Top 10 high school mascots in Oklahoma: Vote for the best

From Roughers to Black Diamonds to Wardogs, meet the best high school mascots in Oklahoma

The Miami Wardogs (Oklahoma) have a fearsome high school mascot. / SBLive archives

Thrill-seeking skiers and snowboarders look for black diamonds, while high school mascot fans in Oklahoma are more likely to watch Sandites play Black Diamonds.

Over the next couple of months, SBLive/SI will be featuring the best high school mascots in every state, giving readers a chance to vote for No. 1 in all 50.

The winners and highest vote-getters will make up the field for our NCAA Tournament-style March Mascot Madness bracket in 2025. The Coalinga Horned Toads (California) are the defending national champions.

Here are High School on SI's top 10 high school mascots in Oklahoma (vote in the poll below to pick your favorite):

The poll will close at 11:59 p.m. ET Thursday, Jan. 30.

1. Black Diamonds (Sallisaw HS)

The Black Diamonds are named for the coal that was mined in Sallisaw, a town that derived its name from the French word "salaiseau," or salt provisions. Salt deposits along the streams in this area furnished salt used by buffalo hunters and early settlers to preserve meat. Evidence of old salt kettles is still found in the county.

2. Bulldoggers (Dewey HS)

The Dewey Roundup ran from 1908 to 1949, and these Bulldoggers have more to do with the rodeo than bulldogs. Bulldogger is another name for a steer wrestler, and Dewey High School sits on the site that formerly housed one of the world's most popular rodeo events.

3. Donkeys (Bray-Doyle HS)

Not only are these the only Donkeys in the country, the fact that they're in the town of Bray makes this an absolute hee-haw of a mascot choice. Everyone knows donkeys are going to bray, and everyone knows Bray-Doyle will stubbornly support its Donkeys.

4. Fighting Chicks (Chickasha HS)

Chickasha's mascot dates back to 1946, when a student's drawing of a fighting chick would change the school forever. In 1954, the Fighting Chick was brought to life as a wooden cutout, which eventually found a home at the Grady County Historical Society.

5. Goldbugs (Alva HS)

From The History of the Goldbug: "In 1923 Alva had a high school principal named J. Allen Thomas who taught English. Mr. Thomas was a great admirer of Edgar Allan Poe. He especially liked 'The Gold Bug.' Mr. Thomas conceived the idea of awarding beautiful paper goldbugs to outstanding students at annual honors banquets. The bugs, which were made by the high school students, went to those who were rated superior in their classwork and to those who were judged as being talented performers in music, debate, dramatics, and other school activities. Students started calling their athletics team the GOLDBUGS, and the idea caught on. This tradition is continued today. The school mascot is the Goldbug — The Symbol of Excellence — in academic and extracurricular activities."

6. Ironheads (Eufaula HS)

From the School History section of Eufaula's website: "According to legend, Eufaula received its mascot nickname from coach Harry 'Ironhead' Hansard, who coached at the school at various times during the 1920s and '30s. A sportswriter referred to the team as Hansard's Ironheads in a story. Before that, the team was referred to as the Soxless Swedes after head coach Swede Jamerson. Paul Bell, Eufaula's head football coach from 1962-1980, said the mascot name changed from the Soxless Swedes to the Eufaula Ironheads sometime in the mid '20s."

7. Roughers (Muskogee HS)

The Roughers earned their name way back in 1925 because several members of the football team played without helmets due to lack of funding, and they played rough anyway.

8. Ruf-Nex (Crooked Oak HS)

The Ruf-Nex mascot goes all the way back to the 1800s, when the school district was founded to educate the children of oil field workers. The roughnecks are the toughest of the oil field workers, and Ruf-Nex manages to sound even tougher. From a journalistic perspective, the brevity of Ruf-Nex is great for newspaper headline writers, and from an English pronunciation perspective, it's a good reminder to wonder why "ough" makes an F sound. 

9. Sandites (Page HS)

Sandite is a a mixture of sand, antifreeze and steel shot used on railways to combat leaves on the lines. But that’s not what anyone from Sand Springs is referring to when using the word Sandite. It just means “a person from Sand Springs.” And the Sand Springs Page Sandites’ mascot is a minuteman, which has nothing to do with Sandites.

10. Wardogs (Miami HS)

From the Wardog History section of the Miami (pronounced "My-am-UH") website: "The history of the Wardog mascot for Miami Public Schools in Miami, Oklahoma dates back to the early 1900s. The term 'Wardog' originated from the local mining industry, which was prevalent in the area during that time. Miners would often refer to themselves as 'Wardogs' due to their strong work ethic and resilience. The term eventually became associated with the Miami High School athletic teams, representing their determination and tenacity on the playing field."

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