Swedes ambush No. 12 Bluejays years ago
Bethany ruins Tabor's unbeaten season with double OT win, 28-27
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
One thing preached to the Bluejays this season has been how fatal mistakes can be. And hey, several of then-12th ranked Tabor's eight wins have come as result of being able to capitalize on opponents' miscues.
On Saturday against victory-starved Bethany (3-5, 3-5 KCAC) in Hillsboro, the shoe was on the other foot for the Bluejays.
Despite outdoing the Swedes offensively by 159 yards, four Bluejay blunders helped spell defeat as the Swedes spoiled Tabor's (8-1, 7-1 KCAC) unbeaten season and snapped a five-game slide.
A week removed from a thrilling double overtime win to claim their first-ever KCAC crown against Bethel, the Bluejays came up on the down-side of another double overtime game, 28-27.
"Anytime you have an undefeated streak on the line and a team comes into your place and plays their best game of the season, which they (Bethany) played," said Bluejay coach Mike Gardner, "we struggled a little bit.
"We've talked all year about how mistakes can hurt you and they took advantage of our mistakes and we didn't take advantage of theirs."
Bluejay senior punter Brian Kimsey has had better games at Reimer Field.
Right off the bat, with Tabor backed up deep in its own territory on fourth down, Swede rush end Bryon Smith broke through and blocked Kimsey's punt.
KCAC Special Teams Player of the Week Smith returned the ball 23 yards for a touchdown to put the Swedes up 7-0 barely 2:00 into the game.
No stranger to adversity, the Bluejays cut the lead to 7-3 on a 33-yard Marcus Manny field goal on their next series.
Holding the Swedes to just 38 yards offense the first quarter, 188 on the game, the Bluejay defense made it hard for Bethany to get anything going.
One in particular was linebacker Jake Schenk, who had a game-high 13 tackles. Schenk recovered the Swedes' only fumble in their own territory, but the Bluejays got nothing out of it.
Bluejay quarterback Ricky Ishida threw for 110 yards on 13 for 22. He aired it out for Layne Frick on a 13-yard completion to set up first-and-goal from the three.
Running rampant for 179 yards in a 237-yard onslaught, Roger Butler scored the go-ahead touchdown on the next play with 9:35 left before halftime.
Tabor had a chance to extend its lead on the Swedes' ensuing drive.
Chris Williams deflected a pass into the hands of John Ohm. The drive went backward and Tabor gave it right back on its first of two fumbles.
By halftime, the Swedes were breathing down the Bluejays' necks, trailing 10-7.
The second Tabor fumble proved costly with Dominick Tatum barreling in on a one-yarder to again put the Swedes in front by four, 4:30 into the second half.
Tatum's touchdown marked the final time the Bluejays would lead in the game.
Manny again sliced the deficit down, this time connecting on a 32-yarder to pull Tabor to within 14-13 3:04 later.
Bethany's best drive of the game, a 14-play 72-yarder stretched the lead to 21-13 with 14:50 left in regulation.
Tabor came storming back, dominating the clock on the day with Ishida piecing together and capping off a 10-play 35-yard drive with a one-yard keeper.
The two-point conversion was huge a week earlier, and it was again with Butler plowing through to knot the game at 21 with 5:24 left.
The score stayed in a deadlock until the second overtime with both teams missing scoring opportunities in the first on field goal attempts.
The Bluejays got a break to start the second overtime on defense.
Swede quarterback Tyler Boyd found Tim Magitt for a 13-yard touchdown and a 28-21 lead.
Looking down the barrel of a gun on fourth-and-eight, Ishida hit Caleb Marsh.
Butler cut the lead to 28-27 the next play, zipping in from 12 yards out.
Tabor's undefeated season came up a yard shy with Butler's isolation-run being denied on the two-point conversion.
"We never felt like we had momentum in the overtime periods," Gardner said. "We've just got to put it behind us and flush it (loss). It's not life or death, it's just a stumble and a stumble is not a fall. We're still 19th in the nation and we're still KCAC champs.
"I was real proud of our kids and the way they handled themselves. We had some adversity going and I thought they did a good job of keeping their composure."
The Bluejays close out the regular season Saturday when they travel to Leavenworth for a 1:30 p.m. showdown with feisty St. Mary.
