Bluejays trample Colorado College
No. 19 Tabor gets 45-point first half to crush Tigers, 66-30
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Avalanches have been known to fall occasionally in Colorado.
Despite the arrival of winter still being three months away, the hosting Colorado College Tigers got caught in one Saturday afternoon against the Bluejays.
Tabor (2-0) made short work of the overmatched Tigers (0-2,) exploding for 45 points in the first half and piling up 571 yards of offense to cruise to a 66-30 win in Colorado Springs.
Ben Brown carried the ball eight times for a game-high 113 yards and one touchdown while Roger Butler added four TDs and 88 yards from 19 carries.
Even the reserves got in on dismantling Colorado with backup quarterback Ben Schmidt going 6-for-7, throwing for 56 yards and running for a pair of touchdowns.
The Tigers never knew what hit them.
Seven minutes into the game, after the duo struck for 2- and 44-yard touchdowns, the Tigers were down 14-0.
Haunted a week ago by inconsistent PAT attempts, Tabor was a flawless 9-for-9 with Marcus Manny connecting on a 30-yard field goal in the opening minutes of the second quarter.
Colorado cut the lead to 14-3 with a 31-yard field goal before Butler broke the game wide open.
Tabor covered a combined 105 yards in the span of 2:50 and nine plays to pull ahead 38-3 after two more Butler touchdowns.
Ricky Ishida added a two-yard quarterback keeper to push Tabor's lead to 45-9 by halftime.
Ishida threw for 225 yards from 14-of-23 with a team-high 68 yards going to Layne Frick.
Schmidt scored his two touchdowns late in the third quarter, taking it in from 14 to stretch the lead to 52-16.
He scored again barely 1:00 into the fourth quarter with a one-yard quarterback sneak.
Martin Morales put the finishing touches on the game with 7:53 left on another one-yard plunge.
The Bluejay defense gave up 329 yards to the Tigers, but forced five turnovers with three fumbles and two picks to Robert Haude and Tyler McKim.
Tabor will return to action at Hillsboro Saturday when it hosts struggling rival Bethel at 7 p.m.
The Threshers took the Bluejays to two overtimes a year ago, but Tabor prevailed to capture its first ever KCAC football championship.
