Skip to Content

‘You don’t mess with the Titan’: high school sophomore making history as first mascot

Click here for updates on this story

    VANCOUVER, WA (KPTV) — The fun of Friday Night Lights reaches beyond just the playing field.

Antonio Vannucci is a history-making sophomore after no lovable mascot was to be found in the halls at Union High School.

“I thought since there wasn’t one in history, I would just become the first one, Vannucci said. “I was like, where the heck is the mascot?”

Vannucci moved with his family from Las Vegas to southwest Washington about six years ago.

“I was itching to become the actual mascot. The first Union Titan mascot that this world has ever seen,” Vannucci said.

The global mascot community may never be the same.

Season one in the Titan get-up, which is the best $22 Amazon pick-up known to mankind, started his tenure on the sidelines as the waterboy, but that was just the gateway to Union High School Athletic Director and Football Head Coach, Rory Rosenbach

“What we discovered is he really didn’t do any managerial duties. It was more about pep talks, pregame and postgame. Water? No water. We’re not doing that, but he can get them fired up so then it was like, you know what? I think you might be on to something here, Antonio,” said Coach Rosenbach.

It’s not just football for the Titan: Hoops, grappling, softball, you name it, the Titan gets loud.

Don’t forget that patented Titan growl.

“I just really like being the mascot because it has so far been the biggest thing in my life. I have been through a lot of struggles in my life in the past, and I just feel like it has all led up to this moment,” said Vannucci.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Article Topic Follows: News

Jump to comments ↓

CNN

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KTVZ NewsChannel 21 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content