Sammy the Seagull, Everett High School's mascot, has a long and colorful history.  In spite of his feisty demeanor, his selection had little to do with the ferocity, cunning or athletic prowess of seagulls in general.  If that had been the objective, there are certainly more imposing figures on which to base a school mascot.  Rather, the seagull became viewed as a benevolent, soaring free spirit, whose presence aloft often brought luck to Everett High School's spirited athletic teams.

During and after World War I, a young Welsh immigrant and football coach named Enoch "Baggy" Bagshaw (namesake of Everett's Bagshaw Field) began producing national-class teams at EHS.  (At right, a 1912 Nesika photo of Coach Bagshaw, former UW starting quarterback.) To the city's delight its crown jewel, Everett High School, quickly gained national prominence as a sports powerhouse.  The 1919 team tied for the esteemed national high school football championship.

The following year, the 1920 team won that title outright.  It was during that joyous 1920 season when fans began hailing the seagulls floating over the playing field as emblems of victory.  On January 1, 1921, in a game billed as the national high school championship, Everett High's football team beat Cleveland Tech, 16-7.  When a gray seagull glided in a figure-eight pattern over the field, the crowd cheered.  That good-luck flight helped lead the school to change its nickname.  Meanwhile, Baggy Bagshaw moved on to coach the University of Washington, confirming his standing as one of the country's greatest coaches of his time (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enoch_Bagshaw).
 

By the mid-1920s, Everett High School athletic teams formally adopted the Seagull mascot and nickname that still identify the school today. For more on those record-setting early years of EHS football, go to EHS Football History.

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