Best high school mascot in Rhode Island: Top 5 candidates

The school’s full nickname is the Knotty Oakers, but it’s usually shortened to Oakers. The original high school was built near the corner of Knotty Oak Road, the location of a large oak tree that was a local landmark. And since an oak tree doesn’t seem like a terrific candidate as a physical mascot, Coventry went with an elephant.

East Providence High School opened in 1884, when East Providence was more “town” than “city,” so the school’s mascot became the Townies. Now the fifth-largest city in the state, residents love its small-town feel, and the high school mascot — which looks like a more blue-collar version of Waldo — might have something to do with that.

These are the only Kilties in the U.S., and there's no physical mascot like it either, as you can see above. The story goes that "Kilties" came about in a roundabout way since Mt. Pleasant High School was built on a hill. A hill is akin to highlands, and highlands are common in Scotland. Thus, Kilties.

These aren’t the only Skippers in the country, but there’s no mascot like it at U.S. high school sporting events. A student dresses up in a yellow slicker and hat and goes bonkers on the sidelines to rile the fans up.

Villa Nova means "new town" in Latin, but what's interesting about the only Villa Novans in the country is that the Villanova most people are familiar with is in Pennsylvania, not Rhode Island. But the Woonsocket Villa Novans make it work anyway.