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

From Chemics to Flivvers to Magi, meet the best high school mascots in Michigan

Mt. Clemens Battling Bathers logo / SBLive archives

If you see a group of Battling Bathers taking on Doughboys, don't be alarmed.

High school mascot fans can confirm it's just something that happens sometimes in the battleground state of Michigan.

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.

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

The poll will close at 11:59 p.m. ET Tuesday, Nov. 12.

1. Battling Bathers (Mount Clemens HS)

Not to be confused with the Mount Clemens Bathers, a minor league baseball team in the early 1900s, the Battling Bathers of Mount Clemens still press on. Mount Clemens’ bath houses were a hot spot for the rich and famous in the late 1800s and early 1900s in the Detroit area.

2. Chemics (Midland HS)

The first known use of the word “chemic” came in 1576, according to Merriam-Webster, short for “alchemic.” It also can be short for “chemical.” And at Midland High School, Vic — a stuffed lion — is the Chemics’ mascot. 

3. Chix (Zeeland East HS)

The town of Zeeland was once known for its chick hatcheries. The Zeeland East Chix celebrate that history, and the Chix crosstown rivals are the Dux of Zeeland West.

4. Doughboys (Pershing HS)

Gen. John J. Pershing’s troops in World War I were known as “Doughboys,” a nickname that dated back to the Mexican War of 1846-48, when American infantrymen made long treks over dusty terrain, giving them the appearance of being covered in dough.

5. Flivvers (Kingsford HS)

“Flivver” was a term for a beat-up car that was popular in the 1910s and 1920s, and Kingsford is a Ford town.

6. Magi (Colon HS)

Colon, Michigan, is the magic capital of the world, and Magi the Rabbit is Colon High School’s mascot (sometimes depicted as a rabbit in a hat). Magi also, of course, were noble pilgrims from the East who followed a miraculous guiding star to Bethlehem.

7. Martians (Goodrich HS)

From the Goodrich website: “When the ‘Martian' name was adopted in the 1930s, it had a dual significance because in Roman mythology, Mars was an agricultural deity as well as a warrior. Goodrich still has many small farms, and the Martian warriors have to be reckoned with on the playing field and in the classroom.” So no, it has nothing to do with Marvin from Looney Tunes.

8. Modeltowners (Gwinn HS)

Gwinn became known as a “Model Town” for miners in the early 1900s, so naturally the high school sports teams called themselves the Modeltowners.

9. Muskrats (Algonac HS)

A muskrat isn’t that different from a beaver, and there are a whole bunch of Beavers out there, so why is this the only high school in the country to be the Muskrats? Cheers to Algonac for showing so much “Muskrat Love.”

10. Nimrods (Watersmeet HS)

Per NFHS: "The Nimrod mascot represents an outdoorsman and has biblical roots. Nimrod was a mighty hunter and the son of Cush and great-grandson of Noah. The nickname is extremely popular in the community, and has been the subject of an eight-part documentary, Nimrod Nation, and an ESPN commercial.”

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