“Look at that,” my dad said as he rewound the tape we were watching. “Flair parted the light.”
It was late November of 1987 and dad had obtained a VHS tape (for younger readers, it was magnetized tape inside a plastic box-like structure and is how we recorded and watched things back then) of the recent Starrcade ’87, Chi-Town heat. I was a huge wrestling fan at the time and most excited to see the Rock-n-Roll Express battle the Midnight Express in a Skywalkers match. Really…could not wait to see people try to fling one another off a dinky little scaffold above a wrestling ring. Well, as memory serves it was entertaining night of matches all the way around, including when “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair came to the ring. He had recently lost his world heavyweight title to Ron Garvin and was getting a rematch. I hated Flair at the time but dad loved him…and loved to torment me by frequently holding up the signature four fingers and screaming “WOO.” Anyway, even if I rooted against him every time he stepped in the ring, I had to admit Flair made a great entrance…it was hard not to notice since dad rewound it a good 15 times and made me watch it over and over again as Flair emerged from the dressing room, with the only lights in the UIC Pavillion being a pair of spotlight shining on “The Nature Boy,” his robe sparkling. He raised his arms in presentational fashion and, sure enough, the lighting guy synched up the parting of those spotlights as Flair did so. “HE PARTED THE LIGHT!” my dad pointed out again. I mean, it wasn’t the Red Sea or anything, but it was impressive nonetheless. I guess that was when it first dawned on me that making an entrance in sports was important. It sets a tone, it creates an ambiance and can serve as a tool of intimidation…unless you suck, but even then you are at least providing the home folks with some entertainment before suffering a crippling, inept, embarrassing, defeat. With high school football practice coming up in just three days (and because of the great response I got last night to my dumb, subjective list about South Carolina’s most awesome high school mascots) I decided to come up with another list, this one being the best entrances in Palmetto State prep football. Now, the mascot one was easy to do…anybody can look at a list of mascot names, wade through the bevy of jungle cats, bugs with stingers and men ready for battle and determine that “Auctioneers,” “Predators,” and “War Horses” are unique and completely rock. To fairly critique a team’s entrance, you have to have been to a game and seen it first-hand. I’ve seen a lot, but I haven’t seen them all, so I enlisted the help of friends and fellow prep football-loving bloggers Jed Blackwell and James McBee in this mission. I’m also soliciting your assistance. If you see a glaring omission, leave it in the comment section or tweet me @CNR_Sports. Ware Shoals- “Move, I’m fixin’ to shoot the cannon,” someone yelled in my direction. It’s hard to believe that a threat of dismemberment via old-timey weaponry can blend into the background, but it did, as I stood in the Ware Shoals end zone, looking over rosters and getting my camera out of the bag. “Camera dude! MOVE! I’m fixin…to shoot…the cannon,” the voice rang out again. You can understand being in disbelief upon hearing that sentence. It seems as ridiculous on its face as somebody saying “I’d take an umbrella outside if I was you, Bo, flaming taters are falling out of the sky.” Still, self-preservation kicked in and I moved, just as a ground-shaking blast rang out across the greater Abbeville, Greenwood area. I don’t know if there was cannonball involved, but there was smoke. Lots and lots of smoke. The cannon blast was followed by fireworks as the Ware Shoals Purple Hornets football team began its walk through the stands toward the field. There’s actually a law against detonating explosives, even ones that whistle and make pretty colors, on school grounds…so it was pretty handy that there’s a house right behind the end zone, the front yard of which was the staging area for all the bang-y stuff. Up your bucket law man…my yard, my M-80s, my choice. When you combine cannon and fireworks with the old building in the far end zone made of rock and the antique game clock that is actually an analogue clock with hands, and the slow trickle of purple-clad warriors descending toward the field through the excited throngs of fans, you get an amazing atmosphere and one of the best entrances in high school football. Pageland Central- For as long as I’ve watched and covered high school football, the Eagles have been a tough, no-frills football team. They specialize in blunt-force trauma. They don’t throw it much or engage in much gimmickry…the usually run some bone or wing variation and play blunt force trauma football. They are going to line up and beat the ever-loving crap out of you for 48 minutes and will probably win. That mentality is evidenced by their season preparation (which I’ve always heard involves players throwing watermelons at one another in the self-proclaimed “Watermelon Capital of the World”) and their entrance onto the field. No bells or whistles…no flags or fireworks. A single player runs down a short hill onto the field. The next man does the same, but slams into the first guy as he does. The next man comes down the hill and wallops that second guy. They do this until the entire team is on the field, meaning each will have hit and been hit (hard) before the opening kickoff. It gives you a taste of what you’re in for. Pageland is the only school in the state I know of to never suffer a losing season…and given their entrance, it’s not hard to figure out how they’ve done it. Chester and Great Falls- I’m biased, being a graduate of Chester and having covered both for many years, but this isn’t a stretch. Just before game time, Chester’s players exit the practice field, walk across the parking lot and congregate at the top of the hill behind one of the end zones. They stand, overlooking the field and opponent, like an eagle in flight peering down at a fat squirrel with a limp (it’s soon-to-be prey, in other words). They bounce, they jump, they sway side-to-side, then as the band plays “2001” the team barrels down the hill and through a banner onto the field. Sometimes they bring along a sledgehammer. Whether it was the original intent or not, it combines the entrance traditions of both Clemson and South Carolina. I’ve seen it 100 times, I’m sure, and I’m not tired of it yet. Great Falls doesn’t do much in the way of theatrics at all and don’t have to. The stadium sits in what looks like a crater. For some reason, it is always a few degrees hotter in that hole in the summer and a little colder in the winter. If you’ve been there, you know I’m not exaggerating and that the place has its own weather system. The team exits its locker room at the high school (we don’t have field houses in Chester County) and marches, methodically down an enormous, steep bank to the field in a single-file line. It’s almost militaristic…it’s definitely an intimidating sight for opponents. They don’t get in a hurry. Nope…they take their time. Gives you a little longer to look at all the guys in black and red and think about things. Things like “oh crap, I don’t want to play them.” James McBee Fort Dorchester-The entrance at Fort Dorchester is something amazing to witness as a visiting fan. Fort Dorchester's name is the Patriots, a nod to the Patriot riders during the American Revolution, and as you're waiting for the game to start you hear the announcer begin to talk about the story of the Patriot riders in the area during the American Revolution. He then explains that they had a warning sound that would be played to signal to all the Patriots to return and defend the fort. It's then that the siren sounds and he announces it's now time for all the Patriots to defend the fort. While this is going on you are also watching the team arrive behind the stadium with the buses rocking. It's then that Robert Quinn, a current NFL player for the Rams, appears on the screen and announces "Whose that there? That's our Patriots" as the team enters the field through a cloud of smoke that almost appears to be a fog. It's not often I'm impressed by a high school football entrance but my trip to Fort Dorchester was one of those times. The fact that the entrance incorporated the history of the school name and the history of the area that it was in was what really made this one of the Top 10 SC football entrances. Jed Blackwell Gaffney - For years, there was one way in to the home side of Brumbach Stadium in Gaffney. Through the tunnel. It was a magical journey, to be sure. Members of this blog panel and our extended media "family" took one cold November evening for a playoff game. By the time we walked out onto the field, an hour before game time, the crowd was already at a full-throated roar. I'm not sure I've ever wanted to hit somebody more, not even when I played. When the new Reservation was built, all shiny and modern and new, there was certainly no structural need for an antiquated tunnel. So Gaffney did what any reasonable program would do. They built one anyway. They still walk through it to get to the field for every home game. Seeing them rush out to the logo at midfield behind a sprinting student mascot who plants a spear in the ground is a site to behold. The way they do it for big games is even better. Picture it: Byrnes and Gaffney are both nationally ranked. The Rebels take the field as boos rain down. Then comes the smoke, the "16 TIME" Nature Boy Ric Flair Bit, and the fight song. The Indian reaches midfield at a dead sprint and plants his spear, expecting to be mobbed by the team as usual. They were nowhere close. That's because they were walking. They filed out of that tunnel side by side, locked arms, and approached the 50 at a menacing, businesslike pace. Damn. Byrnes - The Rebels are another team that do it the right way. There's been an inflatable helmet added to the mix now, and with the addition of the new field house the Rebels don't bus around to the hill near the student section like they did before. But you can still hear the cleats clacking on the pavement on the way to the field. The chrome "Silver Bullet" helmets are still impressive. And the flags...yeah, about those flags. I used to know whose idea it was, but it's lost in my memory now. In any event, since the Rebels began their decade of dominance in 2002, there had been flags carried onto the field, one for the "High Powered Offense" and one for the "Strike Force" defense. As Byrnes was rising to national prominence, they also began taking on top-flight teams from other states. Glades Central from Belle Glade, Florida was supposed to be a different animal. They were big, fast, strong and tested. They chased rabbits through the Everglades to train. Byrnes had never seen the like. The Rebels were good, but they were about to see what Florida football was all about. That narrative held right up until the time the buses emptied, the Rebels took the field, and between the HPO and Strike Force flags stood Stanley Hunter, waving the Palmetto and Crescent as a matter of state pride. I had chills then. I have chills NOW. The Raiders never had a chance. Honorable Mention: Chapman (away games,1988-1990): I'm putting the Panthers here because I went to Chapman and this was impressive. Lawson's Fork Creek runs beside several schools in Spartanburg County, and the tributary winds its way beside the field that formerly served as Chapman's practice field when the school was on Oakland Avenue in Inman. There was a running joke about mystical powers from the water in "Panther Creek", and for a few seasons the team seized on that. For road games, someone would fill a water bottle from the creek, mark it, and put it on the bus. When the Panthers broke the banner and ran onto the visitors' field somebody, usually defensive lineman Bubba Scruggs, would anoint the hostile territory with the Panther Creek water. Yes, it's a little hokey. Yes, it's just something fun. And yes, the Panthers were 15-1 on the road during those three years. Bonus fact: the folks at Woodruff and Chesnee REALLY didn't enjoy the Panther Creek dousing as much as we did.
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“So, you’re from Mullins?” someone asked me last week as I walked my dogs on the beach.
It was a logical assumption for someone to make. After all, I was wearing a Mullins Auctioneers t-shirt. “Nope. Only been there once in my whole life…and that was to buy this t-shirt,” I said. Back in 2007, my friend, occasional BLAWGer and fellow purveyor of radio tomfoolery Jed Blackwell and I were driving to Myrtle Beach for my bachelor party. It was a wild weekend I tell you…three days of making sandcastles, auditing a class on Ecclesiastes and (don’t tell anyone) splitting one boysenberry wine cooler. SO NAUGHTY! Anyway, being ardent high school fans, he and I both have a deep appreciation not only for the coaches and players who make the sport one of our state’s most treasured pastimes, but also for every residual aspect of the game. We spent the majority of several work days once going through the old South Carolina Helmet Project, deciding which Palmetto State schools had the best and also ugliest helmets. If you’ve ever seen either of us in person, you’ll understand that observing how the insignia on Pelion’s helmet looks like the result of a water faucet and eagle’s claw having a baby is the closest thing we have to “fashion sense.” But I digress. The two of us had long-since come to the mutual agreement that the “Mullins Auctioneers,” was the best, most original, most distinctive mascot in our state, so we made a stop on the way to the beach to buy Auctioneers shirts and hats (which I obviously still have and wear). In a sea of off-brand jungle and mountain cats (Panthers, Wildcats etc.), dudes who are ready to whip somebody’s butt (Trojans, Vikings, Braves, Warriors et al), dogs, devils of varying hue and things with stingers (Yellow Jackets and Hornets), the image of a fast-talking gentleman who sells merchandise (specifically tobacco in the case of Mullins) stands out. Even if a school has a mascot unto itself in our state (I think Chester is the only SCHSL school using “Cyclones” and Walhalla is the only “Razorbacks” that I know of) it is still usually fairly common nationally. There’s plenty of teams called “Cyclones” and “Razorbacks.” Now, if it was the Chester Psycho Wind Swirls or the Walhalla Big, Fat Feral Pigs with Tusks, then this column would be about how Chester and Walhalla set the bar for amazing mascot names, but that isn’t the case. Auctioneers is the standard-bearer. I don’t know of any other team that uses that moniker…because you usually want to go with something fearsome and intimidating and a guy at a lectern semi-yodeling “twenty dollar bid, twenty dollar bid, do I have thirty?” doesn’t fit the “ooh I’m scared of that” template. It also comes as close as any mascot can to capturing the history and daily life of a community, given the area’s roots where cropping and selling tobacco is concerned. It’s perfect and it wins…but it isn’t alone. With high school football practice four days away as of this writing, now seems like as good a time as any to compile a big, dumb list. So here it is…the top South Carolina high school mascots. This started out as a top 10 list, but there are 12 that I consider worthy of mention here. The criteria includes originality…um, and stuff I think is awesome, basically. There may be some rockin’ SCISA nicknames for all I know, but I’m not well-versed in those, these are all SCHSL-participating schools. Where appropriate, I’ll also make some suggestions on how an already-good mascot name could be made even better…or how it could be ruined or turned into something only I find funny. 12. Timmonsville Whirlwinds- It’s not unusual for teams to utilize a weather phenomenon (see Cyclones and Hurricanes) as a mascot. I like Whirlwinds because it can either be a “dangerous column of air moving around and around in a cyclonic or funnel shape” or “an energetic or tumultuous person.” Either is evocative and suitable for athletics. It’s somewhat uncommon for mascot purposes and it sounds sort of Southern and old-timey, like something my grandma would have said (the same one who would tell me that “the dooflatchy” was broken…which could have been anything from her TV to the fuel pump in her Chrysler). It has some Biblical background and Johnny Cash sang about one, so probably you should not quibble with me on this. Suggested upgrade- The “Bad Clouds” would be an epic mascot. It’s super southern, original and scary. Awful idea- I toyed with the notion of someone using “Drought” as a mascot, but what would you have standing on the sidelines? Somebody dressed like a withered corn stalk? “Dry ‘em up, dry ‘em up,” and “D-R-O-U-G-H-T, you ain’t got utilities” wouldn’t be very effective cheerleader chants either. 11. St. James Sharks- This mascot wouldn’t make sense for every school in the state. The Union County Sharks wouldn’t work because their ain’t no great whites swimming in Tinker’s Creek, Hoss. You might find Great White in the tape deck of a rusted-out Malibu in Lukesville, but that’s beside the point. St. James is six or so miles from the Atlantic ocean, which does contain sharks (I have proof), it’s not an oft-used mascot, sharks are frightening sea beasts, they’re sleek, an animated one could apparently win Olympic Gold…it’s a perfect fit. Suggested upgrade- Being more specific (the Hammerheads) would be a bit more colorful. Awful Idea- St. James Jaws sounds awesome and is alliterative (meaning it has lots of the J) but is also begging for a copyright infringement lawsuit. Oh well. 10. Ware Shoals Purple Hornets- I mentioned earlier that winged, stingy things are a bit overplayed and they are, but the descriptor “purple” makes all the difference here. I don’t know of another team going by this name anywhere. There’s a certain wacky factor at play, since I’ve seen and encountered every manner of dirt dobber, bee, wasp and hornet imaginable and have never seen one that was actually purple. In fact, if you Google “purple hornet” you won’t get anything on armed insects…you will in fact get thousands of results dealing with sea coral. Does anyone in Ware Shoals, Tumbling Shoals or Ware Place know their mascot is actually sea coral? I sure didn’t. Is there sea coral in the Saluda River? It doesn’t really matter. Anybody who shoots an actual friggin’ cannon at their football games and serves delicious BBQ nachos in their concession stand is OK in my book. Suggested upgrade- The ‘Skeeters. Someone name your team the ‘Skeeters and I’m a fan for life. Awful idea- Dirt Dobbers or Sea Coral. 9. St. John’s Islanders- Other than the NHL franchise in New York, I don’t know of many teams using this’n. Jed pointed out that they and the Aucs are about the only human mascots in our state that aren’t hostile and ready for battle or plunder, which earns bonus points. Islanders is actually sort of plain and to the point…we live on an island, so we’ll just call ourselves that. I dig it, though. We don’t need fancified sea coral and whatnot, we’ll just be what we are and that’s that Broham. It would be like Landrum dropping “Cardinals” and going with “Hill Folk” or Columbia High becoming “The Sandhillians” which would actually involve creating a new word, now that I think about it. Also, The Islanders was the name of a former WWF tag team, earning additional bonus points. Suggested upgrade- The Angel Oaks would be an amazing name. When you have one of the oldest living things on the planet on your island, that deserves to be emblazoned on a helmet and possibly a water tower, I think. Awful idea- You know, Purple Hornets would actually be more appropriate here than in Ware Shoals since we now know the dirty coral secret… 8. Eau Claire Shamrocks- I have no idea how Eau Claire became the Shamrocks. I don’t know that many low-growing, three-lobed, clover-like plants grow near the school. Were there a lot of Irish settlers in the area at one point? Can’t help you there, Jabo. I do know that plant-life is way underrepresented where mascots are concerned. That and the scarcity of other teams called “Shamrocks” make it stand out. Suggested upgrade- Kudzu? Shouldn’t someone in our state call themselves the kudzu? Awful idea- I love honeysuckle…we have it in abundance and the aroma of it wafting on the thick, summertime air is one of the best smells I know of…but would you want “suck” right in the middle of your name? 7. Traveler’s Rest Devil Dogs- If you need me to explain why this is epic and among the best there is, kindly stop reading now. 6. Charleston Charter School for Social Studies and Automotive Repair Riptide- I always forget the school’s actual name (I don’t think “automotive repair” is actually in there), but I never forget the “Riptide” mascot. Is it alluding to the powerful ocean current that can lay waste to swimmers and boats, or the 80s TV detective show starring Joe Penny and Thom Bray? Either way, it’s a dadgum winner, people. Very rare, very colorful, conveys power and there were pretty girls and helicopters in the opening sequence... Suggested upgrade- If we’re going with 80s TV shows, what would be more awesome than the Macgyvers? Nothing. The answer is nothing. Nobody in their right mind would screw with the MacGyvers. Awful idea- The Danny Tanners. 5. Bethune-Bowman Mohawks- There is a Native-American tribe with this name, but I can’t find where they are indigenous to South Carolina. So clearly, this nickname is an homage to Mr. T’s haircut. Regular readers of this BLAWG know I already call Bethune-Bowman “The Mr. T haircuts” and I pretty much dare you to say otherwise to Mr. T’s face. Suggested upgrade- Since we’re already delving into 80s TV and Mr. T, The Hannibals wouldn’t be bad. Awful idea- Hannibals, now that I really think about it. 4. Fox Creek Predators- As long as the name isn’t a reference to that list the state has on that website, this is among the best mascots South Carolina athletics has to offer. As already discussed, most mascot names fall into a couple of generic groups…they are usually some type of animal, or varying types of war-like people. Fox Creek bucked that trend, and the obvious trapping of being lazy and going with the Foxes. Predator can be viewed in one of a few different ways. It’s either a mindset…one of strength that preys on the weak which is flat-out out gold when you are talking about the fields of athletic battle…or it’s one of the most badass movies in the history of ever. I regularly refer to this team as “The AHNOLDS” so you can probably figure out which of the two I think it is. In either case, this mascot veers from the ordinary and breaks the mold. Bravo, Fox Creek. Suggested upgrades- Commando was an awesome AHNOLD movie too, but if you go with “Commandos” are people think your team isn’t wearing underpants? They might. Awful idea- The “Kindergarten Cops” would not frighten opponents and was frankly a sucky movie. 3. Lake Wild Gators- I think we can all agree that this fits into the Ware Shoals category where an adjective makes all the difference. Just going with “Gators” would be fairly meh and run-of-the-mill. It’s the inclusion of “Wild” that sets Lake View apart. Wild can mean uninhibited and unpredictable and if you put those attributes in a vicious animal that can swallow people whole, you’ve got some pretty frightening imagery. Wild can also apply to that girl you went to school with…you know the one…started smoking when she was 12…disappeared for a long stretch of that field trip to Washington DC… I don’t think they mean “that” kind of wild in this case. Suggested upgrade- None. Awful idea- Somebody could try to be offbeat and really different and be the Disgruntled Ferrets or the Psychotic Opossums but I don’t think the world is ready for that. 2. Barnwell War Horses- Just going by “The Horses” would a tremendous mascot change-up. It would be a rare name and one that invokes images of both power and grace, beauty and danger. But Barnwell was all like “nah y’all, watch this” then went and upped their game with War Horses. A War Horse, literally, is a horse ridden into battle (back when people rode horses into battle), but it can also mean “a soldier, politician or sports figure who has fought many contests.” So, it’s a grizzled warrior, tough, always up for the fight…and if you live to fight many contests, it’s because you’ve won all your previous ones. You’re a winner. You’re calling yourself a big, brave winner with hooves. Hubris? Maybe. Wonderous in every way? Yep. Suggested upgrade- I guess you could just come right out and call yourself “The Winners.” Awful idea- Show horses wouldn’t pack quite the same gritty punch. 1. Mullins Auctioneers- See above. Berkeley Stags gets an honorable mention…they actually probably should be on the list but I didn’t think about them until now and you’re probably tired of reading this already and OH WELL SORRY STAGS! That’s it, my list of the state’s most awesomely named high school mascots. Did I leave anyone out? Were any of my awful ideas actually good? Comments, critique and general feedback can be left in the comment section or you can tweet it at me at @CNR_Sports. |
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November 2021
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