The History Behind Lakewood High School’s Colors and Mascot

When we feel close to a community, we love to see it succeed, and that includes through local sports. Even if we’re not the biggest sports fans, knowing that our city is making a name for itself and getting some well-earned recognition helps to strengthen our sense of pride in where we live.

Some of Diehard Local’s own team lives right here in Lakewood, Ohio, so we thought we’d create a post celebrating our own hometown heroes! Lakewood High School decks itself out in purple and gold, and rallies under the Ranger Man mascot, so let’s dive into the meanings of each aspect to shout out our wonderful city.

The History of Lakewood’s Ranger Man

The Ranger Man originated in the 1920s after a version of the mascot was selected as part of a vote. Though the school adopted him at that time, his presence was a rarity, and it wasn’t until the late 1940s that he was fully embraced and a personality began to emerge.

Named Rodney Ranger, and depicted as a small boy swinging a lasso and clad in jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, a vest, a bandana, a cowboy hat, and cowboy boots, the mascot made his official debut within the 1949 Lakewood High School yearbook. He even had a “gal friend” named Clementine who was dressed similarly, albeit featuring bowed pigtails rather than Rodney’s spit curl. The artwork was created by Olive Rodemann and Abigail Kovach. The yearbook itself was western-themed, which is likely why the Ranger was finally given his proper due after so long.

As the years stretched on, no formalized Ranger depiction solidified, and the mascot was adapted in various ways by Lakewood High’s teams and clubs to suit their focuses. In fact, it wasn’t until 1993 when the modern design of the Ranger Man mascot began to emerge, being depicted as a gruff cowboy with a grim expression, gun belt, and gold and purple clothing. Some time after this a Ranger Man costume was created to be used at games, pep rallies, and other school events.

The gun belt and holstered guns of Ranger Man were removed sometime in the 2000s to the 2010s, as the school no longer wished to have an armed mascot in light of numerous school shootings. The Ranger’s previous at-the-ready, “showdown” pose, with hands primed to draw, was altered to instead show him with fists on his hips in determination.

The Cowboy as a Symbol

Lakewood, being an Ohio community and a lakefront one at that, might seem an odd choice for having a ranger/cowboy mascot. But you first have to remember that many high school mascots are chosen much the same way that the Ranger was – by popularity. Plus, even professional mascots can be incongruous or strange choices for their locale, for various reasons, including team movement. Consider the Toronto Raptors, the Utah Jazz, and the Columbus Blue Jackets.

As a mascot, though, a ranger or cowboy can be quite potent, symbolizing: