Season 1: Saved by the Bell Episode 15: Save That Tiger
Air date: Dec. 16, 1989
After Screech — the guy inside Bayside’s mascot uniform — gets kidnapped by goons from rival school Valley, Zack and Slater join forces to kidnap Valley’s mascot.
While this all seems like high school hi-jinx, the cheerleading competition — which people evidently give a shit about — requires Screech to do something athletic, like cartwheel or something. But the jokes on Valley after the impostor mascot they’ve replaced Screech with actually wins the competition for Bayside!