2A State Football Champions!

The early morning trip to Alta High School, and freezing in the snow storm was all worth it to watch the San Juan Bronco Football team win the 2A State Title. Way to go boys!!! The first quarter was beautiful weather, and I started to question why I had brought so many blankets and coats. But just before half time it started to get dark, and by the time the Royals and the Cheerleaders took the field to dance, it was snowing pretty hard! The girls did awesome - even though they were freezing!

I wondered for a minute if they would cancel or postpone the game, but nobody missed a beat. Some guys started shoveling the lines, reporters covered their cameras with blankets, and the boys came out of the locker room ready to play football. As I sat in the stands under an umbrella, wearing who knows how many layers, wrapped up in a warm blanket, and still shivering, my admiration for these high school boys and their coaches increased. The turf field was covered in snow, and very slippery. It was snowing so hard, you almost couldn't see - especially the guys in the white uniforms! The wind was blowing and the snow almost burned as it hit any bare skin. But the boys played as though their very lives depended on it. Under these conditions, the boys couldn't play football like they had practiced, they had to dig down deep and play with something else - HEART. It wasn't talent or skill that won this football game, though the Broncos possessed plenty of both, it was the determination and heart of a good group of young men who knew what they wanted and were willing to do whatever it took to get there. This is an awesome group of young men, and they DESERVE to be the State Champions! Way to go Broncos!!!"Never give up!" quarterback Cameron Shumway, ready to make a pass in the snow "It was all worth it!" the San Juan Broncos celebrating with the trophy

(my brother Jesse, #55, is the guy to the left of the guy holding the trophy)