Bob Jones University President Steve Pettit faced off against Dr. Alan Benson, Executive Vice President for Student Development and Ministry Advancement, in a faculty flag football game to raise money for the Carolina Pregnancy Center. Around 800 fans attended the game, which helped the University raise $5,534 for the Center when combined with other events during the week. All proceeds will help mothers served by the Center.
“Miss Kathy” Tovrea, the receptionist for the dining common known for trying to learn the names of all the students, started the game with the coin toss. Pettit’s blue team won. The blue team kept its success streak up throughout the first half. The team ended the first quarter with a big completion and took that momentum into the second quarter by scoring two touchdowns. After a key pass from Joshua Ortiz to Jonathan Keller, the blue team was up 14-0.
Aaron Andrews, Sam Nason and Levi Kelton competed in the halftime show. The three students showed off their throwing arms in a competition to see who could throw a football the farthest. “Aaron and I practiced warm-up throws before. But however you’re feeling in the moment is how you’re going to throw,” Nason, a sophomore engineering major, said. Andrews won the contest.
Benson’s team made a strong comeback in the second half, despite two interceptions made by Max Burak of Pettit’s team. Micah Lehman scored in the fourth quarter, and Joshua Hall converted the extra point to make it 14-8.
With 13 seconds left in the game and the blue team up 14-8, cheers of “We want Pettit” sounded across Alumni Stadium. Pettit conceded to the pressure and handed off his coaching duties to join his team on the field. Benson followed suit. The ball was snapped to Pettit, but Benson rushed the president and caused a turnover, giving the white team the ball.
Benson, down 14-8 with less than 10 seconds on the clock, made a huge run into the end zone to put the white team in position to tie the game. With no time left and the game on the line, Joshua Hall secured a great pass to send the game into overtime.
After a wild fourth quarter, Pettit and Benson faced off in overtime in the middle of the field for a hard-fought tiebreaker. The rules of the extra time were simple and fair — rock paper scissors, best two out of three.
With victory on the line, Pettit won the first round. Benson won the second. The most intense game of rock paper scissors on campus came down to sudden death. Benson chose rock. Pettit picked paper, and the blue team erupted in victory. “It’s a good day to beat Benson,” Pettit said after the hard-fought victory.
