JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?mNj5qhʑAIu-l(6ꡇ]{$>rAI4>]OC[HcsOQva\\z6zqs^}+7O,?;1&>rT?VeF+j%X52u,cPmĶrPr=qXu-JqS DlٌfEhv@kò]9c%Wp1W@':Š82 bН`ϥgj:FY7rV?mc `j}[#;-¥'T48Nێ{BnI(?NLў3)O?r&x&P5|WL#lݙ0ʓ(ęl[0wt+MlH+z_1=y[zz_eX]{Vc~Ckl4%PpW~q2(ex#9_]ajlW $U054굡hC2ڦ"UX]+DVm4OXc+ }ʐ~^Fy5sR-=N:R.efD˩ԻǴ mm~dc"9}gZɺ($+a/|Vjmib `oUv8B[k[[VM!t$`(EݣOB6pG9 r)&23ҹ;LU܍Gq](P'^v9-F '8%ZK#W|V/eY!,+h3ZYAz{{'}iziGҁ?V=\uvo#7R=]/s'ø >tڄ##$I r FuG,'Vd,p9ǥg(ip\J0F;pF^UfHU'ҹv 5,LRpg*kѨ{pB|s19RmBH#RUD63ɷDXžCi\H>1lo"iB1[R-LR-19bWv*>gnCd$cӥTֲ+R{ұ٘Gi=)hv/E MYTe@5:t+| &AqmuњQ=*K"HUng<*9Bu5cWK}7@PiJt8(e}H+Z3ӿ.a8qҮ;Fr]"!Zӧі0 jΒ1I1#=Y//9koy "SkbpHzK)0=M1sbI>4 ANmO uFK;ĒR7+!m<}&.|9a75GhF)q랙ȨCG/$2ĀQjHؓ( XsI˕=MyR3Z$Fynf 3zqqO -J[deP} ݽFWR1ʶ8ۓO;ǭ6~5M{i=Q>ˤE(=+qo~]D])}W 1ֺ3}=j%-֝~3N=~) [18P$~IIz4 9)}24U&HCh|+SO^':>zUe##Y~6e1\sc]N=͌Zlw{FJ֔EEus}PK]0=GjHf *V" J^ gF19)wz "XbGV֭pdX!yҵGhw-&5Y7Y۰d$t*$3/l~kk3.(GnzzJ^ӛRy9zJ-.sQSb^a/U[kHA^Ջ腐#`PǻnGkGS~@={s2;&8W^Ìw-.8?:\q;G_|'~˵/;M'lzP]B:Veqoz(.Uokn 9ƶ8oi5bx%$=k+ƈͬ1y*su=2jO?<US};Pݲ#spr@?JҖY `#P:N+3net;)χ3g,Ey=᰼/zn {ҁq@?JC vړ=ˏ@{#ފFΝGj8=?:1 9v$29ÚyR' J =03_ZѾEmg e!]t?^9R69׹+~Y:SLoU.q~(K)ld'dC3OJJLBJ$R;#NNM W086.G'Өvk7e%c#Wl55Q2N r]n_ GsͼfHBՐ6\[[%P :Zu˪lj88'9pZ2$ZĪ:F\ cT=7PF+d0@zW%5! PFUoLsU;3Oms p{*χ1ޢFb$x`k>(Q]B`?^N}>Cls,g sKs!K0D-<`ƼǍIR'͑z1[Hf}TDi簮Vww3# h2Y=ZQQ`q1Iץq $+W¾*-4YC!xV6z:Ekbh9 z|/x|n,J*m_)Cr;Z:''X?l= f=ڀ1j5/%3Q0% Ҥk})88^8^pU݀2Ƽ_]+3tA0\X<ﵻNdb*9e;W??bl 7ַ[YHp3sSk)7c v1nB(BiCfiRQfT 樾 ӱ?'/9ٻu9f\uh20UHO8d.6=8ZigtG34-4|Š stQG;HLH g;R.w$ެq?-%2|PF)\]Hfl̛ B[Uv u[[E,d=hև1~qlBFHnj]h/$o]ˆsd~bo/'j`nz@СXerҕI>{.s;rO<7y s{ƱoBꄕYH>I'F^IbOFkvvP8d~5jH1[[A?֠tĺ u!EZj]B3H|xY:-C1zVР!2vN%& 9[6.o4A*:2[ilr KqomgNba1k]2d [k$,C5RWGiȱ>NFw҉<I@JJtF2Lr~_1BRvN>>O [lW89q]wK#n=v0ҤXs> '6p@P ={ +B)%'{A|+LV21AN;׭tAYN ?_Z @GpAH+ `Qt\էshћB\riU+q;ԑ{#ʷvw .2r{D̉\6#Z@o'TrăYzܑ T$솰桱"* ɭ[h[1АGkiii2ebPq S58DWؒ ~JVLۑu˛5czZ1Hj@[(6Nϔ(s{1'+))ٙNܛDMp2YՏ,Oⷼ?hmn8RR?d<(8P5{ϱ$?'$翭iFQKYlz.fFLr5GD)fVF9>Hm;8Z]Z>$L~1һm%Q7u(`NVp{wjom% `2;YFZ2O&5Q|zI19;8sʑt8>ڧVR/.'s}r>#'w Ͻt+#6n2'ߧNo,IǟʶJxڛ !}kgB6B1֯%_!b*)|ר文ڹaD!8p>zQ$~iFՆnĢ6 ʏD:l铴r<L |qNZj^3B <P>Our coaches convinced our players that they were going to have to pick up the slack.&nbsp; Our goals were team goals!&nbsp; So we prepared for the team that was third place in our conference.&nbsp; We did not allow them to cross the 50-yard line the entire second half of the game.&nbsp; The first series of offense we lost our All-State offensive tackle to a knee sprain.&nbsp; We did not skip a beat!&nbsp; We put in our second string offense tackle and he did a great job!&nbsp; Our kicker just kicked a 40-yard field goal to go ahead with 50 seconds left.&nbsp; Somehow, they managed to drive the ball down to our 23-yard line.&nbsp; With time running out while signaling for a time out, time expired.&nbsp; The place erupted with kids jumping all around.&nbsp; But the referees put one second on the clock, saying West High did call a time out before the clock read 00:00.&nbsp; With that second on the clock, they kicked a 23-yard field goal to win the game.&nbsp; Another test for the Mustangs.&nbsp; The only thing I could tell my team was God had something in mind for us. </P> <P>Now we had lost three All-State players but we shut out the next team by rushing for 268-yards using 10 different backs.&nbsp; Even though we had some key players out, due to injuries, the team improved and continued to win.&nbsp; Our All-American running back had four carries for 76-yards, but was still limping.</P> <P>The play-offs started with a few of our hurt players coming off injured reserve.&nbsp; Star running back, Yohance Humphrey and All-State player Roger Patterson had recovered from knee injuries and joined a team that won two games without them.&nbsp; Our experience really paid off this year.&nbsp; Before, it seemed like we were asking people to give blood at the hospital.&nbsp; We kept getting better through the play-offs, even winning in a snow storm.&nbsp; But it was not over yet.&nbsp; The Semi-final game also came down to the wire.&nbsp; Our running back ran for 311 yards and looked like he was about 90% in comparison with his usual game performance.</P> <P>The state championship game came down to the two best teams; champs and runners-up from last year's performance, Chugiak's Mustangs and Palmer's Moose.&nbsp; Each team had two great backs, two excellent quarterbacks and each offense accustomed to getting its way on the field.&nbsp; The defenses on each team were loaded with talented players.&nbsp; Each team had healed from earlier injuries.&nbsp; The team who wanted it the most and who had prepared the best and the hardest during the year would walk away with the trophy and title of state champions.&nbsp; There was never any doubt that we wanted to do everything in our power to win.&nbsp; We believe that first you must win in the weight room.&nbsp; When we had Dr. Greg Shepard to Alaska to speak to our players, he asked us if we wanted to win.&nbsp; The question is a touchy one.&nbsp; We had lost the last two state championships each by 5 points.&nbsp; By the weight room door is a sign--#11.&nbsp; Dr. Shepard asked the team on a scale of one to ten, how hard do you think you havхK ߘș ;wԹn1>=z6hrf385.zrɏ娝m#44rd':>*h'~|u5NJɖ}xDfic;}` D#i&E)O͘^٫|&39z_Wd͔'h}zh,9g}nRc6\ %b8qcSrӁ@?`U}i