Vote now for best high school mascot in America, Round 2: Rhinelander Hodags vs. Lewisville Fighting Farmers
The bracket is live for SBLive Sports' NCAA Tournament-style contest to determine the best high school mascot in America, and Round 2 is underway.
Vote below for the No. 1-seeded Rhinelander Hodags (Wisconsin) or the No. 8-seeded Lewisville Fighting Farmers (Texas) to advance to the Sweet 16. The Hodags beat the Rising Sun Shiners (Indiana) and the Fighting Farmers topped the Cairo Syrupmakers (Georgia) in Round 1.
The Hodags earned a 1 seed by piling up 211,761 votes in our fall contests (including the championship round), while the Fighting Farmers earned 83 votes and the 8 seed.
Follow along: National Mascot Tournament 2023 Bracket
Voting for this matchup will conclude Thursday, May 11, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.
Editor's note: In the event of a tie, the team with the better seed will prevail based on the results of our fall mascot contest.
1. Rhinelander Hodags (Wisconsin)
The history of the hodag is strongly tied to the city of Rhinelander, where it was claimed to have been discovered. The hodag — a fearsome creature resembling a large bull-horned carnivore with a row of thick curved spines down its back — has figured prominently in early Paul Bunyan stories.
8. Lewisville Fighting Farmers (Texas)
A reference to Lewisville’s rural past, the Fighting Farmers' old-school “Big John” mascot — a football player wielding a pitchfork — is among the best in the history of the United States.
