Best high school mascot in Indiana: Top 10 candidates

From Hot Dogs to Jug Rox to Sparkplugs, meet the best high school mascots in Indiana

It's about 100 miles from Delphi to Athens, Greece.

Or you can travel half that distance for a high school mascot-themed trip from Delphi, Indiana (home of the Oracles) to Crawfordsville (home of the Athenians).

SBLive Sports' love for unique mascots with interesting back stories has been well documented.

We've crowned Hodags and Imps the past couple of years in national high school mascot contests, and now we're taking a spin through every state.

Over the next couple of months we'll go from Alabama through Wyoming featuring each state's best high school mascots, and then give readers a chance to vote for their favorite. Our Indiana poll will post Oct. 17 on highschool.si.com and stay open through Oct. 24.

Here are the top 10 high school mascots in Indiana:

Andrean Fighting 59ers

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

Crawfordsville Athenians

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.

Delphi Community Oracles

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

Frankfort Hot Dogs

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.

Jimtown Jimmies

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.

Madison-Grant Argylls

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.

Northeast Dubois Jeeps

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.

Rising Sun Shiners

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.

Shoals Jug Rox

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.”

Speedway Sparkplugs

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.

The snarling Frankfort High School mascot graces the Hot Dogs' home basketball court :: Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK

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