A Nostalgic Reminiscing of My Second Year of Bible Quizzing on its 15th Anniversary: The Sophomore Slump

If you ever look up the definition of “disappointment” in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, you’ll get a wordy definition along the lines of “the act or the instance of failing to meet expectations.” If I may offer a less wordy definition, I would define disappointment as “when expectations are not met.” And that perfectly describes my 2nd year of Bible Quizzing.

I had ended my rookie year of Bible Quizzing on a high. I had mastered the situation question, and I could even get a few other questions here and there. As for my team, in the ACC Tournament, my team was one match away from becoming a semifinalist, and in the Ohio Tournament, my team was one match away from entering the playoffs. In my mind, individually and as team member, we could only go up. By the end of my rookie year, I had idolized Jake and Josh Moss. Their superior smartness had gotten them both in Top 50 Bible Quizzers List (they were in top 10, to be exact). I wanted to be like them. I decided my goal for the next year of quizzing would be to make the Top 50 Bible Quizzers List. And there is the high expectations.

I started hard right after the previous year ended. I began writing questions. I would write them on paper, and as I typed them up, I would double-check for errors. My questions weren’t always the best. Most of the time, they were like fill in the blanks, but instead of blanks, I stuck a question word in there (ironically, this is how Bible quizzing does questions today, but not back then). Nevertheless, they worked. By the time next year of quizzing came around, I had written an exhaustive list of questions for Mark chapters 1 & 2. I had also taken the time to memorize James chapter 1 in its entirety. And, of course, I continued my practice of finding situation questions until they were key. By the time the next quizzing year rolled around, I found myself studied up. I just needed the practice. Again, all the studying produced high expectations.

This year, Ark Bible had a 7-quizer quiz team. Returning from the previous year, the Ark Bible quiz team had Jake, Josh, Krystal, Christine and myself. Joining the team for their rookie year, the Ark team added Tim and Deanna. Tim had come from a long line in the Moss dynasty. Tim had actually come along for last year’s invitational as a fan when a quizzer dropped out of the team halfway through the season. Tim knew quizzing through watching it, and now Tim would experience quizzing. While Deanna took part in the Ark Youth Fellowship, Deanna knew only about quizzing from what she heard from quizzers. Deanna would have to start from the beginning.

The 2003 Ark Bible quiz team

I don’t remember too much what happened during the 2003 quizzing season. I remember on the first Sunday of season Tim got sick, so he had to miss the first meet of his first year. When you have a 7-quizzer team, and the rules say that only 6 quizzers can be on the quizzing roster for a match, Tim’s absence meant I could quiz every quiz match for the first quiz meet. Not only did I quiz in every match, I started every match. When Tim would join the team for the rest of the season, it would not always be that way. I had to prove myself to even make the roster, and I had to prove myself even more to get a starting spot. I could not always prove myself. Constantly I found myself as a substitute, and even a few times I didn’t make the roster for the match. I would remember sitting on the bench, arms crossed, stewing in my anger that I couldn’t quiz the match. How could I make the Top 50 Quizzers List if I had to skip over a match without collecting any points? Honestly, though, I got what I deserved. I didn’t deserve to always start, and sometimes I didn’t even deserve a spot on the roster. I had fallen back into old pattern of approaching situation questions conservatively. I did not buzz in until I absolutely knew quote and I absolutely knew the answer. When you have quizzers on the other teams that just buzz in on the first word and hope it’s key, that conservative play will not suffice. By the end of the season, I scored 120 points (in a 19-match season, that’s 6.3 points per match), landing me in 194th place. So how did I do for my sophomore season, especially in light of my rookie season? I really can’t tell you. I can’t tell you how many points I scored in 2002 now, and I couldn’t tell you back in 2003 either. I could have scored more, I could have scored less, I could have scored the same. All I know is that I felt scored more points back in 2002, and in my mind, I felt like I did worse. This is where our definition of disappointment kicks in. I had high expectations for the 2003 quizzing season, and I did not meet those expectations. Therefore, I felt disappointed in myself, and the overall quizzing season felt like a disappointment to me.

The "Quizzer Extraordinaire" at Pequea High School for the 2003 ACC Tournament

Despite the disappointment of the 2003 quizzing season, I still had high expectation for the ACC Tournament. The previous year the Ark Bible quiz team made it to the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament playoffs, one match away from becoming a semifinalist. This year, I expected my team to make to the semifinals of the playoffs, so we could at least take home a semifinalist trophy. Again, the definition of disappointment kicks in. We did not make it to the semifinals of the playoffs. Heck, we did not even to the playoffs at all! The only emotion I could feel was disappointment. But see, while the season can be about either individual or team (or both), come tournaments, it comes down to team performance. Not only did I feel disappointment in myself, but I felt disappointed about my team. At least 5 of us were quizzing veterans. All 5 veterans should have improved from the previous year. Therefore, in my mind, we should have naturally made the ACC Tournament semifinals. I couldn’t help but feel disappointment toward my team as whole and towards my teammates individually.

2003 ACC Tournament at Pequea High School

During the following week, I quickly dismissed the poor performance as a series of unfortunate events or an unlucky streak. I turned my eyes to the Invitational Tournament. This year, the ACC hosted the Invitational Tournament, and Ohio would come to us. The tournament itself was hosted by Calvary Church, and my coaches, the Willmans, became the team’s “host family.” I remember my father driving me in his truck to the Willmans. I remember telling me on the ride up, “Now Graham, you’ll be spending a whole weekend with your teammates. You might get sick or tired of them, but they are still your friends.” I didn’t know how my dad could foreshadow this. He must have saw my disappointment with team and teammates the previous Sunday. I shrugged my father’s words off. Like he said, they were my friends. I couldn’t imagine being angry with them. When we got to the Willman’s house, I showed Krystal my quizzing buddy, a Stitch doll I got on the Disney Cruise that summer. When the rest of the team arrived, we had dinner, we had a dessert of butterscotch chocolate chip cookies made by Krystal, we had quiz practice, and then we watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail before going to bed.

Josh and Deanna standing next to the church van in front of Calvary Church

Early on Saturday morning, we left our “host family’s” house for Calvary Church, the host of the Invitational Tournament. Back then, the Invitational Tournament format was set up so that all the teams were place in 16 groups. All the teams in the group would quiz against each other in round robin style. The top 2 teams would advance to a double elimination playoff bracket for the championship. The previous year, the Ark quiz team missed the double elimination playoffs by 1 match. This year, all I wanted to see was my team makes the playoffs. Once again, the definition of disappointment comes into play. Halfway through our round robin, we’re weren’t doing too hot. Based on our previous matches’ results and based on the performance of the other teams in our group, we had deduced that we needed to win the rest of our matches to make the playoffs. Our next match was against an Ohio team. We kept it close, but the Ohio team had taken a small lead. In order to win, we needed team bonus, and I was the best candidate to get the team bonus. No matter how hard I tried to buzz in, I just couldn’t get in. Finally, it came down to question 15, and I decided to just buzz in on the second word and hope I got it. The quizmaster began the question, “Whose cup...” I buzzed in, and I froze. The only cup I could think of was the cup of the New Covenant, mentioned in the Last Supper passage, but that wasn’t a who. Unable to think up a who, with time running out, I still guessed the cup of the New Covenant. Of course, it got marked wrong. I came to find out the right answer was Jesus’s Cup. I was so upset at myself. We were quizzing on the Gospel of Mark. Why couldn’t I just answer the all-else-fails answer of Jesus? I would have gotten it right, our team would have earned team bonus, and we would still be in the run for the playoffs. Instead, I answered incorrectly, our team lost, and we were knocked out of the playoffs. Our remaining two round robin matches were against Spring City and Reading, two teams that were friends of ours and still had a shot to make it in the playoffs. Because they were our friends and because they did still have a shot to make it to the playoffs, we took it easy on them, so they won. It didn’t help Spring City, but it did help Reading, and they made it to the playoffs.

The Stitch Doll

Knocked out of the tournament and with a lot of free time, I had a lot of time to think about why the team failed in another tournament. I still stewed in my anger toward myself for answering a who question with a what answer, instead of going with the all-else-fails who answer, which would have won the match. But as I said earlier, tournaments are about team performance. I felt like everyone on the team was distracted for one reason or another. I was distracted for the most unnecessary reason. The younger Moss and Willman siblings, fascinated that the Stitch doll could talk to you, wanted to play with it. As the nice, kind guy I am, I let them play with it. Halfway through the day, I asked them for the doll for my next match. Of course, none of the knew where the doll went. They had lost him. I had to spend time between matches searching the whole church for the doll. I eventually found the doll, all alone, sitting on a table in the fellowship hall, but I had lost so much time, time I should have spent studying, practicing or at least watching other matches. Once again, resentment turned towards my teammates as well as myself. I wanted to get away from it all. I could get away from my teammates. In fact, I did. When we got back to the Willman’s home, I just stayed in the bed until the next morning. I couldn’t get away from myself, however, as bad as I wanted to get away from myself. I wanted to hide from myself in that bed, but I couldn’t.

The "Quizzer Extraordinaire" at Calvary Church for the 2003 Invitational

On Sunday, the Invitational final matches were held at Lancaster Mennonite School’s Fine Arts Center because Calvary Church had its Sunday morning worship service. We saw Rockville beat Paradise 2 for the Invitational Championship. They announced there would be a quizzing after party back at Lancaster Mennonite School that evening. Our coaches would not allow us to go because of wintry mix happening that evening. Half of me was angry I couldn't even participate in that, but the other half of me was glad. I had enough of my quizzing teammates and enough of me as a quizzer myself. The quizzing year had ended, and I actually was kind of glad it ended.

After a couple of days of calming down, relaxing and reflecting, I realized what I had done. Without knowing the dictionary definition of disappointment, I realized I wasn’t angry, upset or frustrated with my teammates or myself, but I was just disappointed. I was disappointed because I had set expectations too high, for both myself and my team. I had 6 years of left of quizzing in me. I had time to improve, and so did my team. All of a sudden, I missed my teammates. I wanted to see them again. I couldn’t wait to get started preparing myself for the next year. And so I did, penning the first question for Exodus a few days later. This time, however, I would set realistic goals and expectations, so I wouldn’t face disappointment again the next year.

Happy 15th anniversary to my sophomore Bible quizzing team!

A Nostolgic Reminiscing of my Rookie Quizzing Year on the 15th Anniversary of my Rookie Quiz team

Would you believe I almost decide to not do Bible quizzing?

I learned about Bible quizzing thanks to my youth leader of the year. I spent the second half of my childhood at church that just started having young families again. When I first arrived to the church at the age of 10, I was already one of the oldest kids there, with only a couple kids a whole year older than me, at the age of 11. Because I was one of the oldest kids, I was immediately placed in the youth group. Yes, I was in youth group since the age of 10. Youth group was anything but stable for me. We seemed to have a new youth group leader every year. During this year, my 7^th grade year, at the age of 13, the youth leader of the new wanted to expand the youth group so the youth of the church could participle in the activities and events a typical youth usually participate in. Therefore, she would invite youth from other churches with in her kids’ co-op homeschooling to join our youth group. One such youth was a girl named Krystal. My youth leader knew her dad coached a Bible quiz team, and she would join that team as a quizzer. My youth leader knew that Bible quizzing would be perfect for me. At school, I was involved in Academic Bowl. What is Academic Bowl?  Think of Jeopardy, but as teams instead of individuals. Well, Bible Quizzing is like Jeopardy (although in a different way). Both my youth leader presented the idea of Bible quizzing to me, and then my youth presented the idea of Bible quizzing to my mother, who encouraged me to do it as well. I said I would think about it.

I remember it clearly. It was the last day of school before Christmas vacation. My mother picked me up, so I could go to Wal-Mart and buy Christmas gifts for my family. As the car pulled out the school parking lot onto the road, my mother said to me, “Graham, you have to make a decision if you want to do Bible quizzing. They take Bible quizzing very seriously, and the team registration is due in a week.  They need to know if you are going to be a part of that.” I paused and sighed. Indecisive me hated when I was cornered into making a decision. I took the time to pause and think, and a big part parted with me wanted to just say “no.”  At the age of 13, I began to realize I was highly introverted with a little bit of social anxiety. The thought of having to meet new people and then be social with them felt overwhelmingly burdensome. Besides, I liked the fact that, once I got my homework done, I was free to do as I pleased. I really didn’t want to lose that freedom. But as I open my mouth to answer, I blurted out, “Yeah, sure, fine, I’ll do it.” I’m not sure I could place my finger exactly what caused me to agree to try out Bible quizzing. Perhaps it was my mother pushing me to get more involved in activities outside school, whether that be to impress colleges or simply improve my social skills. Maybe it was because deep down in my subconscious, I really did want a social life, and I did want to be popular. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the Holy Spirit speaking in me, speaking to me, speaking on my behalf, giving me just what I needed. See, at that time, a 7^th grader at the age of 13, I suffered from depression. I felt depressed because I had no friends who wanted to see me outside school, and I concluded that I had no friends because I did not have talents, further depressing me. The Holy Spirit knew Bible quizzing would solve that depression, as well as all the causes that came with it.

Would you believe I missed the first 2 Bible quizzing practices of my Bible quizzing career?

The first quiz practice of the year I missed because I was sick. I came down with the flu, one of those bad flus that made something simple as getting out of to sit at the kitchen table a workout. Even I wanted to attend quizzing practice, I don’t think anyone would want to sit next to me. Because the flu knocked me out of commission for a few days, I fell behind in my science fair project. The second quiz practice fell on the evening before the science fair. In 7^th grade, science fair was a mandatory project, which was a big part of your science grade. I just couldn’t go to Bible quizzing practice, for I wouldn’t be able to complete my science fair project, hurting my science grade. When my mom called to inform the coaches I would not be there, she got a little stern “lecture” on how quizzing is very seriously and it is important to be involved in every practice. Both my mom and I were a little irked about the attitude and tone I received for skipping an extracurricular activity in order to focus on my academics. Looking back on it and thinking about it, I guess I had another opportunity there to quit. I could have just said then and there, “Well, then I guess I won’t be a part of quizzing,” and that would have been that. But I didn’t. Once again, I have to credit this to the Holy Spirit.

(Oh, and for the record, I would only miss 1 more quizzing practice in the rest of my quizzer career, and that was in 2007, when my Senior project had me doing an internship in Missouri)

Would you believe when I first started Bible quizzing, I really didn’t take it seriously?

In 2002, the quizzing material covered the books of Ruth, Esther and Jonah, as well as selections from the books of Joshua and Daniel. The first week’s material was on the first 6 chapters of Joshua. That’s 6 whole chapters of Joshua, and I started “studying” the passage the day before my first quiz meet. And when I say “study,” I mean I “read” those 6 chapters of Joshua twice. And when I say “read,” I mean I listened to an audio recording of Joshua 1-6, and I followed along. I remember thinking to myself after the second “read” through, “Yeah, I got the jist of this. I’ll be fine.” After all, when it came to knowing the Bible in my Sunday school class and in youth group, I was the smartest. I was sure this would be the same at this Bible quizzing thing. (Those familiar with Bible quizzing are laughing at how hilarious such a though is.)

I remember the next day, the Sunday of my first quiz meet, my father and I left right after church to get me to quizzing. We would meet my quiz coach, Dennis, at a halfway point so he could show my dad and I where the church was located. I remember I wanted to make a good impression after skipping the first 2 practices, so when my father stepped out of the truck shake hands with Dennis, I also stepped out the truck to shake hands with my new coach. After introductions, my father and I followed Dennis to the church, Ark Bible Chapel. Upon arriving there, his wife and assistant coach Jill instructed me to hand my Bible back to my dad, and she handed me my first quizbook, so I wouldn’t have to lug around a huge Bible, and I could mark up the quizbook as I saw fit. I handed my Bible back to my father, and with that, he left. And of course, the introversion and the social anxiety kicked in. But everyone there made me feel welcomed.

So my first quiz practice was the Sunday afternoon before the first Sunday evening of the Bible quizzing season. I don’t remember a lot about it, but what I do has stuck with me throughout the years. I remember Josh Moss explaining to me the rules of Bible quizzing. I remember Jake Moss showing me how he highlighted his quizbook. From that point on for the rest of the year (and into the next year), Jake and Josh would become teachers, tutors, mentors and role models on how to be a good Bible quizzing. I remember getting my first quiz question correct in practice. It was the only one I would get right all practice, and it was just because coach Dennis was nice enough to allow it. The correct answer directly from text was “The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.” I answered, “The tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh.” Dennis told me, “I couldn’t see why the quizmaster would not accept that answer as correct, but the direct text says, ‘The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,’ so remember that for next time, and answer that. I promised I would.

I can still remember my first quiz match of my quizzing career. I remember it was at Lancaster Mennonite High, and I remember it was in room 200. I can even picture in my head what way the chairs faced. I remember coach Dennis wasn’t too happy that Ark Bible had to quiz the first round of matches when half his team never quizzed, but we had to go along with it. Jake, Josh and Christine would be the first 3 starters because they all had experience from prior years.  The fourth starter was Krystal. Although this was her rookie year of quizzing, she had at least seen her father Dennis coach quizzing, so she at least knew how quizzing worked. The 4 starters took their seats up front behind the tables, and I took my seat on the front bench. And from the first few questions, I would realize how unprepared I was. Remember how I said that Bible quizzing was kind of, sort of like Jeopardy? Like Jeopardy, quizzers buzz in to answer questions. Unlike Jeopardy, quizzers did not wait until the end of the question to answer; they would buzz in part way into the question. I saw quizzers buzz in after the first couple or first few words of the question, and they would get it right! I was immediately struck with fear over how unprepared I was! I remember thinking to myself, “Oh dear God, what have I gotten myself into?” Eventually, a Moss quizzed out (I can’t remember whether it was Jake or Josh, but it was definitely a Moss). I remember Coach Dennis turning to me and Sara, the other rookie, who was sitting next to me, and asking, “So who wants to go in next?” I shook my head no fast. Sara, who was more willing to try new things, said cheerfully, “I guess I’ll try next.” Eventually, the other Moss quizzed out, and now I had to go in. For the remainder of that match, I just sat there and did nothing. I don’t really remember the other quiz match of the night, but it went very similar. I went in as the second sub when the second Moss quizzed out, and I just kept the seat warm.

 

Despite all the excitement of my first day of Bible quizzing, I still wasn’t really that much into it. Yes, I did at least study more than just read (or following along with an audio recording) the material twice. I picked up a highlighting method. I went to both the Thursday night practice and the Sunday afternoon practice, no matter what. Yet I treated it just like another hobby, playing video games or watching football. To show how little I was into quizzing, I was so upset that there was quizzing on Super Bowl Sunday, I considered not going to quizzing that week. My coaches informed me the quizzing started at 2:00 p.m., a good 4 hours before the Super Bowl, so I wouldn’t miss the game. I didn’t care. I was (and am) a big football fan. I used to watch all pre-Super Bowl coverage that I could. In fact, the previous year,  I watched Super Bowl pregame coverage from noon to 6:00 p.m.! I cared so little about quizzing, I did not want quizzing to get in the way of it, especially considering our quiz meet took place at one of the furthest out churches. Coach Dennis broke a deal with me that if I came, he would try to take the quizzing coordinator into moving our matches up. Furthermore, my mother reminded me that I had serious role as part of team that depended on me. I did end up going, the coordinator did move our matches up, and I did get home in enough time to watch the whole game.

 

 

So what got me so hooked on Bible quizzing? I can’t exactly say for sure, but I few guesses based on what memories of my rookie stick so strongly as fond memories in my head.

Perhaps what got me hooked was getting my first question right and participating in team bonus. I remember getting my first question right in real life quiz match. Of course, it was a situation question. I recall noticing that the ask a situation question every match, and I noticed that certain quizzers would always buzz in very early and get it right. On our team, that was Josh Moss. I remember coach Jill explaining to me that there are certain quizzers who just study the situation questions intently to be their team’s situation question person. Something in my mind told me, “That could be me.” The next week, I intently studied the situation questions, knowing to what word they were key, and what the correct answer would be. I proved it in practice, even beating in Josh a few times. Josh saw my potential to be the situation question, so he surrendered the situation questions to me. On that following Sunday, our quiz matches took place at Elizabethtown Mennonite Church. I remember sitting in that small room. Since Coach Dennis saw the same potential in me as Josh did, he had me start that match. I sat in seat 4, right against the wall of that small room. After a third way through the match, the quizmaster began to say, “Question 6 is a sit…” and immediately my coach called for a timeout. The whole 30 seconds of timeout was Dennis and Josh rattling off potential situation questions that it could be. I answered them all correctly, proving I got this under control. Sure enough, it was a situation question. Sure enough, I buzzed in answered. That was the first time I heard a quizmaster say to me, “That’s correct!” That was sweet. His words would become even sweeter later on in the match, when he would announce, “That’s team bonus for Ark Bible!” Knowing that I contributed towards team bonus, I felt gifted, I felt talented, I felt like I was part of a team and I felt like I had friends. In that very moment, everything that depression and social anxiety had undone in my life, God put back together through Bible quizzing.

 

 

Maybe what got me hooked was the ACC Tournament. Between my first question right and the ACC Tournament, there were a few hiccups in my role as the situation guy. I was still kind of slow at the buzzing part. I would still wait until I absolutely knew where the quote was key and if I absolutely know the correct answer. I remember Coach Jill informing me that most of the “situation quizzers” wouldn’t wait like I would. They will just buzz in on the first word and hope either it’s key or the quizmaster accidently slips out an extra word that makes it key. By the end of the season, I had finally gotten that done, doing the same. By the time the ACC Tournament rolled around, I was a regular situation guy, and my team could get team bonus on a regular basis. That paid off in the ACC Tournament. In the ACC Tournament, we did get team bonus on a regular basis, thanks to my help with the situation questions. It earned us 2^nd place in our group, earning us a spot in the evening playoffs. In our first playoff match, we upset Petra 3, who finished 1^st place in their group. Our 2^nd playoff match, the quarterfinal, we kept it neck and neck with Bart 1. After 14 questions, we were actually ahead by 10 points. On question 15, a Bart 1 quizzed buzzed in and answered correctly. Every quizzer and coach, on both the Ark Bible side and Bart 1 side, thought the match ended in a tie, and we were going into overtime. After reviewing the scorecard, however, the scorekeeper chirped up, “Oh! That’s team bonus for Bart 1!” We lost by 20 points, the 20 points earned in team bonus. If we would have won that match, we would have brought home a trophy, even if we did lose the next match. Knowing we were so close to a trophy didn’t bum me out, but rather it gave me encouragement and hope. It got me thinking, “We can come back next year, and we’ll be even better! Then we’ll go further in the ACC Tournament playoffs and win that trophy!” Maybe that’s what kept me coming back year after year after year.

Perhaps it was the Ohio Tournament. After all, the Ohio Tournament is the highlight of the year for most quizzers. My first Ohio tournament was a blast all around. For starters, what 7^th grade teenager wouldn’t want a 3-day weekend away from the parents? First, there was the 10-hour bus ride (8 hours in the bus, plus 2 hour-long rest stops). Along with ourselves, that bus contained our friends from Spring City, Zion and Reading. It was quite the party bus. At first, I wasn’t sure a long bus ride would be fun, but everyone on my team assured me it would be fun. They were right. I had never played so many games of Mafia and Scum in my life. Not only did I learn good quizzing skills that year from Jake and Josh Moss, I also learned good Mafia and Scum strategy from them, too. I also learned good mafia and scum strategy from Jake and Josh’s little brother, Tim, who also came along for the trip when Sara dropped out of the team. Little did I know this would be the beginning of a long friendship.

When we finally arrived at our location in Kidron, Ohio, our final destination, we met up with our host family the Schlabachs. Let me tell you they were a good first host family, for they left quite an impression on me. Let’s just say they would be considered “upper class,” and you could tell by the house. I could not stop taking pictures of the house when I was there, including the front door! The 2 girls and the coaches each got their own bedroom on the first floor, with a kitchenette connecting all the bedrooms. They also had their own living room, which came with a TV with a PlayStation 2 connected to it. I can still remember a 6^th grade Tim joyfully playing on it. The 4 boys got to stay in another building on the property. At first, this building was a temporary home until the Schlabachs dream home was built, so it came complete with 2 full bathrooms and a kitchenette. But once they finally moved into their dream, home, they transformed this building into a game room for their 3 kids. It had pool table, ping pong table, air hockey, darts, a large checkerboard, and it was full of couches and recliners. I quickly claimed the leather recliner was where I was sleeping. Needless to say, the boys got little practicing done and much playing done. The family laid out quite a spread for us, meeting both our wants and needs. To top everything off, their 16-year-old daughter Shauna looked like the hottest girl in my middle school, and 13-year-old me began seriously crushing on her. I even got Krystal to “pass a note” to her. Sixteen quizzing years later, I still say that was the best host family I ever had.

As for the actual Ohio tournament itself, we didn’t do too bad. Back then the Ohio Tournament setup was a round robin followed by a double elimination tournament bracket. We didn’t make the Ohio tournament playoffs, but we almost did. It just came down to our last match, and we knew we had to win it to tie for second place in our group, and we had to win by a lot, for the tie breaker, at the time, was number of points scored. But when we saw that we were playing the Ohio team that clinched first place in our group, we had a feeling we would not win that one. Sure enough, they were the ones that one, and they were the ones that one by a lot of points. It was kind of a bummer that we didn’t make it to the playoffs, but it wasn’t that big of bummer. Once again, I wanted to come back next year, so we could reach the playoffs. We spent the rest of the tournament watch our friends in Reading, and that was excited. Not only did Reading barely make it into the double elimination playoffs, they lost their first playoff match badly, put them in the losers bracket right away. Yet they literally won every match after that, winning the whole tournament.

The bus ride back was just as much fun as the bus ride there. Despite most busses changing it up, Ark Bible, Spring City, Zion and Reading managed to stay on the same bus. The party from the way up to Ohio continued on the way back to Pennsylvania. By the time the whole trip was done, I was so exhausted and so behind in school work, I took the Monday after off as well, giving me a 4-day weekend away from school.

So somewhere between getting my first quizzing question right in a real life quiz match, the ACC Tournament and the Ohio Tournament, I was hooked. I was so hooked that the Tuesday following the conclusion of the quizzing year, I began reading the next year’s material, as well as writing questions. This pattern would continue for 7 more years as a quizzer. Even when quizzing got rough and tough, I remembered this rookie year, and it kept me wanting to come back. I still think fond memories of my rookie, although I bet I did not do as well as my nostalgic memory would like to think I do. Now in 2017, looking back at my rookie year in 2002, I say joyfully and cheerfully happy 15^th anniversary to my rookie team!

The appointed time to be back at LMH

On Sunday quizzers were first to get in line for fellowship meal because the quizzers had to prepare for a mock quiz match against the congregation. Before we had those mock quiz matches, we had to do a demonstration by quizzing against each other. The match was close, with few errors, which showed we knew our stuff. Then we had our mock matches. We quizzed against both Mike's parents and Chelsea's and Alyssa's dad, all parents of quizzers. They claimed they all studied, even though some didn't know about the footnotes :-P . I sat across from Steve the first match. I was kind enough to give him a bonus, but still ended up pwning him. Actually, in both matches (we had two, one of Dave questions, the other of Vicki questions) I quizzed out and we won victoriously. As a matter of fact, both of them we scored over 100 points, with team bonus, and the other side I think never got more than 40 points. Even the one match with Coach Dave in, he was unable to help them. We kept the set up on the sanctuary stage for practice, which was good practice for a real sanctuary match. We stumbled on a few questions, but we got most of them. I continued to quiz out. After making sandwiches for the road, we head off to our matches at LMH.

Since the coaches had to be there early for a coaches' meeting, Dave took us to the cafeteria to give questions to me, robert, chelsea, and alyssa. Tim and Mike weren't there for practice. Instead, they amused us much by walking back and forth, hiding themselves behind "moving plants." We did that until the worship time...well, the supposed worship time. It seems like they've done away with worship, and just play Christian music. Yes, much has changed since Zion has changed...especially now that they are no longer producing the quizzing video. It kinda makes me worried to see what different video we'll get. Just hope for the best. After a few anouncements and a joke, we off to quiz.

We were literally off to quiz because we had the first round match. It kind of made me uncomfortable. I didn't get to scout the team we were quizzing against or the quizmaster. All I knew was that Grace Point 1 had a few familiar faces from Paradise, and they had 2 quizzers one short of perfect. I took seat 1, across from one of them. The match was a slow one. Neither team could reach their average. I managed to quiz out, but it didn't happen until question 11. A highlight we did have is that Chelsea got her first points. And her family missed it! :-P. Tim got one right for our final score, a loss 55 to 75. While we lost, Grace Point 1 couldn't get to their average either.

After a one-round break, we had our second match against Weaverland 1. With Weaverland 1 lower than us, we were expecting ourselves to have the upper hand, but even we surprised ourselves. History was about to repeat itself. Last year when we were at the midpoint at LMH, we won a match 170-0 with me, Tim, Mike and Robert quizzing out, plus team bonus. It was about to happen again. I quizzed out, and Tim followed me the next question. Mike picked up the third quiz out of the match. Robert buzzed in to get us team bonus, but it didn't stop there! He must like the midway matches at LMH, for he got his first quizout of the year, second in his career (both at LMH halfway through)! Both Mike and Robert got to sit back in the seats and just watch. Robert was confused when the person across from him errored, and he got the bonus question. It allowed him to score extra points for the team. We won 170 to 10. This is the 2nd greatest match I've ever been in.

We hurried downstairs for our last match because it was a back-to-back match. We quizzed against Maple Grove 2. Both teams' top quizzer sat in seat 1. It wasn't as glorius as the last match, but it had to be the 6th best match my team has ever quizzed. Once again, Tim and I quizzed out early. This also means I would finish the first half the season perfect :) . With me out, the team needed someone else to answer the situation question. So when the situation question came up, Robert decided to take a whack at it. Good thing he did. After thinking about it, he got it right! Now all we need was Mike to get in for team bonus. But all he tried, he could not get in. After 12 questions, still no avail. Now, Chelsea was able to get another bonus, giving herself 20 points for the meet and the year, and we were all happy for her, but we still needed another buzz in for team bonus. With the last 3 questions being review, would we be able to do it? Well, we know Mike did. On the last 3, Mike got them all, buzzing in, not only getting team bonus, but also getting himself a quiz out. Of course, with all 3 of the questions, Mike had to babel his full 30 seconds. This was the first time Mike got 2 quiz outs in one meet. We won 145 to 35.

I stuck around for the last two matches, mostly for scouting reasons. Both matches were interesting. The first match was Blainsport vs. Bowmansville 2. Bowmansville 2 seemed to be struggling as they had 2 fouls. The second foul was very interesting. On the question, Jordan buzzed in. Seth, however, thought it was his light. So sure he knew the answers, he said it right away (it was the right answer, by the way). But then Seth realized it wasn't his, and let out a weak "oh." Jordan then went in with his audible word "ok," thought about it, and then said, the exact answer Seth did, the right answer. The quizmaster went into the ruling of the judges. When he came out, the quizmaster announced that Bowmansville 2 was right, but needed to be fouled again. A Blainsport quizzer contested that it wasn't fair that Seth could blurt out the answer when it wasn't him and Jordan could easily pick it up. The quizmaster went back to the judges. Together they decided that while Seth messed up and deserved to get the foul, Jordan still had the choice to decide whether or not Seth's answer was right (he did not know, nor was told, that answer was right), and also the choice to choose that answer or another answer. So they got the 10 points for Jordan answering right, but lost 5 for Seth's foul, resulting in a net 5 points. I thought it was a good call. I don't know the official ruling on that.

The last match I watched for the night was Slate Hill 1 vs. Ridgeview 3. Ridgeview 3 was able to sneak a few points in, but Slate Hill 1 owned the match. Mike Good had problems with the first situation question (who to whom and about whom. ouch.), but got the second one. One by one, I saw each one quiz out. Slate Hill 1 knew their stuff. Despite hearing "list the 6..." they knew it was "50, 45, 40, 30, 20, 10." They will be a worth adversay for next week.

So in 1 week, we raised our point average by 10. We were hoping it would raise our average 4 or 5 places, but if you see our standings, it only raised us one place. Apparently, we weren't the only ones who had a good week. And it seems like the top 4 is pushing farther away. Top 5 would be a good aim. As for the individual standings, it's good to see Tim is in the top 60 finally, even though I'd like to see him in the top 50. It's also good to see Chelsea on the paper, even though I'm not sure why she is 4 slots lower than her sister, who is on the same team and shares the same last name with her. But above all, and in all humbleness, it's great to see my name is slot 1. Yes, I know I'm tied for first, one among eight. But to see my name in that first slot is so sweet. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your help.

REFLECTIONS:
This past fall semester, a very proud Pittsburg Steelers would always tell me how great his team is in all of history and how they haven't had a bad season and let him down. He couldn't understand why I would be an Eagles fan, when they can be a disappointment. So one time when he asked me, I simply replied, "But that's what exactly makes it so fun to watch. Nothing is guarenteed with the Eagles. It doesn't matter if they are the favorite team, they could either win or lose. They could be the underdog, and either win or lose. It can't be called. They can do as expected or completely suprised us. They can win or lose, by a lot or a little. It's always suprising and exciting."

I can't help but believe the same is true for Spring City quizzing. Ok, yes, last week we did lose to the the team above us, and won against the teams below us, but still, we're the same way. We began this season, guessing that we'd start near the top as we usually do. Instead, our average ended up being 67.5 We hoped and prayed that our average and placing would go up, but instead our average dropped to 65, and we fell to as low as 20th. Things looked hopeless, and it seemed like Spring City would be trampled on for the rest of the season. But didn't happen like that. The next week, when we had to quiz 3 teams tougher than us, including the team in 3rd place, and we won them all. We have our ups and downs. We have our wins and losses. We score lots, we score little. You can never tell. All the more reason to come and watch how Spring City does in a quiz match. It's exciting.

P.S.
Let me explain the past few weeks. Some have you might have seen me wear apparel from back in my Ark Bible days. Do not get the wrong message. You might have taken it as showing rebellion against Spring City, missing and wishing to return to my Ark Bible days. This is the wrong picture because it is not true at all. I am very happy with my team. This is one of the best...no, this IS the best team I ever had. Let me explain properly. It's a two-part response. First of all, being my last year, I have made this a year of rememberance to reflect on how the Lord has used me in quizzing. But the second reason might more of the reason.

Some you may know this, and for those of you who don't, this might be a confession for you. I did not voluntarily leave Ark Bible. I had to leave because Ark Bible did not have a team. Why did they not have a team? The reasons are too complicated to explain in a short time, but I will say that is was not on a happy premesis. I left that team broken, angry, depressed, not trusting nor wanting any peer fellowship. I was so upset that I didn't want anything to do with anybody from Ark. I was unforgiving and prideful. I thought i was better than all of them. But during the rest of my quizzing years, the Lord started to move me and change all that. This is also too long to explain, too. Let me just say part of it was the mentoring of the Deitricks, another part was having Tim Moss back on the team with me, along with a few other smaller pieces. But let me say that those feelings are all past and gone. I have forgiven Ark of any wrongs against me, whether they are sorry or not. The hard feelings are gone. The Lord had to move me to continue my spiritual growth, and I realize that is is now good that I am on Spring City. But I forgive Ark Bible and all their quizzers, holding nothing against them. They are reconciled with me. That is why I dedicated my matches last week to them. I will never forget them and how they have impacted my life. God bless Ark Bible and its quizzers from the 2004 team.