Bluejays crush Bethel in ‘Menno Bowl,’ 48-0

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN ERIC CLARK
After a brief sputter in the early minutes of Saturday’s game against Bethel College, the Tabor football kept its composure and trampled the Threshers, 48-0.

The win marks the first time the Bluejays have won their first three games on the schedule.

Despite the lopsided win, coach Tim McCarty said he remains “cautiously optimistic.”

“I was pleased with our team’s effort,” he said. “It’s good to be 3-0. We’ve got to get better, but I’d like to think we played three decent quarters of football tonight.

“It took us a while to crack the safe, but we got it done. We’ve got a lot of tools in the toolbox, we just have to learn how to use them.”

At the beginning of the game, it looked less like a football game and more like a Mennonite quilting convention with the yellow cloth being tossed around. The two teams combined for more than 10 penalties in the first six minutes of play.

After the early emotions subsided, the Bluejays went to work behind wide receiver and special team’s leader Tyler Marsh.

At the 6:35 mark of the first quarter, Dave Hernandez lofted a pass to Marsh that resulted in a 30-yard touchdown. Keenan Morris added the extra point and Tabor led 7-0.

Seconds later, the Bluejays forced a turnover as Bethel’s Antwain Scales floated a misdirected pass while being crushed by Tabor’s Chad Duerksen. The ball fell into the hands of teammate Tracy Wehrman.

Tabor ended up punting the ball on its next possession, backing the Threshers close to their end zone. As Bethel’s Kevin Starr received the handoff in the end zone, a host of Bluejays tackled him to score a safety that gave the Bluejays a 9-0 lead.

Marsh added his second of three touchdowns at the 9:53 mark of the second quarter on a 61-yard pass from Hernandez. Morris added the PAT and Tabor was up, 16-0.

With just over six minutes remaining in the first half, Morris kicked a 36-yard field goal that was partially blocked. Tabor led by 19.

Then, with 57 seconds left in the half, long-snapper Preston Neufeld short-snapped to Marsh on a punt situation. Marsh danced his way to the 4-yard line before being dragged down by two Bethel defenders.

That run set up a 6-yard touchdown pass from Hernandez to Ratzlaff with 17 seconds remaining. Morris added the PAT and Tabor took a 26-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Jays continued their dominance in the third quarter. Hernandez found freshman Layne Frick in the end zone from five yards out minutes into the quarter. It was Frick’s first reception as a collegian. Morris connected on the extra point and Tabor took a commanding 33-0 lead.

Marsh added his final touchdown catch with 8:09 left in the third quarter with a goal-line plunge. Morris’s kick made it 40-0.

With less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter, Olando Harris scored his first touchdown as a Tabor running back, sprinting in from 22 yards away. The Jays lined up for the PAT kick, but after the snap was bobbled, holder Matt Insley rolled right and lofted a pass to Frick in the back of the end zone for the 2-point conversion and the final margin of 48-0.

The Bluejay defense held Bethel to 120 yards rushing, six yards passing and threw its first shutout of the season.

Defensive coach Mike Gardener said his team is beginning to understand the defensive philosophy and is reaping the benefits.

“We just executed our game plan,” Gardener said. “The thing about our guys is that they have been really coachable. This is a very special group of guys.”

Tabor compiled 424 yards of total offense, including 266 yards in the air and 158 on the ground.

Marsh led receivers with six catches for 186 yards and three touchdowns. Ratzlaff finished with four receptions for 64 yards, and became the school’s all-time reception leader with 99, surpassing the old mark of 97 held by Nathan Funk. Marsh is nine passes behind Ratzlaff in career receptions.

Hernandez had another solid night, completing 12 of 19 passes for 246 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.

Harris rushed 20 times for 81 yards and one touchdown. Scott Yoder rushed for 23 yards on four carries.

Coming-The Bluejays sit a top the KCAC with a 2-0 record and are 3-0 overall. Tabor will face its biggest test so far this season when Kansas Wesleyan (2-0, 2-1) comes to town Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Reimer Field.

In association with the American Football Coaches Association’s National Child Identification Program, Tabor will distribute child indentification kits to the first 700 fans at Saturday’s Homecoming matchup between the Bluejays and Kansas Wesleyan, scheduled for 2 p.m.

More from article archives
Real Cooking
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN CHERYL JOST OK, it’s confession time. I always eat too...
Read More