NORTH NEWTON, Kan. – Tabor Football is set to make the short trek down Highway 50 to take on Bethel in one of the biggest rivalries in the KCAC on Saturday to open Kessinger Division play. The Bluejays look to open divisional play on a high note after coming off their Bye Week last weekend.
 
THE BASICS

• Tabor: 2-4 overall (0-0 Kessinger)
• Bethel: 1-5 overall (0-0 Kessinger)

 
GAMEDAY COVERAGE

• The game will be broadcast live on the KCAC Network
• Live Stats will be available here

 
SERIES NOTES

• Saturday marks the 59^th meeting between the two programs, dating back to 1968
• Bethel currently leads the all-time series, 31-27
• Tabor won last year's meeting in Hillsboro, 36-7

 
BLUEJAY SNAPSHOT

• Darriene Gibbs sits second in the NAIA in tackles-for-loss, with 13.5 on the season
• Jonathon Scheffler sits tied for fourth in the NAIA in made field goals, with nine, and is tied for fifth in the NAIA in field goal attempts with 12
• Scheffler also boasts the second-longest field goal in the country, kicking a 54-yarder at Saint Mary
• Grady Gebhardt ranks first in the Kessinger Division in rushing yards, boasting 479 on the season, and also ranks second in the division in rushing touchdowns, with five
• Brandon King sits second in the division with three interceptions
• Derrick King ranks first in the division in pass breakups with six
• Brandon McNeal ranks first in the division in kick-yard return average, averaging 20.2

 
FROM THE DESK OF COACH GARDNER

• "I just want to see us get off to a quick start. I'd like to see us continue to be consistent in doing what we need to do with our gameplan. Bethel's quarterback play is getting better each week; their offensive line is coming along well. Defensively we are going to have to take away the run and eliminate big plays."
• "Jerome (Stewart) has done a great job of taking care of the ball and not putting us in tough situations and we are also not putting him in tough situations."
• "I can't say enough good things about Grady Gebhardt, he and I both share a common bond being coaches' sons. You just view the game different when you grow up that way and I feel like we both understand each other really well."

 
Be sure to stay up to date with all information regarding Bluejay Athletics by following us on X at @gotaborbluejays, on Instagram and Facebook @taborbluejays, and on our official athletic website, taborbluejays.com.
 
Tabor College is a Christ-centered institution located in Hillsboro, Kansas. The Bluejays are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).