Tiger mascot finds niche in Hartselle High athletics
By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
Hugheston Slate didn’t show a lot of promise as a future football or basketball star when he enrolled at Hartselle High School four years ago.
He wasn’t in shape and slow on his feet but that didn’t stop him from finding his niche in the school’s athletic program.
Hugheston is “Champ” the Tiger, the school mascot, a position he has filled for the past three years.
It doesn’t matter to him that he has never scored a touchdown on the football field or made a field goal on the basketball court.
His parents, Daryl and Shonna Slate, also have stood by his side and given him their support. So has his sister, Madison, an HHS freshman.
Hugheston recalled that his first year on the job was not a cakewalk.
He also experienced some of the pitfalls of being a mascot. He got hit in the head by an errant basketball and stumbled and almost landed in a trashcan. Both accidents got a big laugh from the fans.
Hugheston’s ability and experience was recognized at a cheerleaders' camp in Panama City, Fla. last summer. He was chosen as an all-star mascot in his first camp competition and earned the right to perform at the upcoming Citrus Bowl.
More recently, he was selected as the mascot for the Huntsville Havoc hockey team. In the role of “Chaos” the Wolf, he entertains fans attending Friday and Saturday night home games and also hosts mascot parties for the kids of fans.
Hugheston said he has hopes of continuing his mascot career at the college level.
He plans to attend Samford University next fall and offer himself as a candidate for “Spike” the Bulldog.
