Knoxville Catholic wide receiver DaShon Bussell just finished his first and final year with the Irish.
The senior transfer from Ft. Wayne, Indiana moved to the Knoxville area with his family after his mother, Jessica Witt, got sick.
But Thursday - when Catholic won the Class 5A state title, its third championship in ten seasons - Witt was there to witness her son dominate on the biggest stage in high school sports.
"I'm his number one fan," Witt said.
Witt didn't always know she would be there for her son. She started getting sick last year when they lived in Indiana. She had issues with her lungs and seizures. The family then moved to the Knoxville area, where Witt grew up, so Bussell could be around his extended family.
"He's his momma's boy," Witt said. "He's very protective of our family so when I go through things like this it really affects him so I try to keep them from having to deal with it."
Bussell caught two touchdowns in Thursday's 45-28 win over Beech.
"I thank God for that," Bussell said after the game. "I appreciate him so much for letting my mom stay healthy."
Catholic's state title win was the last time Bussell will take the field for a little while. He's committed to play at Western Michigan University.
"Being able to come out here and watch him play his very last high school football game is kind of hard to swallow," Witt said. "This time goes by so fast. You don't realize how fast it goes 'til you're here."