nope, this school has the nickname all to itself in all of U.S. preps.

3. Chipmunks (Archbishop Chapelle)

Mascot suggestions in a 1964 contest included Raiderettes, Fleur de lis, Shamrocks and Chapelle's Belles, but Chipmunks was the easy winner thanks to their "alert, inquisitive, sociable and communicative" nature.

4. Gents/Ladies (Crowley HS)

Ladies and gentlemen, let us introduce you to Crowley High School, home of the Ladies and Gents. It’s pretty simple: The boys sports teams are called the Gents and the girls teams are called the Ladies.

5. Golden Tors (Sulphur HS)

Sure, Tors is just short for Tornadoes, but you’ve got to love the creativity (and brevity). There are several Golden Tornadoes in the high school ranks across the U.S., plus a few singular Golden Tornado, but there’s only one Golden Tors. 

6. Greenies (Isidore Newman)

A greenie, according to Merriam-Webster, is a supporter of environmentalism, but Isidore Newman's mascot is Greenie Gator. If the school ever considered a mascot change, the Mannings might be an option — Isidore Newman is the alma mater of Peyton, Cooper, Eli andmost recently Arch.

7. Nautilus (Sci High)

From the “Our Mascot” section of the New Orleans school’s website: “The Chambered Nautilus is an ocean-dwelling mollusk. As a nautilus age, it creates new chambers for its shell, which it then grows into. The nautilus moves through the water with jet propulsion, using the chambers it grew out of to regulate its buoyancy. The shell’s spiral is an approximation of the Golden Ratio, a mathematical relationship found throughout nature, art, and architecture. Sharing the story of this curious creature is a Sci High tradition that inspires students to propel themselves forward and keep growing.”

8. Redstickers (St. Joseph's Academy)

St. Joseph’s Academy loves mascots so much that it has five of them. Here’s how it works: Every student is a Redsticker, but one is also either a Dolphin, Turtle, Bee or Flamingo depending on the year you graduate. The school’s seniors in 2024-25 are Redsticker Dolphins.

9. Roneagles (McDonogh HS)

A Roneagle is a mythical bird fashioned after the American bald eagle. But McDonogh’s Roneagle has a solid iron constitution, making it stronger, swifter, larger and more resourceful than all other real-life birds.

10. Swamp Owls (Kenner Discovery)

Visitors to Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy are greeted by a 15-foot sculpture of a Swamp Owl, also known as a Barred Owl. There are no Barred Owls in high school sports, and Kenner Discovery has the only Swamp Owls.

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-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports