National high school mascot bracket, Round 1: Vote for Kosciusko Whippets or Bishop England Battling Bishops

Kosciusko (Mississippi) is a 2 seed and Bishop England (South Carolina) is a 15 seed in the first round

The Kosciusko Whippets (Mississippi) take on the Bishop England Battling Bishops (South Carolina) in Round 1. / Graphic by Jesus Baca

The bracket is set for High School on SI's 2025 NCAA Tournament-style contest to determine the best high school mascot in America, and Round 1 is underway.

Vote below for the No. 2-seeded Kosciusko Whippets (Mississippi) or the No. 15-seeded Bishop England Battling Bishops (South Carolina) to advance to the second round.

The winner will face either the Bryn Mawr Mawrtians (Maryland) or Vineland Fighting Clan (New Jersey).

The Whippets earned a 2 seed as an at-large bid by finishing second in our statewide Mississippi contest with 8,096 votes, while the Battling Bishops won South Carolina with three votes to earn a 15 seed.

Follow along: National Mascot Tournament 2025 Bracket

Voting for this matchup will conclude Monday, March 24, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.

High School on SI voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You are limited to one vote every 6 hours and are encouraged to share our polls with others.

2. Kosciusko Whippets (Mississippi)

Kosciusko isn't the only high school in the country called the Whippets, but it's the only one with a smiling physical whippet mascot named Whippy to whip the fans into a frenzy at sporting events.

15. Bishop England Battling Bishops (South Carolina)

Seven other U.S. high schools go by the Bishops, but Bishop England has the only Battling Bishops in the country. One incarnation of its mascot is among the most amusing in U.S. history — an angry-looking bishop wearing boxing gloves who looks ready to defend his fighting spirit.

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-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports