At long last, LUTHER BOWL!

One of the main reasons for this “Lutheran year” is for me to experience the community of a Lutheran seminary, and form connections that will last into my pastoral vocation. So, no matter how many books I was supposed to read or papers I have to write, I figured I was justified in my participation in the 45^th annual Luther Bowl. Sure, driving the 12+ hours to Gettysburg for a good day of football may seem excessive to some, but not to the most dedicated Luther Bowl team on the planet. 25 of us, including the loudest cheering section by far, made the trip last weekend. We had practiced all fall, the defense gaining the upper hand in our (mostly) friendly scrimmages until the offense finally blew them away at the final practice. We were poised for gameday with a balanced attack, two solid quarterbacks, and strong leadership on D.

In the first game, against host Gettysburg, the Orange and Blue got off to a rough start. But after the defense kept us in the game, LSTC made Luther Bowl history. Down 14-0 with 10 minutes to play, we came back with two scores and a successful two-point conversion to send the game into overtime. After both teams scored again in the first overtime, the defense stopped Gettysburg on their second turn. It was time for destiny. LSTC quarterback Carl-Eric Gentes took the snap from All-Luther Bowl center Meredith Harbor, rolled to his left, finding “the receiver whom Jesus loved” open in the endzone. Touchdown! LSTC wins! Orange elation ensued.

Unfortunately we lost two more hard-fought battles, one to eventual champion Princeton, and the cherished Book of Concord and Luther bobblehead will spend another year doing evangelism. Though I most likely won’t get to play next year when I’m away on internship, I’m confident this young team has a bright future.