JAMESTOWN, N.Y. (WKBW) — Jamestown High School is close to dropping its Red Raiders nickname in favor of a new one.
The school district announced on Wednesday that it had narrowed down its nickname search to two finalists. Both would be used with the school's current mascot, the big cat, which the school switched back to in 2022. It had previously used a J with feathers on the side.
Catamount is another name for the American panther— also known as a couger, mountain lion or puma— and fits the existing mascot. According to the school, it's also used by the University of Vermont and Western Carolina University.
Red & Green would be a return to the high school's original nickname. The school went by "Red & Green" from 1905 to 1935, before adopting the big cat logo in the 1940s. Even after the mascot change, "Red & Green" was the name of the high school yearbook for many years.
Students at Jamestown High School have been weighing in on which nickname should be chosen, but the high school is also welcoming the community's feedback. Click here to take a survey on which nickname the school should adopt.
