According to Michigan high school sports historian Ron Pesch's last count, there were 43 high schools in Michigan with Eagles as a nickname.

But it’s hard to imagine any school embracing its identity as strongly as Skyline, which has a real life American bald eagle as its mascot.

Eagle -- yes, the eagle’s name is Eagle -- isn’t an absentee mascot. A rescue bird from the Leslie Science and Nature Center, it attends games, photo shoots and even raises money for the center, all of which the Eagles' soccer team took advantage of this spring.

When Skyline coach Chris Morgan learned that for $150, Eagle would attend a game and be included in team and individual photos, he didn't hesitate to secure the raptor. The money goes to the Leslie Science and Nature Center.

For the team photo, a handler squatted behind the back row of players as the eagle spread its wings above the their heads.

“It was perfect because they're training it to fly, so they were able to get it above the players like that,” said Morgan. Morgan said the bird’s handlers hope to have it trained to fly across the football field by the fall.

Morgan set the photo shoot up before his team’s regular season home game with Pioneer to try to loosen his players up. The strategy certainly accomplished the goal of taking his players’ minds off the game, but whether it loosened them up is debatable.

“They were pretty nervous about it. The talons and the eyes on that thing are piercing,” said Morgan.

In the team photo, the bird’s wings aren’t fully extended yet they still span the shoulder length of three players.

“These are city girls, so they were like, 'Is the bird going to hurt me?'” Morgan said. “And there were specific rules, like you can’t wear hats and can't be loud. So that kind of put everyone on edge.”

Though it wasn’t his intention to do so, the bird may have effectively distracted the opponent. Morgan said he looked to the sideline while they were doing the photo shoot and the Pioneer team was watching in awe.

Pioneer still won the game, 2-0.

Skyline and Pioneer both won their district tournament openers on Tuesday and could meet in the district final on Saturday at Pioneer.

Morgan said he doesn’t plan to have the eagle at the game should his team advance, but he may want to consider bringing it along, and a few hats to plant on the opposing sideline for intimidation purposes.

POSTSEASON FOLLOWING

Planning on attending one of the multitude of state postseason events happening this weekend? Or maybe you’re attending one event, so you’ll miss out on a bunch of other action as it happens?

There’s a way to help and be helped.

Follow AnnArbor.com reporter Pete Cunningham on Twitter @petcunningham for updates from the MHSAA Division 1 tennis state finals and other events across the state. Follow AnnArbor.com reporter Mike Rothstein (@mikerothstein) for updates from the MHSAA Division 1 track state finals, Saline resident Jay Allen (@theannouncerman) for updates from the water polo state finals and AnnArbor.com reporter Bob Gross (@bobgross) for updates from events across the state.

Updates will stream live on a Twitter box at the AnnArbor.com sports page from the aforementioned Twitter accounts, as well as any tweet with the hashtag #a2postseason. So if you're at an event of local interest, tweet about it.

PUTT ON FOR MY CITY

The Huron boys golf team won the annual Ann Arbor City Championship at Barton Hills Country Club this week. Taking individual medalist honors was Rob Aldrich, who shot a 3-over-par 75. Aldrich tore up the back nine, shooting a 1-under 35.

Huron’s final team score was 320. Pioneer came in second with a 323, followed by Greenhills (362) and Father Gabriel Richard (364).

FAST TIMES AT YPSI HIGH

Track and field teams from Washtenaw County and the surrounding area participated in the Larry Steeb Meet of Champions at Ypsilanti High School on Tuesday. While some teams took a more relaxed approach to the meet because of its proximity to this weekend’s state finals, others used it as a final tune up, and some teams did a little bit of both. (See photo gallery)

The Huron girls and Saline boys won the meet and several records fell in individual events. Fittingly, the coaches of the respective winning teams, Keri Kirk (Huron) and Alan Leslie (Saline) were named the area’s coaches of the year.

On the boys side, Ypsilanti’s 800-meter relay team of Andrew Hunt, Austin Sanders, Kelso Griffin and Mike Webster set a new meet record by finishing in 1:28.3. Chelsea’s Mason Borders set a record in the 300 hurdles with a time of 38.49 seconds. The Pinckney 3,200 relay team set a record as well, finishing in 8:00.95.

On the girls side, three relays and one individual event record fell. Lincoln’s 400 relay team of Lauren Ross, Tierra Williams, Jamika Jones and Tianna Pitts set a record with a time of 48.30. Huron’s 800 relay team of Cindy Ofili, Chinyere Onimo, Anna Massini and LaMicah Hughbanks set a record with a time of 1:43.85, and Pioneer’s shuttle hurdles relay team of Janese Honeycut, Sophia Kunselman, Sabrina Kunselman and Chinonye Uche posted a new record time of 1:03.23.

Huron’s Annie-Norah Beveridge also set a record in the 1,600 run with a time of 4:58.69. Beveridge, along with Dexter’s Nyki Caldwell and Huron’s Maya Long, were named the area’s female athletes of the year. Chelsea’s August Pappas and Saline's Garrick Roemer and Steve Bastien are the male athletes of the year.

Have a story to tell about a local high school athlete or team? Email petercunningham@annarbor.com or call the prep sports desk at 734-623-2565.