The Westside girls golf team is striving for its first state title since 1990, driven by more than just the pursuit of trophies, as they rally around their head coach, Jered Hellman, whose wife, Sara, is battling stage 4 colon cancer. “It’s a sport that you don’t get to control the elements,” Jered said. “I’ve learned that whatever something looks on paper, you gotta go play the game. You still got to tee it up.”Golf is a lot like life. No matter how rough, you have to play where it lies.”Right now I just my life is a triple bogey that I have to re-tee because the ball’s in the water because my wife is battling to survive,” he said. Over the summer, the Hellmans received life-changing news from her doctors. “I was going in for a completely different procedure,” Sara said, recalling the moment she was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. “I just remember feeling just absolutely devastated.”She said her children were one of her first thoughts.”My first thought was, I’m only 44,” Sara said. “I thought mainly about my kids. And then there’s just the constant thought. It’s always in the back of your mind. You don’t know if you’re going to beat it.”Despite these challenges, Jered returned to coaching, working to support his family.”I don’t think anyone knew what to expect walking into this season. I think, when we all found out the news, it broke all of our hearts,” said junior golfer Chloe DePrima. Jered found strength in his team, telling them.”Sometimes you find strength and it’s sitting right in front of you, so thank you, girls, I love you,” he said. “He puts everything he has into this program,” said senior golfer Addison Benge. “Even with everything he’s had going on, it feels like it hasn’t taken away from what he’s done for us.” “My childhood wasn’t butterflies and rainbows. I had an addiction problem to alcohol,” Jered said.He credited his high school coaches for providing support he lacked at home.”I just found that you could really make an impact,” Jered said. “He loves it. And those kids love him,” Sara said. “They depend on him, and the girls have all shown so much support and love for our family that I can’t imagine him not coaching.”With Sara in their thoughts, the Warriors achieved significant milestones, winning their first Metro title since 2011 and completing a three-peat at districts. “This season has been like none other. We’ve all gotten so close,” DePrima said.As the team prepares to travel to Grand Island for the state tournament, Jered expressed his desire for the focus to remain on the team’s achievements, saying, “The last thing I want is my story of my wife to take over what these girls have accomplished. But it has made them closer because I know they love me.” “Every time you go out, you just have to do your best and you have to stay positive,” Sara said.”No matter what, she just doesn’t stop. She’ll always fight and fight,” Jamison Childers, Sara’s son, said.”We’re going to be OK, and we don’t know what OK looks like. But the Hellmans will be OK.”The Hellman family plans to attend the state tournament, which begins on Monday, to support the Westside girls’ golf team in their pursuit of a historic victory.If you would like to help support Sara and the Hellman family, click the link to their GoFundMe here.Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |

OMAHA, Neb. —

The Westside girls golf team is striving for its first state title since 1990, driven by more than just the pursuit of trophies, as they rally around their head coach, Jered Hellman, whose wife, Sara, is battling stage 4 colon cancer.

“It’s a sport that you don’t get to control the elements,” Jered said. “I’ve learned that whatever something looks on paper, you gotta go play the game. You still got to tee it up.”

Golf is a lot like life. No matter how rough, you have to play where it lies.

“Right now I just my life is a triple bogey that I have to re-tee because the ball’s in the water because my wife is battling to survive,” he said.

Over the summer, the Hellmans received life-changing news from her doctors.

“I was going in for a completely different procedure,” Sara said, recalling the moment she was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. “I just remember feeling just absolutely devastated.”

She said her children were one of her first thoughts.

“My first thought was, I’m only 44,” Sara said. “I thought mainly about my kids. And then there’s just the constant thought. It’s always in the back of your mind. You don’t know if you’re going to beat it.”

Despite these challenges, Jered returned to coaching, working to support his family.

“I don’t think anyone knew what to expect walking into this season. I think, when we all found out the news, it broke all of our hearts,” said junior golfer Chloe DePrima.

Jered found strength in his team, telling them.

“Sometimes you find strength and it’s sitting right in front of you, so thank you, girls, I love you,” he said.

“He puts everything he has into this program,” said senior golfer Addison Benge. “Even with everything he’s had going on, it feels like it hasn’t taken away from what he’s done for us.”

“My childhood wasn’t butterflies and rainbows. I had an addiction problem to alcohol,” Jered said.

He credited his high school coaches for providing support he lacked at home.

“I just found that you could really make an impact,” Jered said.

“He loves it. And those kids love him,” Sara said. “They depend on him, and the girls have all shown so much support and love for our family that I can’t imagine him not coaching.”

With Sara in their thoughts, the Warriors achieved significant milestones, winning their first Metro title since 2011 and completing a three-peat at districts.

“This season has been like none other. We’ve all gotten so close,” DePrima said.

As the team prepares to travel to Grand Island for the state tournament, Jered expressed his desire for the focus to remain on the team’s achievements, saying, “The last thing I want is my story of my wife to take over what these girls have accomplished. But it has made them closer because I know they love me.”

“Every time you go out, you just have to do your best and you have to stay positive,” Sara said.

“No matter what, she just doesn’t stop. She’ll always fight and fight,” Jamison Childers, Sara’s son, said.

“We’re going to be OK, and we don’t know what OK looks like. But the Hellmans will be OK.”

The Hellman family plans to attend the state tournament, which begins on Monday, to support the Westside girls’ golf team in their pursuit of a historic victory.

If you would like to help support Sara and the Hellman family, click the link to their GoFundMe here.

Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.

NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |