Vote now for best high school mascot in America, Sweet 16: Fishburne Military Caissons vs. Green Mountain Valley Gumbies
We're on to the Sweet 16 in SBLive Sports' NCAA Tournament-style contest to determine the best high school mascot in America.
Vote below for the No. 11-seeded Fishburne Military Caissons (Virginia) or the No. 15-seeded Green Mountain Valley Gumbies (Vermont) to advance to the Elite Eight. The Caissons beat the Prescott Curley Wolves (Arkansas) and the Gumbies topped the Colorado Rocky Mountain Oysters (Colorado) in Round 2.
The Caissons earned an 11 seed with 46 votes in our fall contests, while the Gumbies earned a 15 seed with 25 votes.
Follow along: National Mascot Tournament 2023 Bracket
Voting for this matchup will conclude Monday, May 22, 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.
11. Fishburne Military Caissons (Virginia)
The Caissons are named for the “usually 2-wheeled vehicle for artillery ammunition attachable to a horse-drawn limber,” according to Merriam-Webster. Fishburne Military can probably rest easy that the nickname is all theirs at this point.
15. Green Mountain Valley School Gumbies (Vermont)
From the “Why Gumby?” section on the school website: “In the late 1980s, the GMVS girls soccer team was making a run at the state championship title. After one game, a reporter asked the team what their mascot was. They looked at one another – they didn’t have an official mascot – and in a moment of creativity, one girl spoke up. ‘Well, we’re flexible, we’re agile, we’re fun…I guess we’re the Gumbies.’ The name stuck.”
