There's a new face on the sidelines at Jack Taylor Stadium, and he's hard to miss.
Fletch, Fletcher High School's new mascot, made his debut Aug. 28, strutting onto the field in a purple tailcoat, oversized shoes and a purple-and-white striped top hat as the Senators took on the Plant City Raiders.
The Senators fell short in a 27-25 loss, but Fletch brought a healthy dose of purple pride to the home crowd.
The new mascot revives a tradition that dates to Fletcher's earliest days, when students chose the Senator as their mascot after the school opened in 1937. Fletcher hasn't had a consistent mascot character in decades.
Until now.
The debut was the culmination of several years of planning by Fletcher's Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA) and a group of parent volunteers who wanted to bring the school's purple pride to life.
"We all worked together as a team to sketch up the design," said Stephanie John, Fletcher PTSA vice president. "Fletch is more modern. This will go the distance."
Fletch's look is a nod to history, with a modern twist and a few concessions to Florida's August heat. Photos courtesy of Angi Geer and Kevin Brown.
The character was developed with Loonie Times Custom Mascots & Plush, a collegiate-level costume maker in Ontario, Canada. The design draws from historic photographs of U.S. Sen. Duncan U. Fletcher, the school's namesake, as well as images of the school's original Senator mascot.
When Fletcher opened in 1937, Principal Frank Doggett called an assembly and asked students to select school colors and a mascot.
Sophomore Jean Haden proposed purple and white because no other area schools were using the combination. The colors stuck. So did the Senator.
Haden, a member of the Class of 1939, later became a local historian and founded the Beaches Area Historical Society, the predecessor to the Beaches Museum.
The museum's archives include photographs of Fletcher's original mascot, including one of a student wearing an oversized plastic head at a football game. There is no official record of when the character disappeared, but the tradition remained active into the 1990s, according to the museum's Fletcher exhibit.
Fletch's look is a nod to that history, with a modern twist and a few concessions to Florida's August heat.
"We have a cooling vest that holds 10 ice packs, and there's a fan in the head," John said, laughing.
The PTSA raised $10,000 through membership dues, business sponsorships and contributions from parents and staff to bring Fletch to life.
The costume also includes a skinsuit that can be worn under basketball shorts, a baseball jersey and other uniforms, allowing Fletch to make appearances across the school's athletic programs.
Students helped shape the final design. Last year, they were invited to submit ideas, and the three top submissions were incorporated into the final concept.
Fletch will make his next big appearance during the school's Homecoming Parade. Students also will have opportunities to pose for photos with him after games.
But one thing will remain a mystery: Who's inside the suit?
John said the student selected to play Fletch will remain anonymous. She did reveal one clue: The student has previous mascot experience at a former school in Kentucky.
The job description goes well beyond waving from the sidelines.
"They will get excited and engage the crowd, do silly things with the cheerleaders to bring that school spirit," John said. "We feel like this is a great way to give back to the community."
Fletch's debut also shared the spotlight with another milestone Friday night. Jacksonville Beach Mayor Chris Hoffman, Atlantic Beach Mayor Curtis Ford and Neptune Beach Mayor Cori Bylund joined school officials on the field for a ribbon-cutting ceremony dedicating Fletcher's new field.
For a school whose colors and mascot were chosen by students nearly 90 years ago, Fletch represents a new chapter in an old tradition.
