ST. LOUIS – High school mascots are often more than just a team name. They play a major role in shaping a school’s sports culture, from rallying cries to fight songs and pregame rituals.

In the St. Louis area, many mascots go beyond the usual animal names or nods to professional sports teams. Some are truly unexpected, standing out because they leave people wondering what they actually are or what they represent.

A viral Instagram post from Elite Football Academy, a local football training facility, recently sparked some light-hearted trash talk by asking participants which high school mascot in St. Louis is the worst. The answers, mostly shared in good humor, were often a mix between rival schools or ones with quirky mascot names.

Inspired by that video, FOX 2 recently asked viewers to share the most unique or unusual high school mascots or team names around St. Louis. These were among the notable responses, which include some just a bit outside the traditional Greater St. Louis boundaries.

Missouri

St. Louis University High School Jr. Billikens (St. Louis)

Roosevelt Rough Riders (St. Louis)

Webster Groves Statesmen (Webster Groves)

Nenrix Hall Markers (Webster Groves)

Lafayette Lancers (Wildwood)

Visitation Acamdey Vivettes (Town and Country)

Owensville Dutchmen/Dutchgirls (Owensville)

Maryville Spoofhounds (Maryville)

Hickman Kewpies (Columbia)

West Plains Zizzers (West Plains)

Illinois

Roxana Shells (Roxana)

Freeburg Midgets* (Freeburg)

Centralia Orphans/Annies* (Centralia)

Marissa Meteors (Marissa)

Southwestern Piasa Birds (Piasa)

Vandalia Vandals (Vandalia)

New Berlin Pretzels (New Berlin)

Cobden Appleknockers (Cobden)

Effingham Flaming Hearts (Effingham)

Teutopolis Wooden Shoes (Teutopolis)

Breaking down the mascots

Among these lists, it’s apparent some St. Louis-area high schools liked the concept of alliteration. For instance: Roosevelt Rough Rides, Lafayette Lancers, Marissa Meteors and Vandalia Vandals.

Some names are very basic terms or concepts that seem a little different than a typical animal mascot. Most notably: Nenrix Hall Markers, Roxana Shells, New Berlin Pretzels, and Teutopolis Wooden Shoes.

Then, there are inevitably some mascots where it’s hard to know what they are or what they mean upon first glance.

Perhaps most well-known to the St. Louis region, the Billiken. St. Louis University describes this college and high school (junior) mascot as a “mythical good-luck figure who represents ‘things as they ought to be.'” Merriam-Webster Dictionary further describes it as a squat smiling comic figure.

Here are a few other unusual mascots that have a definition, per Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

  • Statesman (Webster Groves) – A person versed in the principles or art of government or a wide, skillful, and respected political leader.
  • Kewpie (Hickman) – A small chubby doll with a topknot of hair.
  • Dutchmen/Dutchgirls (Owensville) – A person of Dutch descent.
  • Spoofhound (Maryville) – A hound refers to a dog of numerous hunting breeds, while spoof refers to the ability to deceive or hoax.
  • Orphan/Annie* (Centralia) – A child or one deprived of some protection or advantage.
  • Midget* (Freeburg) – A very small person or one of an unusually small size.
  • Appleknocker (Cobden) – A person who picks or sells apples.

DISCLAIMER: FOX 2 added an asterisk next to three mascot names to indicate that these terms may be considered offensive in certain contexts.