Schools With an Owl Mascot Near Austin, Texas

In Western culture and in many non-Western cultures, owls are though to be both intelligent and threatening. In Greek mythology, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, is said to have chosen the owl as her favorite animal. However, owls appearing in literature are often ominous and, as predators, foretell death. Perhaps because of these dual associations, owls are often used for school mascots. In central to east Texas, around the capital city of Austin, there are several schools of various levels that have adopted owl mascots. No schools in Austin currently have an owl as their mascot.

  1. Highlands High School

    • Highlands High School is located in San Antonio, which is about 80 miles southwest of Austin. The school is known as the "Home of the Mighty Owls" and its colors are maroon and white.

    Hondo High School

    • Hondo High School is in Hondo, Texas, west of San Antonio. From Austin, Hondo is 119 miles southwest. Hondo's school colors are blue and white. In addition to using the owl as a mascot for its sports teams, the high school has an Owl Band and a newspaper called "The Owl's Nest."

    Anderson High School

    • Anderson High School, in Anderson, Texas, is 124 miles east of Austin. The owl is the mascot for their football, basketball, volleyball, golf, cross-county, track, tennis and softball teams. The high school has an Owl Stadium and an Owl Band that plays at sporting events.

    Covington School

    • Covington School is 149 miles north of Austin in Covington, Texas, which is outside of Dallas. It serves about 295 students, pre-K through 12th grade, in the same school building. Covington School is the "Home of the Battlin' Blue Owls" and has football, volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball teams.

    Rice University

    • Rice University is 164 miles southeast of Austin, in downtown Houston, Texas. Its mascot is an owl named "Sammy," derived from an Athenian owl on the school's original seal, symbolizing wisdom. An alumni of Rice University is said to have designed the Frost Bank Tower, a skyscraper in Austin that bears resemblance to an owl. According to rumor, he intended for his school mascot to overlook the town of their rival school, the University of Texas at Austin.