No. 8 Bluejays survive road scare at Winfield
Tabor football team dodges bullet, outlast 'Builders, 45-28
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Through six games, no team has been able to last the full 60:00 against the powerful Bluejays.
Teams can hang with Tabor for a quarter or two, but it always pulls away down the stretch, whipping teams by nearly 30 points and making it look easy.
Two touchdowns has been the closest any team has come to denting the Bluejays' unbeaten season.
On Saturday at a place that is anything but kind to the Bluejays, Winfield, the Southwestern Moundbuilders gave them one of the biggest scares yet.
Good teams find a way to win, though, and that's just what the Bluejays (7-0, 6-0 KCAC) did, riding the legs of tailback Roger Butler to fight off a 45-28 close call by the 'Builders.
Butler, nor the rest of his team was alive the last time the Bluejays had a player rush for more than 250 yards in a game.
That came 34 years ago in 1971 when former Tabor legend folk hero Rolland (Bay) Lawrence was on his way to greatness in the National Football League, rushing for 253 yards against St. Mary of the Plains.
Butler's been rewriting Tabor's record book one week at a time, and when the Bluejays needed him most, Butler rose to the occasion, burning the 'Builders for five touchdowns on 40 carries for a career-season-high 255 yards.
He even caught a 47-yard dart to finish the day with 302 all-purpose yards.
Butler's record-setting day earned NAIA Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Tabor's high powered offense picked up 538 yards overall with 327 rushing.
The Bluejays jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead with Butler scoring from four yards to complete a six-play 28-yard drive 8:00 into the game.
The 'Builders, with the help of four Tabor turnovers and penalties, stuck around most of the game, tying it up 3:30 later with 6-foot-7 quarterback Braden Smith hitting Ta'Ron West for a 9-yard score.
Two more Butler touchdowns and the Bluejays stretched their lead to 20-7 with Southwestern blocking Marcus Manny's extra-point attempt.
Tabor's smothering defense, lead by Jake Schenk's 11 tackles, held the 'Builders to a putrid 66 yards on the ground and a woeful 3-for-14 on third-down conversions.
But that didn't stop Nick Mondero from keeping SW in the game, slipping in for a two-yard touchdown and chopping the lead to 20-14.
Three of the Bluejays turnovers were interceptions from Ricky Ishida.
Ishida still threw for 211 yards on 14-for-26 and a touchdown that doubled SW over at halftime, 28-14, to Ben Brown with :36 left in the first half.
Aaron Jenkins caught seven passes for a game-high 103 yards, including a 66-yarder to lead the Bluejays' receiving.
The 'Builders didn't panic despite the double-digit lead, pulling to within seven again as Smith scored on a three-yard quarterback keeper with 3:13 to go in the third quarter.
The two teams continued to trade touchdowns once more with Butler scoring on a 20-yard run before Manny connected on a 38-yard field goal to help Tabor pull away late in the fourth quarter, 38-28.
Southwestern must have used up all its ammunition chasing the Bluejays because it never threatened again the final 6:41, punting once and turning the ball over on an interception by Tyler McKim.
Butler scored Tabor's final touchdown to preserve the win with 2:54 remaining.
The Bluejays face another stiff road test Saturday when they travel to Ottawa for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.
