We have a rich history of high school athletics in the Tri-Cities and Columbia Basin Area. There have been several local athletes who have gone pro and even represented the country internationally. The rivalries can be fierce, but there's always been respect for each other. Even if you graduated 10, 20, or 30 years ago, you're still proud of your high school. Today, I'm going to be ranking all of the mascots (& color schemes) of the high schools in the three main cities. These are my opinion, but I will say, I've taken notes on what locals say too.

Southridge Suns

Maegan Murray
Maegan Murray
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As a Southridge Sun (class of 2012), it pains me to start the bottom of the list off with my school. Just to make it clear, I'm proud to be a Sun. I even have the Southridge Suns Gesa debit card. But the name Sun doesn't strike fear in the hearts of your rivals or really rally the troops. The color scheme is so uninspired, too. It's basically Michigan colors. We won't talk about the years when white replaced yellow on the uniforms. Yuck.

Hanford Falcons 

Maegan Murray
Maegan Murray
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I get it, Richland was here first and laid claim to the Cloud. But, come on, you're Hanford. The Falcon regalia is so over-played in sports and has little to nothing to do with the area. Why not go for something regional or historically significant? You could have been the ATOMS! Points for the purple and gold color scheme, however.

Kennewick Lions

Maegan Murray
Maegan Murray
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Sorry, EKU. Even the Lion outside of the school wasn't safe during rivalry week. While I do like the colors and the rich history, lions aren't really a native species here. Maybe mountain lions. Calling a team the Lions is kind of generic. Still, Lions are more intimidating than Suns. Good luck in your championship game berth bid on Sunday. If you win it all, feel free to bring that trophy to the studio and make me eat crow.

Pasco Bulldogs 

Maegan Murray
Maegan Murray
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The original Pasco high school. They duke it out in the Edgar Brown "bowl." I've got nothing against the Bulldogs motif, we've just got three mascots on this list that have a stranglehold on the top three. Colors are great, and I like the classic and simplistic logo.

Chiawana Riverhawks 

Maegan Murray
Maegan Murray
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Nice regional name, nice regional mascot. What's not to like here? The color scheme is a little phoned-in, but it looks great on both Penn State and Chiawana.

Kamiakin Braves

Maegan Murray
Maegan Murray
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I love the whole Kamiakin Braves thing. Even when they yell "Braves" during the national anthem. The red and gold is crisp, even the black looks good. I love the name and the imagery it invokes, which the Braves incorporate into their uniforms. They even have great achievement stickers that players can accumulate. You can tell Kamiakin students love being the Braves.

Richland Bombers 

Maegan Murray
Maegan Murray
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"Proud of the Cloud." That's what former and current Richland Bombers say. Even though the name has come under scrutiny, I can't help but love it. It pays homage to the very existence of Richland. It's hard to beat that. If not for World War II and Hanford, Richland could still be a tiny farm town. Richland is called "the city of Bombers." So yeah, be proud of the cloud. Side note: those matte green helmets with gray facemasks looked great on TV when they won it all in 2017.

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