National high school mascot bracket, Round 1: Vote for Moorhead Spuds or Yuma Criminals

Moorhead (Minnesota) is a 5 seed and Yuma (Arizona) is a 12 seed in the first round

The Moorhead Spuds (Minnesota) take on the Yuma Criminals (Arizona) 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. 5-seeded Moorhead Spuds (Minnesota) or the No. 12-seeded Yuma Criminals (Arizona) to advance to the second round.

The winner will face either the Bonanza Antlers (Oregon) or Valley City Hi-Liners (North Dakota).

The Spuds earned a 5 seed by winning our statewide Minnesota contest with 2,755 votes, while the Criminals won Arizona with eight votes to earn a 12 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.

5. Moorhead Spuds (Minnesota)

Moorhead’s teams have been called the Spuds for over 100 years. The name started being used in the late 1910s or early 1920s, inspired by at least one Moorhead school’s site atop a former potato field. The school's mascot is a big smiling potato named Spuddy.

12. Yuma Criminals (Arizona)

Here's how Yuma High School tells it: In 1913, "the Yuma football team traveled to Phoenix to play the 'Coyotes.' Yuma High won. The angry 'Coyotes' dubbed the Yuma High players the 'Criminals.' At first 'Criminals' was a fighting word. Before long, students and teachers wore the name with pride, and in 1917, the school board officially adopted the nickname. Yuma High School has been proudly called the home of the 'Criminals' ever since."

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