The proud Union Jack flag fluttered defiantly in the breeze over the football field. The signature item belonged to the counselor of dorm 6B, Herbert W. Armstrong College junior and English patriot Abraham Blondeau.

Strangely enough though, he was nowhere to be seen. I was informed that he had taken ill with scurvy while on an extended voyage in a man-of-war ship, bravely fighting for his beloved England … well, maybe that wasn’t quite what ailed him. Nevertheless, his dutiful assistant counselor, freshman Emmanuel Michels, was commandeering the dorm solo for today’s activities.

6B strapped on their cleats and headed out onto the field with 3B to begin warm-up exercises. Any thought I had of trailing 6B to write an article about them was lost when flag football assistant Ben Young called me over to join 3B to help them warm up. My job? Wielding a blocking pad—I was to pound campers as they ran past me. This was a strangely satisfying exercise, and after sufficiently walloping people smaller than I, the dorms were called together by head flag football instructor Jason Cocomise to begin a game.

3B started off with the ball, and after the snap, all silence was broken with the words: “One alligator! Two alligator! Three alligator!” and three alligators—I mean campers—charged at the 3B quarterback, Gianni. It didn’t take long before the green-shirted advance of 3B was stopped in its tracks, and 6B took control of the ball.

But as the game progressed, 6B was feeling anything but homely. Some stunning dashes by Gianni put 6B on the defensive. But then 6B’s Gavin caught a long throw just outside the end zone, leading to a touchdown by 16-year-old Parker. The score was tied 14-14 at halftime.

Cocomise was happy with the class and his crew. “We have a really good staff,” he said. “They haven’t missed a call yet—just joking.”

Seth from 6B was happy with the selection of men in his dorm. “They did a good job of really putting people together in their appropriate dorms,” he said. A first-time camper, he lives on the AC campus and told me that his goal for the men in his dorm is “basically to make them feel at home.”

A short halftime break refreshed the men, and 3B scored two touchdowns in short order. All 6B could do was slow its rivals down and attempt to stage a miraculous comeback. Finally, things began to look hopeful—6B was close to the end zone and about to score a touchdown—when 3B’s Gianni plucked the ball out of the sky and sent the game back in the other direction.

Eventually, the game was over, ending a merciless rampage by the men of 3B, leaving the score 28-14. But the blue-clad 6B was still in good spirits. Strongman Michael received a ticket, and 6B filed off for lunch. I waved my good-bye and headed off, the Union Jack fluttering defiantly behind me. Maybe the Stars and Stripes would have been more apropos.