The wildcats. The panthers. The eagles. Dozens of high school teams are named for those iconic animals.
But what about the Doughboys, the Chix or the Nimrods? With hundreds of schools across Michigan, some school leaders saw an opportunity for creativity. So we’ve compiled some of the most unique school nicknames across the state. You can find a full list from the Michigan High School Athletic Association here.
A spoiler: Many Michigan high schools get their athletic nicknames from wartime or, in a uniquely Michigan fashion, from automotive themes.
Gremlins, Houghton High School in Houghton
The high school adopted the gremlins name in 1948, changing from their previous mascot, the Orange, according to the Keweenaw Community Foundation. The name was suggested by a principal who had served as a pilot in World War I, interested in stories about “gremlins” harassing pilots in World War II. Pilots in the war jokingly blamed problems in the air on mischievous gremlins.
Dreadnaughts, Dexter High School in Dexter
A dreadnought (spelled differently than the mascot, for a reason that is not apparent) is a type of battleship, according to Brittanica. Dexter’s school nickname, like Houghton’s, likely comes from wartime, too, according to Dexter’s The Sun Times News, following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
Doughboys, Pershing High School in Detroit
Doughboy was once a nickname for Gen. John Pershing’s troops in World War I; therein lies the origin of Pershing High’s mascot, according to The National World War I Museum and Memorial. Pershing opened in 1930, named after the general.
Railsplitters, Lincoln Park High School in Lincoln Park
Railsplitter was once a nickname for Abraham Lincoln on the campaign trail, according to Dickinson University.
Dux and Chix, Zeeland West High School and Zeeland East High School in Zeeland
The town’s history as the “chick capital” of the Midwest, as well as its history as a town for duck hatcheries, explains the town’s high school mascots, according to the Holland Sentinel.
Nimrods, Watersmeet High School in Watersmeet, near the Michigan-Wisconsin border
While Nimrod can be slang for “idiot,” the name also has biblical roots, where a nimrod was a “mighty hunter” in the Old Testament, according to a state news release celebrating Watersmeet High’s unique nickname. ESPN once named the Nimrods the third best high school sports nickname.
Marauders, Ovid-Elsie High School in Elsie in central Michigan
A marauder is traditionally known as someone who raids and plunders from place to place, according to Merriam-Webster. While it’s unclear why the high school bears the Marauder name, the mascot has been in place since 1967.
Battling Bathers, Mount Clemens Middle/High School in Mount Clemens
According to the city of Mount Clemens, it was the mineral bath industry that made the city a destination for health spas and likely where the school gets its nickname. Mount Clemens has since ceased using the battling bathers mascot, but it lives on as a historical image.
Flivvers, Kingsford High School in Kingsford near the Michigan-Wisconsin border
A flivver is a nickname for the Model T, Ford’s universal automobile. According to the Michigan High School Athletic Association, Kingsford has had the Flivver as a mascot since the early 1930s, when there was a Ford plant in the area.
Modeltowners, Gwinn High School in the Upper Peninsula
The leader of an iron mining company in the area near the town of Gwinn decided the town should be a model town for miners to live in, eventually leading to the high school’s unusual nickname, according to the Gwinn Chamber of Commerce.
Hematites, Ishpeming High School in the Upper Peninsula
Hematite is an iron-oxide mineral, according to the Virtual Museum of Minerals and Molecules. Ishpeming is a mining town, which is where the nickname for the school came from, according to Sports Illustrated coverage of its 2012 high school football season.
Tractors, Fordson High School in Dearborn
The high school’s name came from Henry Ford, who developed the Fordson tractor for farmers. The tractor became Fordson’s mascot, one of the most unique in the state.
Contact Lily Altavena: laltavena@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 12 of the most unique Michigan high school mascots
Reporting by Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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