The "A Hero Returns Home" Story

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It was an ordinary day.  Just snapped a night shot of the Manheim Township Library before getting in the car and heading home.  Spent the last two hours standing at the rear of the community room watching Brad Rutter, the biggest all-time money winner on Jeopardy and the second biggest all-time money winner on a game show, in competition tonight.  

Crowd awaits the start of the competition.

Brad went to high school where I taught, but I
never had the pleasure of having Brad in class.  His Quiz Bowl coach, Miss Anne Clouser, and I worked on the school literary magazine, Soliloquy, together and I got to know him through her. Anne died from skin cancer shortly after Brad graduated and he mentioned her many times on TV as well as starting a scholarship in her memory at his Alma mater, Manheim Township HS.  

Brad and friend wait for his introduction.

His record winnings on Jeopardy were $3,470,102 and a pair of Chevy Camaros.  In 20 regular season and tournament games, Brad never lost a Jeopardy match, but did lose, along with second place winnings leader Ken Jennings, an exhibition match to Watson, an IBM computer.  Tonight Brad is in town to help raise money for the restoration of the Stoner House which is just down the hill from the library.  Brad's younger brother Greg, also a graduate of Manheim Township High  School, belongs to the Manheim Township Historical Society which is leading the Stoner House restoration effort.  The Stoner House and library are a stone's throw from my front yard, provided someone else throws the stone, since my throw wouldn't quite make it.  

Brad explains about the evening's competition.

Pretty neat to stand next to someone that I have watched many times on TV win match after match by being the fastest on the buzzer and knowing the question to the answer clue.  Tonight the crowd of close to 250, in a room that carries a maximum occupancy sign of 64 next to me, got to see two epic contests.  The first matched the current high school Quiz Bowl team against a group of graduates who at one time were members of the high school Quiz Bowl team.  

The current high school team on the left and the "Sages"
on the right who lost 340-165.

The high school team featured one senior, one freshman and four soph- omores, though only four could play at one time.  The alumni team, or "Sages", featured three graduates who hold a PhD, one being the son of a cousin of mine.  Brad acted as the moderator for this first contest.  The "Sages" put up a good fight, but you could tell they were no match for the current high school team, as they lost 340-165.  

Lori Burkholder, the moderator for the
second half of the competition.

After a five minute break the second match began with local TV personality Lori Burkholder being the moderator for the match between the winning team from the first match and Brad.  You could feel the excitement and tension in the room as the team and Brad went back and forth until finally the youngsters, lead by Matthew Allan pulled away and won the match 290-225.  The champ had finally been defeated by a group of high school kids.  The audience rose and applauded both the students and Brad for being a good sport and taking time to return to his roots and help raise money for the restoration of the historic home.  

Two members of the high school team.

Brad gave a personal donation of $1,500 as well as another $1,000 bet he made before the match started against the high school team.  The current Quiz Bowl team will have their names engraved on a plaque which will be placed in the Stoner House sometime in the future.  

Brad, as well as the crowd, applaud the winners.

As for me, I totally enjoyed the evening, visiting with former colleagues as well as neighbors, friends and even a few classmates from high school when I was a student at Manheim Township High.  Brad now lives in Los Angeles and will be a contestant one more time when the best contestant in each of Jeopardy's last three centuries on the air will compete in the Tournament of the Centuries Contest which he said is going to air in May.  I'm anxiously awaiting and will have my front row seat warmed and waiting by my TV.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - The following photos show Brad's many faces as well as the winning team.