Tabor scores 24 unanswered second half points in win
The 11th ranked Tabor College Bluejay kept on rolling on a drizzly Saturday afternoon in Hillsboro with a convincing 38-7 win over the Bethany Swedes.
Early on it looked like it would be another ho-hum afternoon for Tabor as it took the opening kickoff and drove 66 yards in eight plays and scored when quarterback Ricky Ishida connected with Jeff MacKinnon across the middle for a 20 yard touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead.
After the Bluejay defense went three-and-out with the Swedes, Tabor took over again on the Bethany 18 yard line courtesy of a Caleb Marsh punt return of 36 yards.
From there, Tabor overcame two penalties and scored seven plays later when Roger Butler rammed it into the end zone from eight yards out for a 14-0 Bluejay lead with 7:05 to play in the opening quarter.
But Bethany answered with its only score of the day in the second quarter after the Swedes recovered a Ben Brown fumble on the Tabor 16 yard line.
It took just one play as quarterback Steve Baker hooked up with Brandon Krinhop from 16 yards out to cut the lead to 14-7-a lead the Bluejays took into the halftime locker room.
But the second half was all Tabor as momentum wore blue led by Butler and Ishida.
Tabor's initial possession of the half began on the Bluejay 48 yard line and it took just five plays to score, the big play being an Ishida to Layne Frick pass of 38 yards.
Ishida closed the deal with a 16 yard scamper up the middle and Tabor led 21-7.
Tabor made it 27-7 later in the quarter as the Bluejays drove 77 yards in 13 plays capped by an Ishida touchdown plunge of five yards with 7:57 to play in the third quarter.
On Tabor's first possession of the final period, the Bluejays pieced together a seven play, 48 yard drive with Ishida scoring his third touchdown of the day, this time from one yard out. Ishida hit T.J. Jackson with the two-point conversion to put the Bluejays in control 35-7.
A late 32 yard field goal from Mike Skvor gave the Bluejays their final 38-7 margin of victory.
Tabor's balanced offense rolled up 499 total yards with 266 coming on the ground (Butler had 27 carries and 203 yards) and 266 through the air (Ishida completed 22 of 33 passes).
The Bluejay defense was just as impressive, allowing just 218 yard to Bethany and a meager 38 yards rushing on 25 carries.
With the win, Tabor improves to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in KCAC play.
Next up for Tabor will be a showdown with upstart Sterling College next Saturday afternoon at Sterling beginning at 1:30.
