Nar Yakushi

With Ponyville High School's hockey team winning their first round playoff game, they've advanced to the quarterfinals. The last time the team managed to do so was 7 years ago. As such, it's becoming a pretty popular topic around the town. Which Nar may, or may not have a hand in perpetuating. Local newspapers are posting stories about the team. From their rocky start as 2 schools merged together, to their recent playoff win, and even speaking of rumors that the school board intends to cut the team after this season. Tonight, Nar finds himself in the studio of a local radio station that typically covers Ponyville High's sporting events. They want an interview with him. Normally, he'd have declined, and just given a short, concise statement for them to read, but this was a unique opportunity. Nar isn't quite sure the school board will hold up their end of the bargain if they win this next match, and advance to the semifinals. So, he's going to make the team such a big thing that there will be public outcry if the board tries to cut the team. All those years as the frontman for his band are paying off. "Well folks! Tonight we have a special guest on the show for a quick interview! Coach Yakushi, coach of our very own Ponyville High hockey team! Coach, thank you for taking the time out of your schedule for this interview. I know you and the boys are very busy as of late." "A pleasure to be here, Chuck. The boys deserve some spotlight after all the work they've put in this season." "Now coach, we just have a few questions for you. Starting off, we want to ask, what do you think has helped this team get as far as they have the most?" "Well Chuck, I have to say it's their camaraderie, and dedication. Day in, day out, these boys push themselves as far as they can go. They lift each other up, and at this point, I'd say they act more like brothers than simple teammates." "Do you think your coaching has had any impact on the success of this team?" "Not nearly as much as their efforts have. I'm here to nudge them in the right direction. They're the ones busting their butts." "How does it feel to have the whole town cheering for the team, when at the start of your season, you could barely fill one set of bleachers?" "It feels incredible, Chuck. Ponyville isn't exactly Vanhoover, where everyone is a hockey fanatic. Knowing the buys have managed to rally the whole town behind them fills me with a lot of pride, knowing their efforts are paying off." "What do you have to say about the rumors floating around that the school board is looking to cut the team at the end of the playoffs?" Here it is. The big moment. Time to really fire up the town, and put some pressure on the school board! "They aren't rumors, Chuck. The school board made it very clear to me when I accepted the coaching position that they were planning to cut the team. They told me that if we didn't do well enough this season, there wouldn't be a hockey team next season. Even then, they didn't give us a concrete idea of what 'performing well' meant for them until we made it to the playoffs." Nar pauses to allow the tension to build. "The semifinals are our goal. The school board has told me that if we make it to the semifinals, the team won't be cut. As you can imagine, there's a lot of pressure on the boys to win this next game. It's by far the most important game of this school year, and the boys are definitely feeling the stress. If you see them in the halls, make sure you let them know their efforts aren't going unnoticed." "Thank you Coach Yakushi! We're looking forward to seeing you guys this Friday! And to all you folks out there, don't forget to come out to the rec center to cheer on the Ponyville High hockey team in their quarterfinals match this Friday! If you can't make it, then don't worry! We'll be covering the game here on 103.6, and the game will be televised on Channel 3! Go Hay-balers!"