The University of Saint Mary Spires beat Tabor 53-31 at Reimer Field
Saturday (Oct. 18) in Hillsboro. It was Tabor's fourth loss by 50-plus
points and sixth loss overall. But among the bright spots were two
Bluejays performances: quarterback Marc Amos threw for two touchdowns
and ran for another, accounting for 209 yards of total offense along
the way; and defensive back Sean Retting recorded six tackles and an
interception along with three passes defended.
Retting's
performance was particularly strong in light of the efficiency of the
Spires passing game from their first play to their last. Saint Mary
quarterback Daniel Robles frustrated the Tabor defense almost from the
outset, converting a third-and-six with a pass to Frankie Walburn to
set up the Spires first score four plays later.
Rocky Rosales
capped the first Spires drive? with a 3-yard run at 10:14, and hammered
home a 1-yard score set up when the long snap sailed over punter Kevin
Carroll's head at 7:57 of the first quarter.
Demetrius Cox led
the Bluejays counterattack, breaking away with a 38-yard run to set up
a 7-yard quarterback keeper run by Amos at 7:08.
Tabor forced
Saint Mary into a third-and-7 on the ensuing drive, but was unable to
prevent Robles from finding Tai Murray for the first down. Later on
that drive, Robles converted a fourth-and-1 with a run, and he hit
Murray with a 26-yard touchdown pass two plays later.
Amos
responded with some sharp passing of his own, completing throws to
Marquis Smith (7 yards) and Adrian Clay (35 yards) to set up a 34-yard
field goal by Marcus Manny 2:21 into the second quarter.
Saint
Mary then put together the game's pivotal drive, with Robles converting
two third downs and a fourth-and-3 to set up Rosales' third rushing
touchdown?a 28-yarder at 7:20 of the second quarter. The Spires ramped
their lead to 34-10 two plays later, as the Bluejays fumbled away the
first play after the kickoff, and Robles found Derick Schulte with a
9-yard touchdown pass.
Tabor never recovered from that sequence,
but did battle back, with Amos completing a 27-yard strike to Clay and
a 24-yard touchdown to Phillip Robben with 5:08 left in the first half.
Robles
led the Spires 59 yards in six plays before Retting intercepted his
attempt to find Glen Wallin in the end zone. Saint Mary got the ball
back when Tabor failed to convert a fourth-and-8 near midfield, and
tried three pass plays before halftime. Joe Wuest sacked Robles as time
expired, and Tabor stuffed Saint Mary again to start the third quarter.
The
Spires returned the favor, forcing a 3-and-out, and Robles completed
five of six passes to set up Rosales' fourth rushing touchdown of the
game. Rosales scored on a draw from two yards out at 8:13 of the third
quarter, making it 40-17, Spires. Robles hit Willie Harris for a
33-yard touchdown with 2:30 left in the third, and found Leroy Griffin
for a 45-yard touchdown 55 seconds into the fourth period.
But
the rest of the game belonged to Tabor, as the Bluejays posted two
three-and-outs and scored two touchdowns. Marion High School alum Drew
Looper recovered an Amos fumble in the end zone at? 6:40, and Amos
completed a 9-yard touchdown to Dareck Yeoman to cap off the game's
final series.
Manny went 4-for-4 on extra points in addition to
the field goal, had several kickoffs go for touchbacks, and recorded
what may have been a touchdown-saving tackle on the second half's
opening kickoff.
Up next, Tabor (0-6, 0-5 KCAC) plays Bethel (5-1, 4-1 KCAC) Oct. 25 in North Newton. The Threshers most recently defeated Southern Nazarene on their home field, 25-24.
