In order to follow his cheerleader girlfriend to away matches, a college student forces himself to become the school's mascot, but finds out there's more to mascots than he ever dreamed.

SYNOPSIS:

Jon and Carrie, new college students, are getting ready for freshman year at Johnson and Wales University. They reflect on how they got there - Jon asked Carrie out in senior year of high school and they’ve been together since then. But they also remember during the time they were making plans for their fist date, there was an unexpected interruption by the school’s mascot, so Jon had explain how he dislikes them due to a childhood event where a Goofy mascot hired by his parents scared him by sneaking up on him at his birthday. But they joke how he’s happy that’s the first fun fact she knows about him. Back in the present, Carrie drops the news that she will be traveling a lot more with the college squad than in high school, and Jon does not like the idea of her being that far away that often. Lacking a car and money, he must find another way to follow her to the away games, and to pay for his dates with her, wanting to give her only the best. His lack of sport skills would surely mean he wouldn’t make the NCAA Division Three teams. Desperate for some way to be with her at every step, he thinks hard and decides that while he may dislike them, he has no choice but to try out for the only person other than cheerleaders or jocks who rides the athletic team’s bus: The mascot, Wildcat Willie. He’s sure his dance skills will be a plus. When he meets the antagonist Coach Dave to schedule a tryout, he pegs Jon as someone in denial. Jon wonders what mess he’s getting himself into, but continues to motivate himself by thinking about how doing this could prove beyond a doubt that Jon will do anything for Carrie. On tryout day Jon fails to convince himself it’s different if he’s in the suit, but Dave appears, forcing the costume onto Jon, and then him out onto the gym floor in front off the cheerleaders, Carrie included. When he does his routine and ends up getting the position, he is shocked, and finds himself suddenly facing new obstacles – include keeping he’s the mascot from everyone…even Carrie. But he has to stay the mascot, or his newfound cash flow will cease, and he won’t be able to take Carrie to the nicer restaurants or go with her to away games.

ACT 2: Coach Dave plans to totally change Jon’s personality to preserve the identity of his precious mascot, Wildcat Willie. He is clueless to the advancements he will make as he changes, but he is sure he can still make his relationship work, even with the secrecy rule in play. So Jon creates a cover by saying that his former dislike has escalated into a fear. Keeping the secret creates awkward situations that he has to explain to Carrie. He starts to wonder if what he’s doing I really worth it, still unaware that deep down, part of him actually wanted to take the mascot position. Dave immerses Jon in mascot culture. He has to learn to dance, fake fights, and do tricks. He learns he must become something else whenever he’s in the suit, and he uses classic mascot antics, like exaggerated movements, or taking an unsuspecting girl as a joke. In one case he takes Carrie, and in another his friend Mark’s girlfriend, Margaret. All three think Jon should meet Willie, clueless that Jon has actually become him. At the first away game, Jon nearly falls victim to another mascot classic: Kidnapping. Luckily, Dave steps in to save him, but shocks Jon yet again by informing him he’s arranged Jon to get a few tips from the rival school’s mascot, who turns out to be Ben, someone who teased him about his mascot dislike in high school. Amazed Jon has become a mascot, Ben tries to convince Jon he wouldn’t have if he didn’t want it, but since it’s first mascot fight, he’ll go easy. But all deals are off when Dave makes Jon start the fight by getting in the way of Ben’s big intro, not realizing what a big move that is. Though Jon loses, Ben congratulates his valiant effort, and Jon starts wondering if maybe there’s more to mascots than he thought. He starts to like being a mascot somewhat, despite his continuing to deny it. Meanwhile, Carrie notices Jon’s personality is starting to change, and that he is becoming someone different, and she’s not sure if it’s for the better. At one game the crowd clearly shows their approval of the new mascot, making Jon feel needed for the first time by someone other than by Carrie. But during an argument with Dave about a missed scheduled mascot appearance, and how he has failed in his duty as a mascot that night, Jon shocks himself during the argument when admits out loud he has started to enjoy being Willie. Then, at the second away game Jon has his second mascot fight, only this time he is acting the part of a wildcat mascot perfectly, and comes out the victor. He sees at last what was originally for Carrie has become for him now, as he decides he cannot give up what has become such a big part of him, unaware just how much he has lost himself in his new passion. He realizes his previous thoughts on mascots were all wrong. But when Carrie starts to take a liking to this amazing mascot her team has, Carrie decides Jon must meet this great mascot. Meanwhile Dave, while helpful at times, doesn’t care about Jon or Carrie – just his mascot. He creates even more awkward moments, like showing up to a conversation uninvited in two different cases. He only cares about upholding the strict secrecy rule of the mascot. What Dave fails to see is how hurting Jon is actually hurting his precious mascot too. Seeing things are getting tougher on them, Jon tries to teach Carrie an awesome move she could try in shows, but she fails to do it. Convincing her she can do it, he almost lets it slip that he’s become the mascot! After confronting him about how strange he’s been acting the past couple of months, as if his entire personality has changed, Carrie reminds Jon to the first mascot free game is the next day. Jon knows he can’t be at the game because he has another scheduled mascot appearance at an Alumni event, which he decides as the mascot, he must attend.

ACT 3: Ironically he runs into an Alumnus at the alumni event who is avoiding him, and when he talks to Dave about it, Dave finally starts to wonder if he’s going about things the wrong way. Then he accidently reveals his true reason for trying to get Jon to like mascots: He was the Goofy mascot that scared him as a kid. Now knowing Dave to be the very reason for Jon’s mascot dislike, Jon replies by saying he’s lost all trust in him. Meanwhile, the secrecy becomes too big a strain on the relationship. Having expected Jon to be there in the stands watching her at last, Carrie breaks up with him later that night since she did not see him there. She still has no idea what Jon has done for the two of them. After another face off with Jon, Coach Dave tries to convince Jon to take a break, but Jon refuses, saying Willie is all he has now, and Dave can’t help him with Carrie anyway. Seeing his error at last, he doesn’t want to be that person and lose what he believes is potentially the best mascot yet. That night, Jon dons the mascot suit and visits Carrie as Willie. She spills what has happened and how Willie reminds her of Jon somehow. She strikes a deal with him that if Jon’s not at the next game, she’ll try dating who ever it is in the suit in 4 years when he’s unmasked at graduation, as is tradition. Jon wonders what that means for him now. As he leaves the dorm room, Dave catches Jon and says slyly that Carrie can know if he really trusts her to keep the big secret. Furthermore she must “figure it out”. At the next game, Jon does the move he tried to teach her earlier, and she puts it all together. Jon confronts Dave once more, this time with Carrie, and says he’s not fooling anyone – Dave wanted this. He admits it but also says it was best for the mascot. Later, at the “College To Be” mascot competition, all 3 meet up. Jon wins it for JWU – the first time in a long time, and all 3 are happy as Dave decides to let Carrie be a student mascot handler. Jon realizes his goal to be better was finally achieved by finding something unique to be passionate about.

SECRET OF THE MASCOT