JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?j( ( *9B*k=.25ig\I"K!Lҵn]6\ʀzPWEq^5֕,I biɗG#@EpI4 [x2PFi9gPEy+Xl Q>5'^M'ysbL&ʄ86\ީӴ(uEibC/vV?J}ޞp +p:M@+RX0UТ(((((Νs\WxXu*~@fog>_-|}b4B1uMW_%P$n l [Wpp85 XEyq;co5-'%`<@4N+C# ʚϿKmnN>$&y|++W&a{7 z ͧ%Oc r7׷ryDq-O¿kVO$2!}bj5הhKkF ;b4̸JD:z߸N緽w4ӬN`G uNvg.9zT~zW 7nz:'5=.{e 5ʧ:7Nؒ:0YM4ǘ`\cۚ_ ërPn=k`2dbivs:v~ ܑ@l9ծ%5i,JWnq^a CV Jo:H}c?Jط}lm,e~tx,/..arL {`mEPEPEPEPEPm@NMƼ- *:3t:&iR#n 8w7 u6W;z^hh.<]f>Z!fȔTΣ`B@1P3X GHyƓV("fL^c$Tv@]>)3? WMwt `z[9Ķ+,$ <6Z0.~ޭj>!y#*.!DWP%ʹHr>0|#WY65}3NIHا1Kh7e6{URUf,{ZGRX[HāA }+Ouj0B pcIH?JaFK]s^h_/oUGSueq:Oj|q&ge[;HL`Ҿ@ϷZ|x[5<ܩgCצqY=2Hc|tj rm*?Z@FnI4vɂc*jUc3Zaz؊D+'Ҫ[Ⱦ-OW2w K4nk6H 5,*Hu6|Mqe`t2 B7 yK 9c&QxGg\4"BC3:x-+_YD)"8?GOJ}'%%A5IIF'[>:,JхPMo :i?;ڻ$7%%hǸt\[h ~u^oh?i1W8h5Fl4QEQEQEQEQEG?0H:zZDD۞k.CYDX!s+ϞAncT?m甞@?NPx]kF /Nf  G^jkZj=Yڕw>m*q(Ŵ{`V\ZBջgj>`FO<<|9W6lkEox"1C%CrykrEooqe6Q#d~+k6s̎3=V-N}CY3qd- rnI^X((((( k=#aufGG^ M|&4?,Sl?5@ƀܒ(۴_jb͐`*-WW. fC2R3X1chukpn^C1º -լ̮qP0 c—$KbK 8+y$SS=–1KIM5JͅB8k_œ2gjc5NBt9ψܵ\* '_q=B~)[vsKJ,Ͷb~{W:wޢRq ڸ|m;9r"/nyJQ.-#M`t+zP/D.H8VpcޫMtɓ iRFs@Ojv9#y1drǀ+?'zh$H&⑘ƀ<UpMzTׯ?O&/䵺>#v 1^G ͚uv5_TnXOV?ҽ/Wq6l֭nql:V75xJ$\]Ah~+x;H-tˍ[q`X|T.V BG,?x##֐Pkftf`;[<ղN9-L8"?Dexs8X_:8~ZxEfVWp ,p݅nq֯C.AQ z u#S| b|ASlUGoxb \<ұi$bǩ'h $OOJ`8c781 I#ZXYDeңys@fCu <2kh9:Py iB|kӼ!'4g 39wx{^E[;_:<PWi$[ZK"]p Ol((((( +A5^5Șˡ{(^,ifIo+*F8RKqNh@H֓84@m>qJ) ? ֮}wj˸) zY鼁h[V-=LԡɼtTR=lz}\$QKރ׉xc kY$_ox]J\!yxtvi}i ՚'[(c&u~5QHHih(c𧷭#/_SV-4:so%ߛ:R>ZQ5LN 6=\YiKnPycԞ*j>9/Fӈ4+: 3.h83:4Q[-dw׮2mPj}& 2 ]1? Ű D Eaxp_'·h /B<5@-;('xEalp4=8g('ӿ·h # i[PO#CӇW7o YyE¨@AiG~(΁m'mʑ^ma$tnvgzBjouVys2~cI @71-̜*_,e㊚#WEvQn3XzfQH@ACܖ)+UWw6'c!l{Sݥ՟E{cG ^+v ( ( ( ( ( ( ( <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 havwRH6wRH6w`4RH6wRH