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X`88nC;\ {bˁϡVLn Gz핢 ('m x< iOlwg_;o/\B ;*Ƽ7lTYU Y{T硷#^995N]ϝ D݅gE BGu[ee'i3Z&v[? 򮆱.t :JخjhҊLjn1W4| nNI9>մ` 71|Q nr{t[` Q|U{袷f:U{f,/gQK+vv8ɨqs֥ӔKqSH˅NK^;n $ q4 H@'ywYM'f`xg8eWL?Zk3>Œ/]T8:9'P>ckLn^ZbkFك.tƸl=;JiVџ#O5U.xΓ뎥z}K}M6`=%7TkhXJ jxyr=hxpO;ٔ)zUEp 6%S_?NOkש~Wc?J\t=sW'0<2CF{W&)y_Vvrh#9]$Rpj枭!fڛ<`ZvLG b1gZ|Mqceا5}Ɏ88Fit<*JN7 IEt IE%-yq (Q;^Wv}F}_pҌwn?J_/P7+CJw1`2RJ `qV`SNx&?H*CylL;1t;Z+)SZZʗQVߚzmrYHֽi8s IgHrIKž9"ja+>t=ŬLΫ= G[(zӷ{νjxB )lyRr=IWBXFO꿴e؟w9OOދHr=)h˰g˹]ܢtOCOgn*]^ֹ\ &=Ǖ!G7aAGVDMOA.- eQsOܬ)|̇O|T$e[llT3#&x?:[θV7(F)e-Â^f ((=+$#m]Yd>Zr z1?[?#@\av?~Fm̊XcE'$t2J 0\1K,n~:UNFPKQ=׭sko$ 2 &Ɠy^fdsMg\fHiJ֥T<8?:>A7aMWTcMum i 's+ˆMUaЀ\&+3) +F̷n`@ T)Kk{5VX'*m6.dKKt R΂%bIXcmFR~TS[d lG]xm䑖eˢ"Cfb>Fdlg&8 :gY6CE-|Khڜi$LC*( OIGut Gb* O{1#9MUtm塙-$3HsYJ.:#(#Bu#3PEZULg ҅vX@ksثd)eO,VK(CG1'Pk1h@=v'E_C-pѤ;AymnLqwr^]ܩQ>?+`ƅJȢo"(/bN_z7q{WŬ_&Yn%]A[k4Mc8J psv*!][kޜ˓J>zY`OAT 7mnAc8 ǜIIc9Q g4•$ _J[_GRaAQ\p0E?C۲j(#4u4QE1vQE&4!EP!ý0ER (!hP9QR1M QB)PprC9Q s/ӡ}¹9M2䁃I9Zd30F$% 4*i6 p;Pz{*x>Xq!g8QHjersey sleeves were half empty (not enough muscle).&nbsp; I took a second glance and saw that the entire team was too lean.&nbsp; As I turned to my players I said, "Boys, this is going to be a lesson in weight training."&nbsp; The game was not without event.&nbsp; Our running back, Yohance Humphrey, ran for over 200 yards but tore a corner off his medial meniscus.&nbsp; After being "scoped", he had to sit out for three weeks to heal.&nbsp; It seemed that God had a lesson to teach us.&nbsp; If we did not have a real sense of faith, we could have gone over to the dark side of despair.&nbsp; We had to keep our eye single to the glory of our goal.&nbsp; Now that we had lost 2 All-State players to injury, we had to decide how to use smoke and screens to hide our weaknesses.</P> <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-America 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 harddo you think you havĞ:ˮnI;w5N P5Jm[~6:+C ᘩiv+\>_"s{L%_d.#ޭ{ T6Tw<[^T?pc *>iJt6(