JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)================================================== " }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?Z( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( +?eT jecebO2;+>[YȠ͌Sִ_b]D[uZc/QL2qe %I>+} PEQEd> Pp:q&RQWf:rV /O,_5hk_Zcj]׼+c[-[m.'ں]'c0|Hp)?C[V'0#UcFޛ ^S/?ŚVGg,v&79O|Fj4iHktLGWP ^;k'uG]㔺`EFnOƦpj(bc-aEP}j33죷yefQk;\/MwoIJt-UF+Pj3=&i. ;Y:ObyYGY(4WMIɅ d o<zR=#Ӫ (<f*3SõeDLDnOEk'fl!s֓irvяZϰԡ2xՓ,ݾAY;.j 22/AW^No2)O=UsYF*9"'Ss[ȃU+,mOqڸyr DsvղT|[n4U.J.i&%$VI[ %g' rޗ;͹%#XB`ר:ɦܢhqU-tkiMUco[Xd}[E|=J;u;"-h48E},އ&"?ʮi;_JYГfLI-/Z$ 8bKSLփјPqNTZN2}pOnX:H"l \HnXqY3f>V^nC~ʳٞ=bSh&5WtoXNx xd{<泥S[]Y4>k0Voagy‡rݹZ(Bāfm>;:[mvyګЛKSQ#ļfGN` Ol!Ik2Gs-#Z)7ꠖ ~4W^kڅ2̟7lE?j668jMn6w:ons֭!o8 Uhʀ8l5'7=*\nbTa`*Lŀ%j l Xnrxwp1֫E35bqP=@CHʾ&ر.-XU@#qTy^GwQmFII7 8#QabA^*5<":-1: oKl&ftܱڬ.35O:_ħ 4~)~$3ѧP?vci7"si,dQt yi{3n+}69)r@V{VjfEʒe>)y`m5=A{7\ms ݆7tɏu 5BT*1qvfuz&BbY@VA$cq<;W qL\L>zgKlBV[_xʚH^I%-;{|V4K~;kp'YZ<$ޕRݫEw6ފ7R&0/pj|-֟/)*2i2 k V-8"#'dP)*NY'wH.D Ըdkxsj$FwN\հ4 n) RYە)]c)N7wx3I ݸ<YZkn;*FOcZ3j1pQ PLiuxaae&g}~MZ߈NONJжR'cHU_NXЛ|˓vNPBVjF5=Y0$C׊ufV[W$~ ҨL:-2{|9&c,d!qWt%7ʺVX椰hC[JnHc5JVbF0ivi DCX[[:R`ڞ)YT8^UmIp+I޸L8jdϧ ĚLQn q5j d#T֔ 7I6IUFCwgd@a:55˩Slc5jKesAer~'-w*;5ep9ȩ./B*4YJbZF~/+zC8ufp3ڻi->\X/9^}k$(r#Etan6&ISe(c9݀QEpٷ5f fh?Cm,TlqUyp9~;nWnCS5b:n=GP6,&'K͌ kцPsVU*.!hP61KwG˷aNҖ3mBj6(.{14?(K&UZ 6Yk 3ުvKOz"iF{ G[]&#/'] z oa*948[q޽K.R`GJ-[.]: Iڣͻ žT:Ji re986H1^|;T/(/W!*6%G/DqsP2INzly퉓 ,˵`zS<l<0oZv2tB;'8^|$a[L\c!\VdHZ%g[6Hu܌0E},p >7tcQa*c0vtOqdt>09𽫦d s%%nwެZEl:q^> ƛ%tS[8h EO"rzWz<8UTJY|Epmn]\xUaE+:}vf|ɇGoΣ K&iqiJ%F?3xZp8ҋ:-B3! LY:+C+k9+c^"*1Ԛֵ.+2w 5u=>czWs{L44b\VDNzҹ|C853`U)T[8kMUЖJc) 99=`&Qhy8ʝ4wO$**VWFj1e#km}k:܀1 x;S9a[ɓUv=?Q.#-ֹ+MjX@W խ8'cƼ,F_]ѻ3kkbGEZ# 1ʥXHRM]2s4UL)墧Lw#})JO¯|Af;@ʝ9N\ՊRQWcXf@UA1֠u?;Am&By.Jz!<,I7niyScC; >j8ge8j6r)jm:ݞӳ̐㢩fn1l=+-r}:KBŕVs0K}TZ,5+p%Qȭ[߲vS&#m]<;uGQbIJC)Aȸ5hP\4'ڴ`na D[4f#t~V&muNsVNG 9[qIfN74u`?{+[vq&G fMةh:u<^ &6k^FS .:܃QU,PGE|\jSqq>"H&ZjBFho~Z}ُ[~1ѯs'GOwfx/C=)GuzjSJ\fGJf".oA@~s]qdwKbqZP$W&1)zErT˝Y[x=lڬkgLDkUR6;"}seTiЕKYֆӹj:f5WО )ibbQ!Oz}mOI(, ⊣65 z`u/UT:T^fg)qXsH,rk#&e^6v%;GNh1N^u@gځXScRiEqNIҎ48)ߥmbn2qK7J[}@4.+jM-cN4jb2'SۥU$MFo s AK=ˆ$݀XH$] h۠CEAh۬ )J6m jp=}jH*NCRK[j!s8ZVp 12t#QI6Ɓ@c)8*/\bFBs)ĝRjf6OnzgҕGP)F;\v94u.z.&f*>sN A.$LŸjn99JA悐74aU! "es[p/YWRI$ /(Q\t#Zhz9{T[k=QE 5y2TojyDGf;dPݑQ:->07`*I&5ǭW%YNεiD2#ޝ)6$g19y ["f}KU?U FIRjd5:[eݪP)8?™!qJ); \bP)hbsR8Rw)'ޫ-*iI5)o})%AN)KLӽD}J;3JȔ~%?Z_VN.=*$Μ&m=cERwp ߝ\퓝gAnchorage rated number one in the state for the third week in a row. </P> <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 the year would walk away with the trophy and title of state champ