By Levi Klingler
Last Friday, the Ada Bulldogs visited neighborhood rival Upper Scioto Valley, coming out with a non-conference win over the Rams in the Dogs' third shutout this season. The win puts the Bulldogs at 4-0 (2-0 NWC) for the season and the Rams at 0-4 (0-0 NWCC).
Game photos at bottom of this story.
Ada's first score came on the first play of their first offensive possession. Senior running back Kellen Decker took the handoff and ran 33 yards down the middle of the field, breaking a couple of tackles along the way. Junior Hunter Waller kicked the extra point, making it 7-0, Ada, with 10:18 to go in the first quarter.
Junior receiver Matt Wilcox of Ada scored next, bringing down a tactfully thrown pass from senior quarterback Mason Acheson for a 35 yard run to the end zone. Waller made the extra point, putting the Bulldogs ahead 14-0 with 6:32 left in the first.
Wilcox was next to score again, this time at the position of free safety, as he snagged a pass that was intended for a Ram receiver deep in Bulldog territory and took it 95 yards for a Bulldog touchdown. Waller's PAT made it 21-0 with 2:42 remaining in the first period.
Wilcox would pick off yet another pass in the first quarter with a minute to go, this time taking it 28 yards to Ada's 48 yard line. On the next play, Acheson threw a long bomb to senior receiver Jacob Ansley who would take it the rest of the distance to the end zone, scoring with 49 seconds left in the first. Waller's extra point was good, putting Ada ahead 28-0.
On their next offensive possession, Ada ran the ball frequently to eat up most of the time in the second quarter. Acheson scrambled on the eighteenth play of the drive -- on fourth down, no less -- to score. Waller booted it through the uprights, making it 35-0 with 3:49 left in the half, which is where the score remained until the end of the half.
Ada started the second half on offense, scoring in under two minutes on a 43-yard pass to Decker to end a 6 play drive. Waller's PAT put the score at 42-0 with 10:12 left in the third.
For the rest of the half, Ada would continue to hold the Rams to no touchdowns while running down the clock on offense and working on fundamentals. The game ended with Ada's second offense taking a knee.
Acheson led with a 13-for-21 passing performance for 251 yards and 3 touchdown passes, while also scoring a touchdown himself on a scramble. Decker rumbled for 170 yards on 21 carries with a touchdown, also catching one pass for a score. Ansley had 103 yards on 5 receptions with a score, and Wilcox had 39 yards on 2 catches with a score, as well as a score off of an interception.
Ansley led the Bulldogs defensively with a total of 10 tackles. Four Bulldogs recorded sacks -- Waller, Eli Roberson, Austin Dumbaugh, and Sa'ed Al-Olimat. Waller led sacks with 2. Wilcox had 2 interceptions.
Ada returns to Northwest Conference play this Friday, Sept. 21, at Bluffton. The Pirates are 2-2 after their 25-21 conference win over Crestview last Friday.
- All photos by Todd Klingler -
