No. 11 Bluejays drill plummeting Threshers years ago
Tabor erupts for 47-first half points to trounce struggling Bethel, 60-10
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Bluejay tailback Roger Butler was sidelined a year ago when it took a pair of overtimes for Tabor to outlast the Bethel Threshers.
Chances are the Threshers didn't miss him Saturday night in Tabor's home opener.
Butler was just one of the many headaches Bethel had, surrendering three TDs and a game-high 130 yards on the ground as the Bluejays (3-0) demolished Bethel (0-3), 60-10.
"We played as a team today," Butler said. "We knew we had to come out and let everybody know we're not playing around and we're going to play as a unit in one heartbeat.
"We came out this year, we knew we didn't want to have that overtime game, we wanted to make a statement and I feel like we made that statement."
Boasting the fourth best offense in the nation, putting up 487 yards a game, it's hard to argue.
And Tabor's not just beating teams, they're mauling them with the nation's top scoring offense averaging nearly 53 points a game while holding opponents to 17.7.
Bluejay quarterback Ricky Ishida found out on the first play of the game how not to start a game, getting picked by Thresher Brandon Kaufman.
That was the only thing that ruined a perfect day for Ishida, who finished a stellar 15-for-16 for 210 yards and three touchdowns.
Tabor finished a yard over its average, picking up 216 yards on the ground and 282 in the air.
"Bethel did a really good job of mixing up their personnel and really had us off balance on defense early," Bluejay coach Mike Gardner said. "Mike Moore (Bethel coach) does a good job over there and it's good for us to come out and play with some intensity like we did early and it really got our offense clicking."
The Threshers can put up some impressive yards themselves, averaging 407 yards a game.
But with three interceptions and a fumble, Bethel was held to 151 under its average despite having the nation's leading rusher in Phillip Barron.
Barron carried 22 times for just 91 yards, but he still leads the NAIA in yards per game with 187.
Bethel gave the ball right back on its third play of the drive to Joe Fenske in excellent field position.
A pair of nine-yard runs by Butler and Tabor was on its way to a romp not even 2:00 into the game.
The Threshers chewed up 8:04 of the first quarter on the ensuing drive, but only got a field goal out of it with the drive stalling at the Bluejay five.
That was pretty much all she wrote for the Threshers as the Bluejays scored on seven out of eight times they had the ball in the first half on their way to a commanding 47-10 halftime lead.
Midway through the first half with the Bluejays in front comfortably, 21-3, wide-out Aaron Jenkins hit a wide-open Ben Brown on a flea-flicker.
Brown scampered unscathed 67 yards for the score.
Brown caught five passes for a season-high 122 yards receiving.
Perfect a week ago on PATs, it was Tabor's week to struggle again going 7-for-9.
"We've got to get that squared away," Gardner said. "Other than that, we've got to be happy with the way our kids came out and played.
"I've got a lot of respect for Coach Moore, the Bethel staff and the Bethel institution. I really like Mike a lot, he's a class quality guy."
Bethel's only break came with 7:01 left in the first half.
Tabor's Robert Haude forced Barron to cough up the ball deep in Bluejay territory.
Peter Garibaldi instead scooped up the loose ball and took it 45 yards for the score.
Still, Bethel was in dire straits, down 41-10.
To help highlight another balanced offensive attack for the Bluejays, Jeff MacKinnon, Layne Frick, and Caleb Marsh all hauled in touchdown catches.
MacKinnon's was good for 19 yards, Frick had a 24-yarder, and Marsh caught one for 26.
The Bluejays face the only team that ruined their perfect regular season a year ago, hosting the Bethany Swedes at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
