Monroe students go all-out to show Bearcat pride

Orange and black may be Halloween colors to most people, but at Monroe High, they reign all year.

For fans of Monroe football, long gone is the idea that an orange T-shirt is sufficient spirit wear — students go all out, dressing up in costumes, digging through their mothers’ closets, wearing tutus and leggings, customizing accessories, and donning unique hand-me-downs known as “spirit gear.” See some examples in our gallery.

And students aren’t the only ones dressed head to toe — fans young and old show their Bearcat pride in orange and black. Monroe home football games are a spectacular visual feat that prove a town’s love for its students.

Annie Mulligan and Genna Martin spent an October evening photographing Monroe’s best-dressed as part of The Herald’s Sidelines series, which gives the spotlight to people off the field who make the high school football experience possible.