We are SAVAGES

On Friday we saw THE Best Football Game EVER!!! Our Salmon High School Savages made it to the Idaho Championship Game for the 1st time in the school's history!
During the playoffs, with each game won, the excitement could literally be felt across our small isolated town. Businesses had signs posted in windows, conversations were centered around the team and the upcoming game, and everyone proudly sported the school colors of orange and black.
A week ago, we had the opportunity to play in the semi-finals at the Holt Arena mini-dome in Pocatello against our rival Shelley. The last time we played in the semi-finals at Holt Arena was 2000. Josh and I lived in Chubbuck at the time, and we took ten-month old Ammon to the game with us. We unfortunately lost that game. But this time, we came out victorious!!! During this year's season, we didn't lose a game in our conference until we played against Shelley. We lost to them only and thus missed out on the District Title. But last week, we beat them 25-15 and guaranteed ourselves a spot in the Finals!!!
The Championship Game was held on the blue smurf turf of the Bronco Stadium in Boise. Our town made the 300-mile trek to Boise. There are only two ways to get there from here, and both are just two-lane highways. We passed and followed cars from Salmon with orange-painted windows the whole way there! We saw people in stores in Boise and could spot them easily decked in orange and black clothes. There are only 3,000 people living in Salmon, and over 1,000 people came to support the Savages at the game!
We played against the undefeated Fruitland team (whose colors also happen to be orange and black). They have been to the Championship Game for the last 3 years, and were favored to win. It was a close game the whole game. We were sitting by people we didn't know very well, but then I think everyone else was too. It was very crowded, so it was difficult to find good friends to sit by. But it didn't matter who we sat by, because everyone there had the same goal, the same purpose: everyone was focused on the game. I normally go to games to watch the people in the crowds because I have difficulties focusing on the game. But I was even focused on the game. I can't even explain how unreal it was. The crowd was ALIVE and LOUD and INTO it!!! Every time we made a touchdown or an interception or a first down, I was high-fiving everyone and hugging people and jumping and yelling and cheering and dancing! And so was EVERYONE else!!!!
Do you want to know the best part?!! We were the underdogs, and WE WON!!! The final score was 37-26. The excitement is still in the air! But now instead of "Good Luck" signs on businesses, the signs have been changed to: STATE CHAMPIONS!!!