By Cort Reynolds
ADA - Injury-plagued Ada visits surging Columbus Grove for a week six battle Friday in just their second road game of the season.
Grove has won three straight after starting the season with consecutive losses to a pair of 5-0 teams, Pandora-Gilboa and Leipsic. They have outscored their opposition 109-43 during their win streak.
CG (3-2, 2-0 NWC) took advantage of Knight miscues to upset state-ranked Crestview 33-20 on the road in week five. They are one of only two remaining unbeatens in league play, as Grove sits atop the NWC along with Spencerville at 2-0.
CG leaped to sixth in the Div. VI, Region 22 computer rankings Friday after their win over previously undefeated Crestview. Ada (2-3, 1-1 NWC) fell to 17th in the same region after losing 69-16 to Spencerville.
"Grove's Blake Reynolds is probably the best pure quarterback in the league," said Ada head coach Shawn Christopher of the sophomore signal-caller. "He is a good athlete, a fantastic basketball player.
"Grove is pretty balanced on offense; they run the ball well and throw it well enough to keep you honest," he continued. "Defensively, they play hard and get after you. They will probably try to take away the run and make us throw."
Ada is down 15 players from opening day to a 23-man roster, due mainly to a rash of injuries. Top rusher/linebacker Landon Blankenship is likely out for the year after breaking a hand and injuring his shoulder vs. Spencerville. He had also been dealing with a knee injury suffered in a pre-season scrimmage vs. Carey.
On the positive side of the injury ledger, Christopher thinks receiver Brad Clum will be back for the first time in a month after hurting his shoulder in week two vs. Arlington.
Junior Logan Conrad is also expected to play after missing the first half of the season with a knee injury. His return should help the offensive line and depth issues.
Sophomore QB/DB Brandon Hull is still at least another week away from returning to action after he suffered a non-contact hip injury in practice a few weeks ago.
Due to all the injuries, Christopher and staff have had to move several players to new positions. Senior stalwarts Noah Mattson and Ethan Hall and freshman Cayden Murphy will serve as the linebacking trio this week.
"Ethan has been consistent all year and great wherever we have put him," said the coach.
Junior Bryce Paul will be limited to defensive duties after an injury to his ball-snapping shoulder, so he will be replaced at center by freshman Carter Nelson.
Ada has convincingly won the last three "battles of the Bulldogs." They crushed CG 37-0 last year and whipped Grove 41-14 in 2016. The purple and gold also beat CG 19-7 in 2015. Grove last beat Ada in 2014, by a 31-17 count.
Ada is 0-1 on the road and 2-2 at home this season, while CG is 2-1 at home and 1-1 away from Clymer Stadium. Grove's opposition so far has a combined record of 17-8, while Ada's is 16-9.
"Hopefully our kids can bounce back," said Christopher after the 69-16 loss to Spencerville in week five.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
