JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?@)qK 4cNݟ5H܍FYTb^|i֮tb NG<~B>'x_8aO`W/kP;;Qb9+;CҀ:с֌dV#ޣ, Cc$qԻh94*!@ѓF(1KCF8PByj\S4;zɣ8R'=Ċ;S~sE4PQ\Q@zfs{6|#i;W{fkdl죰y|u0|e'9mJJвnSI$xD3#"):=9F}CZ:ǥ=FsG4PxHW0G4{?f_xRQ+3G`aC`zSf] eyZmRuʟ^qE+|{x2ۭ|0Oq]?=;%h#W|X|[ᵸo o*P{M0:~{њJ\qEP}i}HF/V·yTv7q¾Rz&u} 22@{ v4SF+Q)5$C!_&V|rsgEѣ\h,)d6d OQSxb"_ʍx#PʦBK~ѡmFؒŧP񜞕$1k\ +`JCǽnr ړu4 u4iHzC@S@ ޔ7њOڴ׾16%qe(JࣉdRK#GI31%BB)T427i1q摥:NGiaq}6hO %,\3e0[B`1ұ_͜iRE/?duGBärCƄPr=i-WJc`7kjDdvUmH6HΫo:1ρVrJL茥tqmi 889VsT+G5Cn$'{?>tu :~gʪiV2&hsTb&{QJ1E#@&;R ѐzތ d%bb9o5#=շ5z2H:^ivE*!=뚪C !;EkIv.(Bk.kKCM!! g*:nCUHOP8᝹\^2cʍ`COXu ^Qg.5䵺Է$֔WS;;.)Etc} $P*c,q!VxMR=H  g o1%R)[%?u5ZׇuM-YOr⾆qeI0## esEQco7 }Ҿ?l㌩XDO~UkFZ=#^O6xnOXl5,5:!ʱ⺟ |B<92- zVG.tW%ψ?8`aScފ.:mHxM#OaֹDBԅL{}jI]۲;>#j37Bݕ'We2SG^ƄZQq܆X)NNpqݵ= *t犢JB>X[,we`C]aEs*vFHܤ ?M14G:ȹڎݳ-ѕ^[im4IY@X.'<{נh>8?^0Fq֜WҀ  qNMɮK~7–{^aC?QL罺p@ؓW>'צ&s[_((j\kɞW'7;Vx%H 9E'ֆ忋;dڒF( Wz>}ԌP**)'Š(HQEfF r;QM>ֵxM.P;xO@?w.{-gs#s{wPSg#FG^d>E'ҦoC: Þ3mPblpbWdF{Q9J挚%x:0 9`^wCPH߅wF+dJ>8Ⱶ-u=<_kFYӿJ(z4#|iiG**N׵v;bN,N5-]?);Ķrh[AFԲFEwHGVԬ d 1ȫA >Wv,62 @n`m5;Xuh4.Vo$ yfXŝCQ9#2[GR79g9DWKdݖw,TKA;5|}K0FݤrG.)ҰoDqH>H>Ekvs=9YKw QL6#u|?*pnZGHs3:Э湙DQ_!2r#T}gA+o5fĐ/gծ[I+rQR0(("#|cgMN&61}#pOJ6B890+q#Lks#MXECr9=MMa f;m>k }#g+M:4~P@Z=sM[o-Lc] rO_nzՅ &WHbr7R(,ӳc{~g(jCف@[jKY"l?LqYQkz=+`Тad$5 kom-܈ =:KZIHŏ]tvBH͒޴Q|u54{XnZ8&W&U(aEPEPׂ6ivzIIpu]WOVҮlgdg1YY ޕ7Hv8UWdqT_2ESj 8O 8jW]yy佼Ls/|{*=Ns=lOv>b :}+@)o./佾p9ϲJD` r՗;:٫ӰE$uNڦ%cfE&>Jns~H-"y_F'P.Ms![[ѧm̱5G921]@񲼪0TmiON 1 U*f?!]&mo[խ-:+uyg;eWtW Ee 0y*:au=[X̗s\Jl2Yc(AX_X麌q'-U#1%pIv---.uMVLHyLzds'&/V.&Zb͵LJ(QEIE:71Ȯ:qq ,ͅQN_ė[lF2n|WPkK"ٴZqo o$[xnKzmca"N( SW*G<? j/EviO#|I}Q}n/,n-mhcF3^%׆5,/7@`ќf&Zӵio/ ȱ6ȫsֶ4vlE&oPG`z(p='Gah Eː$c֣j%DG7wwrQH(tiU_(spw3ySHy,ݓ򟡮Ԟ 1'z”&89ޗ*P9Z'V!)YUiLц' *x[^eWq[z}}9U4=?H;uY1+߉T85?fH{KQ!o.Q9r>u"TmF4m `(T3ڊZ[m҃^g8ֲċ,kcj~nuB2:H>ћܗnAVޘN稠y C09VL!=HϷ==/Xm̹T <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 9% 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