HILLSBORO, Kan. - Walsh High School senior Hagen Turner (Walsh, Colo.) has signed a letter of intent to play football next season for the Bluejays.

Turner, a 6-0, 160-pound running back and defensive back, earned First Team Arkansas Valley League All-Conference honors, All-State Honorable mention honors and was named to the 6-man 8-man All-State Team.

HILLSBORO, Kan. - Tabor College Head Football Coach Mike Gardner has selected Billy Hickman, a standout former player and senior team captain, to help rebuild the Bluejays' football program.

Hickman, 25, will serve as Offensive Coordinator and hit the recruiting trail immediately to help Gardner attract outstanding student athletes to the program. For the past two seasons, Hickman was an assistant coach at Colorado School of Mines, in Golden, Colo., which utilized a spread-offense style of attack.

HILLSBORO, Kan. - Mike Gardner, who earned KCAC Coach of the Year honors while leading the Tabor College football team to back-to-back conference titles in 2004 and 2005, is returning to coach the Bluejays.

After serving as the head coach at Malone University (Canton, Ohio) for the past four seasons, Gardner said accepting the offer to return to his native Kansas and to Hillsboro, "felt like the right thing to do."

Hillsboro, Kan. - Tabor football couldn't find a win in their final game of the season Saturday, falling on the road in Leavenworth, Kan. to the University of Saint Mary, 34-48.

The Bluejays played a close game in the first half, scoring on their opening drive on a 13 yard pass from junior quarterback Joey Erickson (San Marcos, Cal.) to freshman wide receiver Daniel Jost (Hillsboro, Kan.).

After three seasons as head football coach at Tabor College, Mike Gottsch has submitted his letter of resignation and announced to his team that he will step down after the final game of the season, to be played Saturday against University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan.

"I'm looking out for the best interest of the football program, to let Tabor College start the search for a new head coach and hopefully get a very qualified candidate in here very quickly," Gottsch said. "I wanted to let them get another coach in here as soon as possible."