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W:|afvraV\I?r7A+6^E~H"kfѢݜNS&=J(l9̒3$יGho5K5WT9fx9WW]\Iom{P0 ^4˩TubJ>lDV3I1劶0}=MQ-".3IzT [$@#`t+YK8Z/ȩp6৊dд >{kh^g`p*{' ͞=i~?2k=x9=EZ'] UA$,iYQFXCo$+7&`{,f WWh!J8Hx8^:5.ȅH\m䵖2$w] S==hw}IԜɩ6dYK$A_ d:BjZiknDHA;K +R=SM^[܇ 3Zmnt9[? ip> >]]^h\ FnmW%s0ACC 2>&Z,]#/y}yp3qǎx:(*ٮRI$n9&--0#Y^sS^-۸kkbQ)L-jܬfO+6 s֑o.p*rKLE4ށlab\~8aMRm큖{sDCb-9ݑQ݌6QnP\#!0k,Äc! y.V]tl*#>cZQ̯lذ XJ*r;QxFѴ&{XX̀T3MG%w#U !\ΓS]Gw#}@/,g$qc>OGn'}dl}){I\X[`;qLđ+X\gI}/5Բ9P}¬Es9feʼnr9[d v98۩m##jp)اA!?ipDU؊m; Hr 7( _Ov?ʡ-c۞*]NtV3`XRpZ߁mPh[yOd7h3bIz¼=*vM %0g9-\;gV1Ijg ь]Ւ ᑱц+a4ۑN>Vqrh7֙ IA)Y<ʬsT3^O7>ӕ[G&T];Ns9k wniO=Ȅ6$?zDKp)7*TsQc= JүqV߄-]Md\V#6{eXC<JJGQyɃm<Ny5&[mBa5;4Mk1&݀?X M?\!` 32=bz5h{kqҸ-cNk+{ecҹ[Rb 9Ul߻vyA֖2 r+jkk|T ։tV%PYΓH 3"[oݩZ{[1R}n [ *+(mݿ֫ y};9b\ɥ;TiAi-Bup =k-LAOpx/E= @:o8:qz1:gXkv׿)o.\r+C9ͬAM]zxcu 3ǟi#U=c#ٶ'g"[>vjgwqbLYʍE"zܪfƍdھb_͙j*\t6L fϰ)!O2C'5Z\=.JjmG&M0vwU vtpntyN rGLLEEѤ'ßHo3cn ǜV d^b~8Oqxg`TC]qw$N1fI,sG6]m %ӢtFH;WKh TÓ\p& 2QhݤjbȠxU\EQ&QIu>"e{"w:sJuWQ-0Yperz{/W+Zbw@Tw<^*Kd;l}(>st˽"o!hC#r u}MmZJk3jhʬb][X#`$H?iXNaX+MTU,BОTC7u<;]2A6'Ud.p~SyoaLWp#bU$tRw9oj;]*8UUM:nb@)!XڄdefOz[;fbI9kIwgu3h]M?Eץ #gVkC|5OfzD7Q#ҸZ9IJ]EqRR:VQݦ@rr;TGC 2䭳T Cu mHv0NGd*B[1cksS}Ih㚖"=^% <yہ"kTӯd@x9S꽍{|  l/kF;@-څv<})9kIm1i<5FMP Mk'(Q@7q?J SppN:SsLc收›;)<ڛ ɣ;SSI+84c)9qNsF8yM8&OZ x'@ R;$bHlޔ52=\eh4t^(!<42r+fQMմW &EyDO&m^dQvьFzBVIlgPhϘ͛ )těCЃV[q @dn7(x%w*̱R84l^-jG TEqx4P9ϵ JB2jP@PO0BoǧzLn=O'׊@&x@lьgUab)jL8Ӑ( 84z);3oz0cӊ# <P>The next game was played on the astro turf in Anchorage.&nbsp; The opposite team had a new coach and was very optimistic.&nbsp; We beat them 28-0.&nbsp; When we stood next to them before the game I noticed that they were the same height as us but their jersey 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-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 t