RANDLEMAN, N.C. — The Randleman Tigers finished the regular season 9-1, despite their head coach, Shane Timmons, stepping away midseason to help take care of his daughter.
The program has been in good hands with best friend and interim Head Coach Brian Hughes.
"It’s pretty nice to enjoy these kids and see them succeed," Hughes said.
The Randleman Tigers were 5-0 when Coach Brian Hughes stepped in for Head Coach Shane Timmons. He guided the team through 6 games, only losing one of them.
"For me, it's different," Hughes said. "I've been an offensive coordinator for so long. I like doing my thing and now I'm involved in offense, calling time-outs. It's a little bit different. It’s definitely changed my perspective on the game."
Even though Coach Timmons isn't physically on the sidelines, and busy helping his daughter beat brain cancer in Memphis, he hasn't forgotten about his team.
"We talk a lot about staying the mission and about how much he misses the kids and that kind of thing, and then we talk on the weekend about game plan and stuff," said Hughes. "He watches all the games on the network and watches film. We talk quite a bit about it. He talks to the officer coordinator Daniel Mitchell a lot about offense, so he’s pretty heavily involved still even from Memphis."
While Coach Timmons helps lead the fight for his daughter's life, Coach Hughes has the program fighting for a state championship.
"I want him to know he’s still with us every day," said Hughes. "All the groundwork he’s put in place, he’s still with us."