High school sports: Carbon Dinos vying to be nation's top mascot

PRICE — The Carbon Dinos need some help from fans and foes alike.

The high school in Price is one of nine vying for the title of best mascot in USA Today’s western region. Carbon High School’s mascot is named for the numerous fossils found in the central Utah county where the school is located. The school's mascot was originally the Dinosaurs, but was shortened to the Dinos a few years later.

Principal Bruce Bean said he’s not sure how his school became part of the USA Today contest, but the community is definitely embracing the opportunity.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” said Bean. “Our kids just started voting, but we’ve gotten support from other communities in Utah now.”

The Dinos beat out some of Utah’s oldest and most original mascots like the Dixie Flyers and Davis Darts to be named one of nine to represent the western region. Now the Dinos are competing against schools like the Tikigaq Harpooners (Hope, Alaska), the Yuma Criminals (Yuma, Ariz.) and the Orofino Maniacs (Orofino, Idaho).

Currently the Dinos are in second place, trailing the Oregon Episcopal Aardvarks of Portland, Ore.

The winner of each region will compete in a national competition, with the winner earning $2,000 for its athletic department.

Bean hopes the rest of Utah will help the Dinos move on to the next round. “You can vote as many times as you want,” he said.

The voting takes place on USATodayHSS.com. The mascot contest features some culturally and geographically unique mascots, as well as a story that names the country’s most common prep mascot — the Eagle. Coming in second is the Tiger.

Utah may have multiple Eagles and Tigers, but it has only one Dino, and that’s the Tyrannosaurs Rex that represents Carbon High School.

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