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JASON ROSS: DIARY FROM AN AIRPLANE

I am writing this while flying thousands of feet above the ground.  As I look out the window to my left I see what appears to be a blanket of puffy clouds covering as far as I can see.  Under the clouds there is nothing but flat lands in the center of the United States.  The sun is still shining as we fly west back to Sacramento and it feels like we are chasing the sunshine all the way home.  We will get two hours of time back as we fly westward but nobody on this plane seems to care about that.  I am with the Sacramento State football team that just won at North Dakota 34-27.  This may not seem like a big deal to most but it is to this crew.  It has been over two years since this team has won a road game, 2014 at UC Davis to be exact.  That was a bus trip across the Causeway and still a road win but this flight home is sweet.  Road wins are special.  We have a little over 100 people on our charter flight and to enjoy it with them is priceless.  Players, coaches, staff, trainers, administrators, parents, etc., all in all this is one happy group of Hornets.

This team won with their 4th string quarterback.  They stayed poised, under control and did it together.  Offensively a run heavy game plan turned into timely big play passes for 34 points.  The defense created turnovers and got the game clinching stop.  Special teams contributed too with field goals, great coverages and a blocked field goal.  They did it together and now they enjoy it together.

This team is now 4-3 and 3-1 in the Big Sky.  This marks only the third time ever in the Big Sky that the Hornets have started 3-1.  Head Coach Jody Sears, who was celebrating his birthday, has preached team play and he and the coaching staff got just that.  The team could have used excuses but they didn't.  They just played and played well.  Toughness, togetherness, and a team victory resulted.  Together we now head home as a group.  As I look around the plane, the coaches are already watching game film.  The players are either sleeping, talking, or listening to music on their headphones.  Meanwhile I am enjoying the beauty of the view out the window and thinking about the impressive win.  I am anxious to see where this team will go as they continue to chase the sunshine.  Happy Birthday coach and Go Hornets.  Stingers Up.

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