Cougar Mania

With the North Putnam football team making its first appearance in the IHSAA football state finals today at 7 p.m., no corner of northern Putnam County has been immune -- from grade school children, above, who made signs and went wild at Wednesday's pep rally at the high school, to businesses, below, decorating their windows with encouragement for the team, like these in downtown Roachdale. Even principal Alan Zerkel, bottom, has decorated his normally-silver hair and beard orange and blue, respectively. The Cougars face Fort Wayne Bishop Luers for the title.