When thinking of a rival school, the first thing that possibly comes to mind is the school mascot. There are a lot of conclusions that can be drawn from a school mascot. Today, I am here to tell you about the best and worst mascots all across the state judging by the name, the meaning and the colors. 

Worst:

1. The Mitchell Kernels. Although Mitchell may be the home of the only Corn Palace in America, that is no excuse to name your school after a vegetable. Yellow and gold are not awful colors, so at least the Kernels do have that going for them. 
2. The Rapid City Central Cobblers. I can truthfully say that I had no idea what a Cobbler was before writing this story, and that is probably where a lot of readers stand as well. I came to the conclusion that the Cobblers represent “shoe-makers,” which is equally as intimidating as the Kernels… which of course, is not at all. Red and black for colors are okay, but it just seems too generic to provide any help to make up for the “shoe-makers.”
3. The Pierre Governors. When traveling up to the state capital, you might expect a scary and intimidating mascot. You will be heavily unimpressed. I can confidently say that going up against a group named after the government is not going to scare anyone unless they are entering a political debate. On top of being involved with the government, their colors are green… gross.

Better: 

1. The Aberdeen Central Eagles. Aberdeen Central has a pretty solid mascot when it comes to showing pride and representation. With the eagle being the national animal of the U.S., you know they mean business. Blue and gold for a color scheme is also very solid, ultimately concluding that the Eagles have good things going for them.
2. The Washington Warriors. As much as it pains me to give anything close to a compliment to the cross-town rivals, the Warriors is a great mascot with both the fierce and intimidating factor to the name. The only thing holding the Warriors back is their colors. Orange and black is just too much of a representation of Halloween. 
3. The Spearfish Spartans. While the Spartans and Knights have a fairly similar meaning, I think we all can agree that the Spartans have a unique and powerful name. Even though Spearfish themselves might fly under the radar, the Spartan is a pretty solid mascot for a school. When one actually needs to put effort into realizing that their colors are maroon and black, and not red and black, that is when you know the colors just aren’t a vibe.

Best:

1. The Lincoln Patriots. Without any bias or opinionated say in this story, it is obvious that the Patriots is the best mascot in the state. A name that is representative of our country, our pride and our strength, there is no doubt that the Patriots stand atop the leader board for best mascot in the state. On top of having the best name, red, blue and white are just three of the best colors that go together, ultimately meaning the Patriots just blow everyone else out of the water for the best mascot.