NE Oklahoma pride shows as Wardogs enter final round of the “Best High School Mascot”
MIAMI, Okla. — The Miami Wardogs and the Coalinga Horned Toads are squaring off to see who captures the “Best High School Mascot” honor.
Last week the Wardogs topped the Hutto Hippos out of Texas 276,034 votes to 161,643. The Horned Toads defeated Ord Chanticleers out of Nebraska.
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Voting for the 2024 National Championship Game will conclude Monday, May 13, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.
Miami consistently had upwards of 200,000 votes – so there appeared to be multiple votes cast from all parts of the country. The population of Miami is under 13,000, according to 2020 census reports.
“I have probably voted at least 100 times in each round. I think it would be awesome for Miami to win. With so much negativity for them now this would be a plus.”
Becky Stover, Miami 1977 graduate
“I’ve voted combined 100 times every round – and I’m a student on the high school football team,” said Ryder Oakley.
“I’ve voted for hours,” said Janna Clark. “I would do the 25 votes and jump over and do another 25, that way it’s non-stop voting.”
“I voted many times a day,” said Martha Hamilton, who resides in Verdigris. “By the numbers, I would see of us voting, I believe that many alumni scattered across the country were also voting. It made me feel so proud of us all.”
Once high school rivalries found a common thread in the contest.
“I’ve voted multiple times to support a school from back home,” said Stephanie Mathia, a 1982 Wyandotte graduate living in the Ft. Worth, Texas area.
“I voted often every round…I’m a CHS (Commerce) grad ’89 I think area towns should come together to support each other as we’ve always done,” said Lisa Paxson. .
“I’m voting often from the Tyler, Texas area,” said Janine Stovall, a 1985 graduate.
What is a Coalinga Horned Toad?
Coalinga’s Horned Toad history goes back to 1935 when the first Horned Toad Derby was run in town. The event pits captured wild horned toads against one another in a race on a makeshift track, while Coalinga High School athletes compete on a more state-of-the-art track.
