At the same time, the coaches understand that. It's nothing against the coaches. They're working with 100 kids out here ? 100 grown men, actually ? and it's not like I'm the only one that's been in this position.

(Ballard) is a team that can make us better later on by playing against it. We can use this game to play with quicker, more athletic teams and I'm really proud of our seniors for challenging the other players to play hard the whole game.

We played a really good game against West Coast (in Round 21), and the Richmond game in Round 22 was a messy game.

For a while, you hoped the thing would turn, you know? That one of the operations in one of those towns over there would set things straight -- or, especially, those elections. Those Iraqis showed up against guns to vote. I kept hoping something like that would change things around.