Vote now for best high school mascot in America, Sweet 16: Hoopeston Cornjerkers vs. Cary Imps
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. 7-seeded Hoopeston Cornjerkers (Illinois) or the No. 11-seeded Cary Imps (North Carolina) to advance to the Elite Eight. The Cornjerkers beat the Kingswood Oxford Wyverns (Connecticut) and the Imps topped the Clarkston Angoras (Georgia) in Round 2.
The Cornjerkers earned a 7 seed with 208 votes in our fall contests, while the Imps earned an 11 seed with 42 votes.
Follow along: National Mascot Tournament 2023 Bracket
Voting for this matchup will conclude Tuesday, May 23, 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.
7. Hoopeston Cornjerkers (Illinois)
It's corn! "The Sweetcorn Capital of the World" is Hoopeston, Illinois, and a cornjerker is (or was) a farmer who harvested corn. Technology has changed the process of harvesting corn, but the school should never change its nickname.
11. Cary Imps (North Carolina)
These Imps have an interesting back story. Albert H. Werner, a football and baseball coach at the school in the 1930s, came up with the name as a nod to his alma mater, Duke. The JV teams at the time were called the Blue Imps rather than the Blue Devils, and a less colorful version has stuck at Cary.
