JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?}V5ޠ7j#޾՟FlYYHJ*)a:yU7%szuȒC'֦ԖK+lnn1\赴VOz:8K$qzաx1tl7$W#5ȷ4.҈3bxan81ƪXy\#RfnIPy" [.Z_^F8c nz{`Ԛo粕$ySKA7-ON{@J(f%-lTqNYl2Ias)kUʚ P]ۜsԔyê棭hxۏz0RoT1'4o<(!R ?½8rrA&`Hps/2<Ȋ87Q^u!6y9 քNy vqmK)~TI=\Ix*ZxhWRIvM?ɒ9 *02[q8{h=ː$X^%ΠH!W b1^x~u$$oZ's*N2vGQ^bvآNVtE3޷l13 HKD5m->e6>b{h!/rZ2Lſ =?ZRo.A#q?6}u;=2R֟`7b[9⃧]] P0837kk[ѭEx+tc^A.gp4yi|2ɴ{*iߜg$X5Xeyq;W3gGdd.) ;I1&֍E)3IǑji%tX%]IiW,TfxrW1[$ dlN *͜c=k!?hE\~zWgXJěwCJYZC] 2v]*Aܗ_6@鷖7Q2I;OzOcһFmԤf*FS8oTa(S"1E^ٴW&V1ӂq55drÞƺ?(#'&]ް$s ٕiI+}A 2rLrsYzWVUZI`WwcouoA$왬4բi ˷Et )LQOi48UXW='XBHn\kKZ4rJJKGVSq^GY ޔjN牭Xºtٻq mʸ+ã>dg 2oq]n5mL(ie!jib꺅۲˜3[jVVVwQ`xEJK{IAzaT#EڹkBUipAz[@mKP:yp}+gl[L31}7aiWoOPvoQhL6@4_I;F l^0-q8^XZh6Kf1d8Ut,ZY-)43Fm=1]ȅ\`޹zz'8)(Atcx,g'4W|DX-;NĞdmBmYh9]d\8>Ƨ͟n>*#և{IJ6 >T)VvG .$b|'jGӑN5)l,x]bC el?\R#Xcx\sȨ|Ck{ -D8fe<3%RtN6ksJPSrwOcN/a B_z&rvo=ڛ5I)uss{Ωk(or. 8?V&0ZRziɣ)BK_"Y[_);+ k3Q6@޼sT:l0-pxsW!o,z04TTH\:BP}*}?\RU$wIsV_:`U۾qw:WQ 8'63WW=D#կ6獣#EMaXQ`Z[U ԂR8ִsIMjH1`/TӦ{z~Fk:QB\zӦ fx~O߳\dkob#yVWJ^&I=德uK8ɯBJZ#bRKU />p^c?^! G'mWpx@?W5:)?tꟲ) ^{[tPFdi0Mu vċN//amIeQCQXQs(_$ْ'ӎ|q~-(,m*:|Q2 Tgk浒-AmfBoXxKIB⹖,H;|}Ck4',V9∫+YWl&3Q_sbR|kBɛ2:Z&gp>ҵ`y 3jj ߢۮ]/~CZҍ3mʗw{Hʑs^{V ?sR9c+u(`+OһǙ}O&uB<&F(E{V_iK  [6`9 sPZwvk*:‚ܪC^H"jPZMy7J3Kc01SkR4#]qhZw|g;iD $bc@\8`=yZxҒs W5⇎m:T8p}kg5tuN2Η.Y5$#s23{di.Dp0_ A]ym\D3 zxS>e8h8kyN*v5-5>i M]==)I }+a[]~>]MbkkWLb6Wڜmm^mx=YXe&$|NOCg}>z$}GZܺinQdBBw?7PM [ȒE6j `%i;|0ve^ S&7~u$9.=Mz?GG13 #)`=Lt檂+i*"L'Cb];R0GkNj.eH;zW?AZ8Oc5+?}*)t*ԧ7Zal/~552S(->NK[hD5"N05s9rV'⊋O_Ҋ[i-mN+׿%8R5'F;ZA%"?MoYY[`?W<\jQ5)j:h PaYB0UpLA!'V#gI9HVy`v*gˎz޽Q~gQ]q\^1 dbrJf 0,P=Ozi޴-knn_ۚkXNE1DG{LFm*2;g'S&yn 4ڠ  6EJAnA=sPkfzu$(0xɧ SՇ,{|q8YUr3^og.n\$E[5]ȅ1 nOi#WxIIlzXy''ensk/H9#)ݲ'aƺ]W%t;I:cvD;(ܽ"mkT!8hE#W/r[4E p;UP8Tb'M8n+i@AiTᇰ5[ko $jG?ٖ_/==lҾ+KJU8ٸ5Bb}GqEsu󟚊W=*ݕܤL'W#OT>Z{4R9Uܪ׭sSQ \Y{ ~ tĒC0a⑀rH]۠5+DJ8fi'iAkia [ՔsWT!5Z/A ;xLܵl) 7 ͖=}*焴:hϫBWooKmt?¦t٤6 <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 he 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