JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?qjE15>2EPwxN4_ֱA7JF2?"4})f*#a3Q'p]Ts "7! ;XW(isNyGrhO9jQ1K)d^3@G4Ҟ~#@ R(As{R֊,;U('*U3ȲTE::x>jUi` =Hx<߭1F8p:Pp\pm4RM3ܾ:3ZdYRׂAq߈bH(%=k֢Z88;1x=3)F+-C6~z$ A#)OJiKzЀBx:@z~ S)Y"U=NGkV>U灊kGSd\ko@<:Ω+[uArbMM?O*yqEyGn*3n9ޯv}o4w0G4'V.:^` }.g$ȉ?zιR;[ѺAI6=[y$'lM"3‚k07_!OV^&L#i~3 $bp3].Ӧ!Iž^jE.0ѳ)J }ÖQð>);oZI8,ɚ4ϒKFHSy2jU5>&Zgh(#?f3OlU{h ['d`{+S{mZ1JP,~s VYy?ronrEfq@=WgeifX@Kp1Zw`mc NK{WwM,LhHOEtF瞿q  `u|D*:rfaX# DpB=Oר{5ZsO2spr$jXʴqx?+NߝxƪvO<?*?1{OSJsnZ ̷RQcHE3ձE&) Ȳ!rEުIYi PAr?iI \A,2RE*8k-/Q_bqI$=N_iKi4@T7$9*NZFQ|4m3N=KxKhN;g5 $l(o\Q.aS5|zҡvp`;T\e P8^&EpI8|6{P:HF}?_^3Q&s79>+PSm<\8RxQxKKo[dU$י^)= z,a{W_.x'ǘQXjS)V`OHugo4kiCv`;4Ԅ<^V%>ŏ}AHUT ʓ|CJ:{S2i ƒU[拄lz6~t{%a{b>AՔL=x+ 9{V:7݅1"9z桒)I0^)P2yWVl ܼ!*0v#￵/r1 ,c92Ou>N)ۤ0A ;z+7T sFWwgU_u(I\ykDN- Ɍ*kvݣ:fy{ ,App=ktNObynUAc+1m`M6 4ͧ $)KDYդyVUR/ Q kk{Q`,*37&ѩy [*M#O#Y6G^}5ܙusU1zɭZ11ݙ|5Jӭz#A~VaaȮaOJRkda溌I8UT}溌Eqq309CޕWZ>WtrVhK c@*ߓ9$d D($}+.V>Q*ʻ33]Q*;3?I|_g ku w0]sWb֧gLu)J-" &z̜r:nL㨭&y~2;*-6X4l>6cҸ fvڽ@ፙm(2+)Z; b 62~[.(#rsNJ5{|` =GZxbrG\SJ;?eP@NNV#-N(p`N3rzUd< r9J,ૌ@ qcT3Bs?%g"U("4Kz#m**͝ߔš`8NIh uF2HP鴋Sn](;F"R{?Ҋt -tԁǓE&oZ*bI$ P?sIR60'ڸ'"c>!d{}!Uq &׵{>{s*ine*ghf>~GN½A]!ʎqȥ rz 6LFH?EfQ?\y󎢩#ޅl:q۵Sw=^P\*Ժ*)ztٞ{uGu5_Wk/qW'W;]gsK;b[eNErPKxij{I;@#2zVsF+HuGfЯ,$y7 ^ڜ){1-SRox~VxcIxpGR>EUeِsW5R,SC~z8 Ov7ܬFr kE(kдԮ݈"AⳞ7DQ}oKm빑|PԴ{)xe#5ⰰ_*}=#-n[HxĻpjg1>*J T'׷Z2AFx$k]WPyK pM1f8]hp眃^ݸآ21b9O\J<_`BsTU{qҟ>$Tc*!!l%ġQIڢu5rxv[UYo,ߺ3I "mRI k+ {@m-XhE#Ư7%t`k;i@KvURH=pqTz%bX z 8dWj8GH~W i<>@jr[8ܒ=q{t=Un@Iș&\0q[j8A' Kٗn=%rkH=j W1\1O34tjRCWWA{6="/iP]M+8,rsKmC㌑)Yr{NT-j_ I+"4~܋{Algh>E!Yjo9m'un2IQmBc1bpիI!G*i3UXw4qdvZ`qӸo׏O^{g>kd=I?LҖqGh۷>Ɔ[40{$ϽI>Eq)FBA4^Ҁ?Zf0y^\;98aFz)iʥhI z4aNL~4azp< Zrs}*&P4$i{=@ U[k@U 9Ao\Gfm'w* LMRݘ%O$Qm3FXV*@>Rqiq49Lq3(x7i݃ց }0q؞gǵ8qR恁!'Cw0+]ޤ֊E#'Z(Ppz $ Qd}(d:O=NqH댊vݣ'nSЅ\ <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 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 hav$6