Mascots revealed

Slapping high-fives to kids and fist-bumping students, Eagle mascot Tuffy runs up and down the field to rile up the student section. After the show is over and the big eagle head is removed, underneath is not Clark Kent or a superhero alias; it’s merely a student whose job is to excite his peers watching the boys in blue.

Sophomore Trent Maycumber is one of the few who continue to carry on the legacy of Tuffy, the male eagle who is brought to life. Tryouts are held every year to become the eagle character. Maycumber was selected at the beginning of his high school career.

“We tried out in May, and I’ve always wanted to do it, and I made it,” Maycumber said.

Now being the entertainer of many students who watch the boys in blue play weekly, Trent said that carrying out such a tuff duty wouldn’t be a walk in the park. He also was aware of the perks.

“To be able to go to all the football games and be on the sidelines is a pro of being a mascot, but it’s also heavy time commitment,” Maycumber said.

The whimsical ways of being a mascot may have come easy to Maycumber, but he says he continues to improve and increase his abilities.

“You just got to go with the flow and after awhile you get used to it and get into the grind,” Maycumber said.

Junior Niki Litolff has the responsibility of being Tuffy’s counterpart Tufette. She too tried out and was hand picked to be a mascot.

“When I was in eighth grade, I got all the support from my teachers and friends,” Litolff said. “I took all that and tried out and I made it for ninth grade.”

Litolff said the biggest key in being a successful mascot is to not be boring. She created the personality of the role she plays and hopes to continue acting those out.

“I made up my characteristics, like I’m sassy and all girly and stuff,” Litolff said. “I plan to stick with that and I will continue to try and find new ideas.”

Litolff said that she enjoys being a mascot because she makes people smile. But being inside such a thick, heavy costume for so long comes with its downsides, according to Litolff.

“The biggest con would be sweating. When the sweat gets down to your eyes it burns like crazy,” Litolff said. “The good stuff is you get to see people smiling that know that it’s you, or maybe don’t know that it’s you. I like just seeing everyone smile, especially the little kids.”