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̙f=ѕݴo3h݃Z>Cgn?3c^gx.9DŽt쓃G&6,O:ՀEeg (F;Y!:R7UbNFoMP h>E63#4Tх6~`3T6 8*8 ?JƻpyD7| ?xW 9Q8Q;ED@Lc?AC+b8&FrQ˿F=I׭w֜bIou>i_-xIc}B b`u.R}) wGGT3V TXrx_E$2Wֶ OSuu*)ܹ$~ v6W:JM+Ic5T]Yڲ,1.,܌KB+{>2yr" ݏ+Ȭڱi֯KxG~ 1XH]ػf)@ -lHD+ޢ$[g1wE=qۭx4wռEyP)FqϮj!'_\૝|Rzķ :N6: p85?Cxu+ɖYB:Yźޕi밺028G5|blQTԮoN`3+Դ xVt#%Q \Ҡ[V2\@d-)J~E~mё=.нRLL;GMuFe[l#ٟcj\J>1UY"n#cqhI+dcU9 doF@l5$) m'([bgrlPH Šп$8P=Hd WsO͓c?_2(yCY~q^f;y1O(61<4~Dv$ rA\n@%NPR6ڊ|ހn BK&wq?Z]f՚RGBA#P15"23F;0N]dG`T(eݑ=4wRR^Lp8⚌ !onzs*P:)iNp3=O822?[>@:R%F c4٣d 0ŲI*OyUYUHg_G<}&ˉpAzSB-cZ3aV4\G38?u=E-訸;@3S ְ3:yG'Ҟx\F ) V}j:m)t (تgZ \WߠSPId`$w=) gMgmo1d".WcT\r _-xrW,I Dkv긧aG^k>!6.01WP]a"%)\v;!Y 1uW/ P,sLYn0Kab=\,:гLp=QOE q:QHeaLjAbY-<~ ;I IQO)H~vʂOsM@pIYbF9Esx8 z ȶnp9=8`Wx' c 5<F݈;(V#>}[ HwdyVr,T)QZ!(( XǙPS}ޘQ@=XX=aN1F۶?gA ءwJXxU< (-0\PǓמ)0Kͷ<Q@Wp񎤐94SP1 ~v2igMHf28ފ(hPJ~Q׏Ί(bsp; 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 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 hav3?R8Ŧ#5fu=GPIL9(bFoLpKwۃY 2٦>Ja&E3R[vw aS:zCyk!^=JV-E-exs΂b- aw5|KbWݹ{}} _EdZ&?$|q1v̍ McV\jg)1}k7T%FJ̉FtG@^)kЩA,$@EJOg-QXPXjYz.BN`'3Wm2ʪ|E. 3Y{wi.TcR 9&Ħ{۵ՎOJ9ua6JHi $xrk+Зը^Y)IZ!ڱw&T$Y]T!H{Pzeވ&:YfJaDI\z"mz 4 rdG k[⹯b 摠>vѲ(l',ػ!1*ip&ry0dr GwlLjF96%_("X h7r?Ն]s&%̥dO\yãbLi^#H9ɑ 3ʛyQYV$" E?\{̷MȻË(D%0d-lOhDZ3E1ȴԖBŅͥz 矩Xt^eʙ x=LJ9bHs Joo/ffCRyL}B>;9!eFEDwNOHV CM-N_TK,0 QB]j֞&dO3O&Dq&%t/'B;t "UvaմKdT |J|R԰`0["@I|}ɀf9T0s$ԶAWݒTK(VlRɼɕAE5|c<`x(L5jgb!Ҵh=