News: John Champe High School Chooses Knights as Mascot

(Oct. 14, 2011) - The mascot for John Champe High School, opening next year in the Stone Ridge area, will be the Knights.

During the past few weeks voting was conducted at Freedom High School, Mercer Middle School, and Stone Hill Middle School for students in grades six through10 who are scheduled to attend John Champe.

Three mascot choices – Grizzlies, Knights and Warhawks – were presented. Students overwhelmingly selected the Knights.

The final vote tally was:

Knights - 676
Grizzlies - 303
Warhawks - 154

Champe Principal John Gabriel said students are very excited by the idea of the knight, especially since a knight is known for courage, honor, and loyalty; characteristics associated with John Champe, the revolutionary soldier from Aldie and namesake of the school.

On the Sidelines with Dan Sousa: Woodgrove Junior Dane Mullins Brings Walter the Wolverine to Life and Gives New School Spirit

Part 2 of the Interview

View a full photo gallery of Walter the Woverine!
On the Sidelines with Dan Sousa

(Jan. 3, 2011) - In 2010 I had the pleasure of meeting hundreds of students from across Loudoun's 12 high schools, many of them with great stories to be told, but the most intriguing young man I met in 2010 was an industrious junior at Woodgrove High School, Dane Mullins, who through ingenuity, skill, hard work and love for his new school brought the mascot Walter the Woverine to life and thus gave life to a new community.

Mullins, an experienced welder, who has owned his own excavation and landscaping business since he was 15, took it upon himself to make a motorized mascot for the new school in Purcellville and with the help of his family and friends, Mullins took a sand rail and built a fiberglass body onto it and created one of the most awesome mascots a school could hope for.


Prior to the final home football game of this first season at Woodgrove, I interviewed Dane and his family about Walter the Wolverine. The story of how Dane built the motorized mascot, is best left to him.

This is Dane's story:

No Snow Job: Tuscarora High School Picks Huskies as Mascot

This news is from the Loudoun County Public Schools: "The Husky will be the mascot of Tuscarora High School when it opens in September 2010.

Principal Pamela Paul-Jacobs polled students at Loudoun County and Heritage high schools and Smart's Mill Middle School about their preferences for mascots and school colors. The Husky won the mascot voting with 688 votes, followed by Timberwolves with 529 and Tigers with 231.

Tuscarora's colors will be royal blue, black and white. This color combination garnered 764 votes, followed by black and gold with 602 and red and gold with 82."

The Husky? Hmmmmm.  Maybe I'll grow to like it but Anchorage Huskies ... that I get! While it does snow from time to time in Loudoun, I have yet to see anybody pulled by a team of Huskies!