With Tulare Joint Union High School District Superintendent Sarah Koligian announcing in a press release that Tulare Union High School will change its mascot from the Redskins by Jan. 1, 2017, I offer up some replacement suggestions to get the creative juices flowing for those involved in determining a new mascot.

10. Mavericks

Mavericks would be an interesting choice for a new mascot because it identifies someone who goes against the grain. The design of the logo could be done in a few different ways: Showing a silhouette of a maverick standing tall with a mask disclosing his or her identity outlined in Tulare Union colors. The Texas Tech logo above could be used as a starting point in the development of a possible Maverick logo.

9. Renegades

While this name aligns itself with the previous mascot suggestion, the logo for the Renegades could be done in a way that depicts a cowboy with a lasso above his head on a horse running toward its latest challenge with the dust it kicks up in the process forming the Renegades name.

8. Aces 

During World War II, Tex Rankin opened up Rankin Field on the outskirts of Tulare in what became one of 62 civilian-owned pilot schools in the United States that taught more than 1 million Army pilots to fly. Rankin Field graduated 10,000 pilots during the war and 12 of those pilots went on to be "Aces" or pilots who have shot down numerous enemy aircraft during a dogfight. A logo for this mascot would be quite easy as one could depict a WWII fighter pilot in his plane racing through the sky chasing its next enemy.

7. Sabertooths

How many of you remember or even knew that the Sabertooth was the state fossil of California? Now that everyone can put their hands down, the Sabertooth would be an interesting choice of a mascot. The rendition above from the NHL's Buffalo Sabres is a little too friendly, but not only would Tulare Union's version be the alpha predator among the Tulare schools, but it'd also be the alpha predator in the East Yosemite League. Need I say more?

6. Condors

Sticking with animals for two more picks, my next suggestion is the California condor. Yes, the quail is the state bird of California but is nowhere near intimidating for a mascot. This bird, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. With a wingspan that can reach 10 feet in length and the ability to fly as high as 15,000 feet, the condor is the largest flying bird in North America.

5. Wolverines

Having no real ties to California, I still decided to toss the wolverine into the mix because of one thing: it's unwillingness to go down without a fight. While the size of this animal may not be impressive to many, the fight that it puts up will counteract any hesitation in wanting this animal as a potential choice of mascot.

Still in doubt? YouTube "Wolverine vs. black bear" and "wolverine vs. wolf pack" and see for yourself.

4. Admirals

If Tulare Union decides to go a patriotic route with their new mascot, look no further than the Admirals. Why? Admiral Elmo "Bud" Zumwalt of course. Zumwalt attended Tulare Union High School where he was a valedictorian before serving in the United States Navy from 1942-74. During that time, Zumwalt fought in World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam War.

Admiral Zumwalt was the Chief of Naval Operations and was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Navy Commendation Medal. In 2015, the USS Zumwalt, a sleek and stealthy destroyer in the Navy's arsenal of ships, completed its first round of at-sea tests.

Outside of having the mascot name of Admirals, Tulare Union would also be tipping its cap to the past, present and future military service members with this mascot choice It's a win-win in my book.

3. Olympians

Olympians would serve a double meaning as well. Tulare Union would recognize the two Olympians that have attended its school in Sim Iness and Bob Mathias. Secondly, the mascot could be that of the Greek God, Zeus.

According to Greek mythology, Zeus was the first of the gods who controls lighting and thunder. A logo depicting Zeus casting down his next lightning bolt to an unsuspecting adversary or East Yosemite League foe doesn't seem too far out of this world.

2. Aggies

This nickname is well-known with Texas A&M, New Mexico State and Utah State having it as theirs. It's also fitting for Tulare Union, because of the area's enormous contribution to agriculture and the fact that the city hosts the World Ag Expo every year.

Plus, walking into Bob Mathias Stadium on a cool November night for a football game and seeing the student section with a banner saying "Welcome to Aggie Country" sounds pretty cool as well.

1. Phoenix

If Tulare Union decides to start from the ground up and reinvent itself altogether, there's no better way to do that than by choosing the mythical bird, the phoenix.

In Greek mythology, the phoenix is a bird that can rise from the ashes of anything and given the rebirth of Tulare Union's mascot in the coming months, one can make a case of the phoenix as a relevant idea for the new mascot.

These are just some of a multitude of ideas that I'm sure are going to be tossed around the next few months. Have a particular one from the list you like or a suggestion of your own? Feel free to leave it in the comment section of this article.

If you have story ideas or tips that you think would be a good fit for The Winner’s Circle, email Champ at Follow him on Twitter: @Champ_Robinson or Facebook:

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