WINFIELD, Kan. – Saturday evening pits two solid teams against each other in Winfield as Tabor travels to face No. 22 Southwestern. The Bluejays enter the contest after emerging victorious in last weekend's season-opener against Sterling, 41-28, while Southwestern is coming off a big 48-14 win in their season opener at Bethel.
 
"Most football coaches will tell you that you really improve from week one to week two, so I'm not sure what that's going to look like exactly, but our guys are ready", stated Head Coach Mike Gardner.
 
"This team that we are getting ready to play is very good. They are always well coached and well-prepared, and we are going to need to be ready in all three phases in order to compete."
 
Gardner also spoke on Darriene Gibbs' monster performance in last week's win, "I challenged Darriene at halftime and told him that he needed to play better, and he really responded. He's the type of player for us that can realistically be involved in most of the plays, whether it's a pass or a run, or retracing on screens, he's just that kind of guy. For us to be successful on defense, we've got to have great defensive end play, and the potential is there for him to play like this every week."
 
This past Saturday, fans were treated to an outstanding debut from Freshman kicker, Jonathon Scheffler. "What I feel like has made him quality at his position so far is that he doesn't seem to let little things get to him. That's a tribute to him and he has done a good job."
 
When looking at Saturday's matchup, Gardner is focused on offensive consistency and getting off the field on 3^rd downs, as well as controlling the clock to keep the Moundbuilders' offense off the field as best as the possibly can. 
 
This matchup is also personal for Gardner, as he matches up with former Bluejay quarterback, Ryan Nelson, Southwestern's Offensive Coordinator. "Ryan came here after being at a couple other places and the thing I really respect about him the most is that the offense that we ran at that time was definitely not something that utilized his abilities the best, but it utilized our team's abilities the best at that particular time. He accepted his role, and we ended up having an injury and he shared quarterback duties and it was awesome. He helped us win a playoff game on the road during the 2013 season and he was a real blessing for us."
 
Saturday's contest is sure to offer plenty of excitement, and fans who unable to make it to watch the game in person can watch the game on the KCAC Network. Live stats will be available here.
 
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).