The Crescent Coyotes and the School Mascot
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HE Crescent Coyotes began life in the early 1970s as the U14 Hockey team mascot, as recalled by former teacher and hockey coach Brian Iggulden. A product of the imagination of Brian Ash ’78, a member of the team, and appropriately dressed in Crescent colours by Brian and his mother, the spindly-legged little guy was ceremoniously placed at centre ice before each game. By 1975, it was felt that the School itself should have a mascot. A number of fierce and furry friends were proposed, and in the end the choice came down to either a cougar or a coyote. The staff preferred the former, but in a student vote the coyote (described by one wildlife expert as “the smartest animal in Ontario”) carried the day, and established his den on the Crescent campus. It is interesting – and appropriate – to note that, in the years since, four legged coyotes have returned to the Don River valley after some years absence. The first reported sighting on campus occurred in May of 1996 when, late one afternoon, a tennis coach observed one nonchalantly loping across the slope which then ran from the pillars at the east of the Formal Garden down to the tennis courts (now the location of the Field House). Since then, they have been spotted on several occasions in the woods behind the School. But since the 1970s, it is the two legged version which has become a familiar sight within Crescent itself. What the School believes is the original mascot now lives on in dignified retirement on display in the Crescent Archives, but his much larger and far more vocal successors played a highly visible role at such events as assemblies, Sports Days, and team games during the ’90s and into the early years of the new millennium.
The Coyote appears to have taken a bit of a hiatus lately – showing up at his signature event Coyote Kickoff and then only sporadically at a few key sporting events throughout the year. It is hoped that the 100th anniversary will provide an opportunity for the revival of our mascot and that the donning of the mascot costume will once again become an enviable leadership position amongst the grad class.
The ‘original’ coyote of Brian Ash ’78
Past and Present contacted some of the student leaders who “played” the Coyote during his heyday. B.J. Reinblatt ’92, George Reinblatt ’95, Dan Goldenberg ’98 and Chris Candy ’02 share their memories on what it meant to be the Crescent Coyote.
What did you consider your role as the Coyote to be? B.J. ’92: That is an interesting question because I never had thought of the Coyote as a role to play. It was my way to do announcements – I had been waiting five years to be part of the leadership of the School so I took that privilege and thought I would do something fun with it. Simple as that. Guys used to say, “Hey I’m trying to promote my club – can the Coyote do a skit with us?” I used to go to hockey games as the Coyote and skate with the team and wave the flag because it was fun to do – I never thought of it as my
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role, it was just a lot of fun and the School and teachers supported me and enjoyed it so that only encouraged me to do it more. Dan ’98: The role was clear – to motivate, entertain and raise spirit. We accomplished this with appearances at assemblies accompanied by the requisite amount of hype – music, special lighting etc. The role was not just about being funny or getting students to cheer, the goal was for the Coyote to become a rallying point – a shared icon that the students could find
common ground in. Entertainment was certainly a large part of this, but the Coyote was the embodiment of the ultimate Crescent fan, and was meant to inspire similar passion in the students. Chris ’02: My role was to keep the “Green” spirit alive, and grow it. Promote Crescent and be the “face” of Crescent. Pump up crowds and student body before events and during them (especially sporting events), entertain the School and crowds and make people laugh.