National high school mascot bracket, Round 1: Vote for International HS at Largo Sea Turtles or Cairo Syrupmakers

International High School at Largo (Maryland) is a 2 seed and Cairo (Georgia) is a 15 seed in the first round

The International High School at Largo Sea Turtles (Maryland) take on the Cairo Syrupmakers (Georgia) in Round 1. / Graphic by Jesus Baca

The bracket is set for High School on SI's 2025 NCAA Tournament-style contest to determine the best high school mascot in America, and Round 1 is underway.

Vote below for the No. 2-seeded International High School at Largo Sea Turtles (Maryland) or the No. 15-seeded Cairo Syrupmakers (Georgia) to advance to the second round.

The winner will face either the Salem Witches (Massachusetts) or Prescott Curley Wolves (Arkansas).

The Sea Turtles earned a 2 seed as an at-large bid by finishing second in our statewide Maryland contest with 14,404 votes, while the Syrupmakers won Georgia with three votes to earn a 15 seed.

Follow along: National Mascot Tournament 2025 Bracket

Voting for this matchup will conclude Tuesday, March 25, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.

High School on SI voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You are limited to one vote every 6 hours and are encouraged to share our polls with others.

2. International High School at Largo Sea Turtles (Maryland)

This unique school with a unique mascot started in 2015 with 100 ninth-graders, and it’s grown by 100 students each year since. The only requirement to apply to become a Sea Turtle is that English is not your first language.

15. Cairo Syrupmakers (Georgia)

During a heavy rainstorm at a football game many years ago, workers at the Cairo syrup shelter brought over their raincoats labeled "Roddenbery's Syrup" on the backs of the jackets to keep the players dry. Reflecting this heritage, the Cairo (pronounced “kay-row") football team was named the Syrupmakers, and it stuck for all sports. The school’s physical mascot is a syrup pitcher.

National high school mascot bracket, Round 1: Vote for International HS at Largo Sea Turtles or Cairo Syrupmakers

2. International High School at Largo Sea Turtles (Maryland)

15. Cairo Syrupmakers (Georgia)

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