National high school mascot bracket, Round 1: Vote for Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds or Clarkston Bantams

Newport Central Catholic (Kentucky) is a 6 seed and Clarkston (Washington) is an 11 seed in the first round

The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds (Kentucky) take on the Clarkston Bantams (Washington) 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. 6-seeded Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds (Kentucky) or the No. 11-seeded Clarkston Bantams (Washington) to advance to the second round.

The winner will face either the Crisfield Crabbers (Maryland) or Cobden Appleknockers (Illinois).

The Thoroughbreds earned a 6 seed by winning our statewide Kentucky contest with 1,315 votes, while the Bantams won Washington with 21 votes to earn an 11 seed.

Follow along: National Mascot Tournament 2025 Bracket

Voting for this matchup will conclude Tuesday, March 25, 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.

6. Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds (Kentucky)

South Carolina and Florida also have Thoroughbreds as high school mascots, but how can we not choose a Kentucky school to wear the nickname best? It's 103 miles away from Churchill Downs, but that seems like a stone's throw on the first Saturday in May.

11. Clarkston Bantams (Washington)

Originally the Sandpipers, Clarkston became the Bantams in 1937. They've also been called the Fighting Bantams and Mighty Bantams. The impressive Bantam (a rooster) logo the school uses today was designed in the early 2000s by an art teacher at the school.

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