When the lights come on and the players line up to begin their respective games, all eyes are on field or court.

Very seldom do outside thoughts go into the planning and procedure of what it takes to run an athletic department.

For the better part of 20 years, Dale Rucker has had Cascade athletics running like clockwork as the school's athletic director.

Earlier this spring, Rucker announced his retirement leaving some big shoes to fill for his replacements.

"When you think of a Cascade Champion, Dale Rucker immediately comes to mind. Dale served Cascade and Cascade Athletics for 34 years in a variety of aspects such as teaching, athletic director, assistant softball coach, and working the clock at basketball games. Dale was the perfect athletic director as he did not want attention on himself," Cascade principal Dr. Josh Young said.

His impact cannot be undervalued to what he's meant to athletics as a whole at Cascade and several coaches gave their thoughts on working with Rucker.

"Dale Rucker has been the staple of Cascade athletics for so many years. He has always done things the right way and made sure that when teams and officials come to Cascade they know they are going to be treated fairly," Champion baseball coach Josh Hammonds said.

Head boys basketball coach Chris Lawson shared Hammonds' sentiment as well.

"Dale Rucker is one of the reasons I decided to come to Cascade. When I was asking other local coaches about Cascade before they offered me a job, everyone said, 'Chris you will get to work for one of the best Athletic Directors in the state.' That is completely true! I never had to worry about anything from a legality standpoint. Dale had it organized. I have a high respect for him and the job he did. I wish him all the best in his retirement," he said.

From his days as a student at Cascade to becoming head football coach, Jake Tyre built up quite the rapport with Rucker.

When the lights hit the field at the Stable on Friday night, Tyre said he never had to worry about anything behind the scenes as well.

"Dale is Cascade through and through. There's few of us out there that bleed Orange and Black to the core and Dale is right there at the top. I went to school here so I had him as a teacher. He wasn't an AD when I was in school. When I came back as an assistant, he was AD. Knowing him as long as I have and seeing the transition of being a student of his to being a colleague and a friend was awesome. You knew everything was going to be done the right way," Tyre said.

His impact went beyond working relationships with coaches at Cascade as well.

Times-Gazette sports editor Chris Siers said working with Rucker throughout the school year had a major impact on providing sports coverage for the Cascade athletics department.

"Sports can be a funny thing. Even in a small community like Bedford County, things can change on extremely short notice and I am forever grateful for the working relationship I had with Mr. Rucker. If games were canceled or rescheduled, Mr. Rucker was the first to let me know. I remember when I first became sports editor and I met Mr. Rucker for the first time at a Cascade soccer match in the fall of 2011. He went to the snack shed and grabbed me a soda and welcomed me to Bedford County. From then on, it was always a pleasure seeing him at virtually every game I covered and being able to chit chat about the game I was covering, or talking baseball, since he is a big-time Chicago Cubs fan and I'm a Cincinnati Reds fan. I want to wish him the absolute best in retirement," Siers said.

Whether it's preparing the stadium on a football Friday night or making sure basketball officials or baseball umpires had plenty of water or adequate amenities, Rucker defined what it meant to be among the best athletic directors in the state.

"He wanted the students to be able to play, the coaches to be able to coach, and Cascade to be represented well. For almost 20 years, Dale spent countless hours behind the scenes of all Cascade Athletics to give our student-athletes the best opportunities possible. I am going to miss Dale greatly as he not only has been a person I can rely on, but a great friend," Young added.

In searching for his replacements, the administration has turned to a couple of familiar faces as Hammonds and Tyre will split AD duties throughout the school year.

When Tyre is coaching football in the fall, Hammonds will run point from the AD position, with both splitting work during the winter sports.

In the spring when Hammonds helms the baseball team, Tyre will take over and run point.

"Dale can never be replaced. We will just do our best to continue to carry on the traditions and policies that he has started. One thing about it, we have been taught by the best," Hammonds said.

"He meant the world to the school. Josh Hammonds and myself have huge, huge, huge shoes to fill. It's going to take both of us to do what he did," Tyre said.

"We have a good plan in place. During the fall when I'm busy with football, Coach Hammonds will do most of the AD stuff. Then once football season is over with, we'll transition and we'll both work on the winter sports and go into spring, I'll handle all the spring sports."