JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?vGzBB$Rc?ʼ=x ±vېeՈ$H p9^|f:q'ILU&M*Ƴ,RSؘmɫ#:4_kU 2&NÝ7I@|Nzҝ"gإX19jF32k4ےO*6p- ,&0i evjX 2x W2|m/"=;t=joQէmB5YA֩+u4F6WfF G#aocⰬQ&;yX WBmWM-84BJb-j)c3#(k2}v0[o>+YV" <Ԙ$lxhQӍЕ' RBlw4Wt+}ڊu\FʌcAAoù<1WA'ܫ! qirmlfP$Cy?7qڝ595s^fO3Kk;[bjɿ'~ݪfb4y/rG|W(Ҵyx>pQ' ܒam왟2dqe<4:7j,VIS]$瞧8$Hsћ* ,6Mo-2 tnyWG?QCä{T#eԐF?E-.LWx$Y#/J|Iv.]* 쥸$͟5r3Y~^~`ʓ*/{Eeg9srfmW&Bua>YMy,u5!OS/zd|ys2 QivL"C#m.n!|SI.b {iXO/VA xj vێJ:Y^$l$KK ai”v@GwHb*B$!NB_vH'y5MUY]N;;wpl/o`}i.d}%WAP%vQ=3\.M)Z<#m%~`8?]V^I*cYR<)"[##+/e[sϴ+VԦIgJf(JݺkM,˧Iq>Dr0*5WXK(}zkGe"sqߵt:N4[ hg*_i{Eq` jne^&;mz1+K&< /z+ a't}XD^`s r/!ۗEO 0:g5JSIicC9Bgu:4 Z4vl>YF8aM'ҖsX%^2&d]"iʍsںV3)4}ws]G~Ry-\ ^ӒzLuI쎚qx)|wjmPH+_#,A<ۉʷvF0AW~g ^q&[ XoYkCIַj? jf-qơLv$czvjE=fH:Vmi6a39%P?3`dW,bup,AlކvdIeU+R,JB 1z-'2\nF{E@4Tάĝ,NN{ש+lQ䌚k5Kq#Wi1#'O5.df1{onmVᔞܷ\ oyw2*ȁVy{ 3 7nx#20SAǡUD3.5ye3uom&)O19+lO/M(Q:dpCͤZmo"k+XjBhWs Ob*`PJfR闆r,CsSgI+KwsV^$c,OSDM*K㊷y+2TR 41 +2rI\>.MԱ_.ki$du# װn!.!`:К^s8Go횉@3|=4^!%K&_*KDQcG$u8RhI ފVw4H4'1乹 #` Oֺq=QvnxkiHP}^;+=S"j*1<cO+Ϋr*tIQyCn3ƼľcY鋪Oy8egqGԒmvK{dO؞7wXVqWEI_.WJkS\2[]76n+%7SP:` .)3y(rxR'L$=)9hr8=IzO=cES <pybA|-&Hb$s*Y\zr V%_6 cgR[_!)E;2ZMlrŋO5 lwT]KW#J`{`g5w؜Dg*JݵzR۴)dFIJ"vm;y\YA|!$ą۽$Sir=}kԝ #.1] ʛ:_-Eɯy(U֜h%RAvEkrw<,FfbULuC@8+CÁY$9~:Ul:ɶ[3H:0-j e_Cڱ7x$w8#8V3+ KXk#\8[v4O *BƘݏS[̯xDktɮ|.Z\=ץajq¨H<]W`Ⱦaq$ioe'U'NFTW;Ru/mՔ-q5Md`zB 9iEх<|Vq1fs &[V]}5b"ݍkkFl,\}p@hd!=9\`G@=kK6ڶNCqPr8S, JgzW#Nz .Tp嘪pFP`NSټh[䐂NNG֊wNBzdvAG"Q \:*62Z7Q<Е.{ -u{ָӭVY#,czcIܸ:i,dwiIǹ2`VhÂAȯ%ܵw{mŏibxE5B}^&P *IA9<1\>iWB9~sXZ3m X㎇Al*F.hqw.$t,ڑZy&H-g2/pzZmy9=$,WpΠ BdB,be?3{[aoko#h2.s =Oʡ63^=; V;d`O1Ikb"D/Pۊps\wwb'ΝZoF=s~o=̘H_~1Gֵ 2)D4 FIdm>x Gދ͏s`$/ uW65ˉ #qYnXǖSԎgF}SrO`\u:ѸX E rr|ӃF;[Mhk=jӭZig] #*tʲ]F2|S4gŅ}>|Y1\ǿl9%IpTcЊmGɼs$I$g9Iۚu3vw }*~+I,A$fme'ǃzM8򱧥D%R??p1&;lOPߨܘ4pEï1Y>rW;IQ[ %-ٷg:^PTӏEe; J8( c$sZ(%Oa̒`􏊖4󂨕$mzt4QL"(*FryK_,A1EuH<иd4۟Ewe{#jeϭTsU)f+BVKvS TEMwc836aH|Ɗ+& }ʓ36O:S*(9qR`hj7!F<iE=*ŀ65p( rs|(CF-/cq <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 an 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 havܪO//yr]Ke?͝sGo)EQM'@\>8w:*|MKW6:֏k'Y@9i^t?-?tU5R}?Y--#ٚЖ44冚tAsi 5?Ó.)GchW1BÍ1=C iW:zl8#51g?1X@VZzR`{^gR&d)q IofH͠KjmU dzų֛#Q>h/ ܎l/yRAT"ąɉ4*mY)x:Q,~5oulV%A#noާ#4e[kͱ'wG&%5$Q, BJWA;'Oih)ڝ]Us/S bMW.d9,ԕ:ma,?7*lƙ[rZF(vJ?.EtE קFl#i+$/ >ޕ.m%~G"QzAזn*IKx5Kb Ӑh{pn ܴJƻ}, t8@۹,17wlV^=k+3~]iR: ȯ ։?_~kѳK4y\;DVqs&Ju)1/c<%`kFu(0GyMneG>ś|_$ ` ?O'߭HZlV04wkPQ"^j[ Q͒<~;Nt\V mdf5#88b0\n).ySCs I.cr1A LsF4ZE JS - Ҹ`Rk(^cn;|ݼsyP2%5|OÆ5k^/"䞛'Ǯeھ9`*~,HZr=}26knN75[-"6Aߒ|h ~Qҝ3Y[,qPT2991G_TZq,RXt^]0B@$vʛ7!EY!T}'9ƿֵS} y!dkޯ55X(PTt̿.ͨ6c _UM/rq)?,ONX޴Z+TN