The Bluejay defensive line prepares for an assault by the KWU offense. Tabor allowed only 101 rushing yards and 146 through the air.
The 2006 football season got off to a fast start at Tabor College on Saturday night.
Unfortunately for the Bluejays, the quick strike came in the form of Kansas Wesleyan quarterback Justin Schropp's long bomb to Marcus Lowe.
The completion went for 68 yards and left the home crowd with a sense of quiet shock.
Tabor defensive back Seth Miles gave the Bluejay defense a second chance when he brought Lowe down from behind at the 12-yard line.
But Kansas Wesleyan established a theme for the day by methodically finishing the drive with a touchdown when Schropp found Andy Bean alone in the end zone two plays later.
With the score 7-0 in Kansas Wesleyan's favor, the teams traded three-and-outs. Effective play on special teams gave Tabor advantageous field position, and the Bluejays started their second possession in Coyote territory.
With 10 plays and aided by two KWU penalties, Tabor quarterback Ricky Ishida guided the Jays to the Coyote 5-yard line.
But the drive stalled and the Coyote defense stood strong; the home team would settle for a field goal to make the score 7-3 with 5:31 to go in the first quarter.
Five consecutive carries by 2005 KCAC offensive player of the year Darrel Grames set up a 19-yard play-action pass from Schropp to Bean that lit up the visitors' half of the scoreboard.
The Coyotes converted the kick into an extra point and widened the gap to 14-3.
The first quarter ended with Ishida moving the team into field-goal range with sharp passing.
But the second quarter began with three incomplete passes followed by a missed field goal as a Tabor drive stalled inside the Wesleyan 20-yard line for the second time.
But the Tabor defense held the advantage, forcing a Grames fumble-the Coyotes recovered on their own 12-followed by a punt.
Another Bluejay drive began with a field position advantage, and this time freshman running back Hector LaBoy made good on the opportunity handed to him.
LaBoy scored on an electrifying 27-yard touchdown run with 8:32 to play in the half. Derik Martinez kicked the extra point through the uprights and the Bluejays cut the Coyote lead to 14-10.
A midfield interception by Tabor cornerback DeJaun Jones on the subsequent drive again tilted the field in Tabor's favor.
The teams traded stops, but the Coyote special teams unit botched the snap on a punt at its own 15-yard line.
Two plays later, Ishida carried the ball nine yards and gave TC its first and only lead of the game with 2:38 left in the second quarter.
The half ended KWU 14, TC 17, and neither team would score in the third quarter.
Tabor received the kickoff to open the second half, and wide receiver Caleb Marsh, a junior from Hillsboro, came up with a 36-yard reception as the Bluejays again crossed into Wesleyan territory. But the offense misfired in the red zone again, and fumbled the ball away.
On its next possession, the home team moved to the Coyote 11-yard line, but a holding penalty led to a second missed field goal.
Missed opportunities earlier in the game left Tabor vulnerable in the fourth quarter, and turnovers gave the visitors a golden chance to take the lead as the field position advantage swung to the Coyotes.
Ishida connected with Marsh for 41 yards to open the fourth, but an interception two plays later spoiled Tabor's opportunity deep in Kansas Wesleyan territory.
Marsh finished with seven catches for 127 yards, added five returns for 81 yards and set personal highs in receptions, receiving yards and all-purpose yards.
Tabor began five possessions on the KWU half of the field Saturday night and engineered two other drives that crossed deep into Coyote territory.
But when the Bluejays lost a fumble at their own 10 on the next drive, the Coyotes capitalized quickly as Schropp found Drew Phillips for the go-ahead touchdown.
Down by 4 points with 7:41 to play, Ishida authored a nine-play, 61-yard drive to the Coyote 2-yard line.
On fourth down, head coach Robert Rubel called Ishida's number. As the senior pushed toward the goal line on the quarterback keeper, senior linebacker Mike Holst stepped up into the running lane and saved the game for the Coyotes, dragging the Bluejay quarterback down a foot from the goal line with 4:23 left.
Grames ran for 13 yards and a first down on the next play. Three plays later, Schropp completed a 32 yard pass to Phillips for a first down.
Another first down by Grames effectively killed the clock, dealt the Tabor College football team and ended the streak of consecutive Bluejay victories over the Coyotes that dated back to 2001.
"We fought the whole way, and that's important and we played a lot of young guys and they played well," Rubel said.
"Obviously, Hector LaBoy played a good game, and I thought we played good up front stopping the run.... We held (Grames) around three yards per touch and I thought that was really good for us."
Rubel emphasized his team's missed opportunities.
"We have to improve the execution of the offense," he said. "When you're dropping snaps and putting the ball on the ground, those are things that kill you and it came back and bit us.
"We have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot (in the red zone) and that goes back to total offensive execution."
Tabor's 17 points were the fewest it has scored against a KCAC opponent since a matchup against Ottawa in 2003.
Coming-The Bluejays will look for the win column again this Saturday when they play host to Southwest Assemblies of God in a non-conference game. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
