Fletcher High School has a mascot on the sidelines again.

Fletch, a character inspired by historic photographs of the school's namesake, U.S. Sen. Duncan U. Fletcher, debuted at Jack Taylor Stadium on Friday, Aug. 28. The costumed Senator wore a purple tailcoat, oversized shoes and a purple-and-white striped top hat as the Senators hosted the Plant City Raiders.

Fletcher lost 27-25, but the debut marked the first time a costumed Senator mascot appeared at a Fletcher game in decades, the Beach Gazette reported. The mascot revives a tradition that dates to 1937, when the school opened and Principal Frank Doggett called an assembly to let students pick school colors and a mascot.

Sophomore Jean Haden proposed purple and white because no other area schools used the combination. The colors and the Senator mascot both stuck. Haden, a member of the Class of 1939, later founded the Beaches Area Historical Society, the predecessor to the Beaches Museum.

The Fletcher High School Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA) raised $10,000 through membership dues, business sponsorships and contributions from parents and staff to fund the project. The effort took several years of planning by the PTSA and a group of parent volunteers.

"We all worked together as a team to sketch up the design," Stephanie John, Fletcher PTSA vice president, told the Beach Gazette. "Fletch is more modern. This will go the distance."

The costume was built by Loonie Times Custom Mascots & Plush, a collegiate-level costume maker in Ontario, Canada. Its design draws from historic photographs of Sen. Fletcher and images of the school's original Senator mascot. Students were invited last year to submit design ideas, and the three top submissions were incorporated into the final concept.

The Beaches Museum's archives include photographs of the original mascot, including one of a student wearing an oversized plastic head at a football game, according to the Beach Gazette. The museum's Fletcher exhibit indicates the tradition remained active into the 1990s, though there is no official record of when the character disappeared.

The suit includes a cooling vest that holds 10 ice packs and a fan inside the head. A skinsuit underneath can be paired with basketball shorts, a baseball jersey or other uniforms so Fletch can appear across the school's athletic programs.

The student inside the suit will remain anonymous. The only clue: the performer has previous mascot experience at a former school in Kentucky.

Fletch shared the spotlight on Aug. 28 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the school's new field. Jacksonville Beach Mayor Christine Hoffman, Atlantic Beach Mayor Curtis Ford and Neptune Beach Mayor Cori Bylund joined school officials on the field for the dedication.

Fletch's next scheduled appearance is the school's Homecoming Parade. Students will also have opportunities to pose for photos with the mascot after games.