By Willoe Phillips.
Revving the crowd up. The zipping and the velcro of the mascot costume. The crowd roars. Hearing the buzzer of Shotwell Stadium. They are the mascots. They are Champ and Champette.
Senior Mallory Traylor and junior Morgan Anders don the costume each week to entertain fans and promote spirit in the student body.
“It’s given me a different perspective of the football games,” senior mascot Mallory Traylor said. “I used to watch from the stands but now I am on the field.”
The mascots are appointed through a tryout and audition process and are chosen in the spring after cheer tryouts in March. Mascots are chosen by head cheer coach Taylor Claxton and the assistant coaches.
“I enjoy the football games because I like to hang out with and interact with all the kids,” junior mascot Morgan Anders said.
Not only do they spread Eagle spirit throughout the student body, but in the community as well.
“I’ve gotten to meet a lot of new people, like the cheer team, and the people that help with the pep rallies,” Traylor said. “It’s definitely given me a lot of new connections.”
This is Traylor and Anders first year being involved in cheer. The football games bring out a lot of people, their job is to make sure everyone is engaged with the cheerleaders and their dances.
“I’ve gotten more respect from it,” Anders said “More respect from other people.”
Even though people can’t see their faces whilst in costume, people still know who fills the eagle suit. They receive respect for the hard work they put to jazz the crowd.
It’s a lot of fun to know you’re representing so many people from this school that I’ve been to for four years,” Traylor said.
