By Cort Reynolds
ADA - After running up 120 points in its last two games, the high-powered Ada football team travels to face tough and improving Spencerville Friday in week six.
The two-time defending NWC champion Bearcats defeated previously unbeaten Allen East 21-7 in week five at Harrod. They have won two in a row and are 3-2 overall (2-0 NWC).
Spencerville is 1-1 at home while the Bulldogs are 2-1 on the road. The Bearcats beat Perry 35-16 in their opener, then lost 21-6 to Parkway and at tough LCC 41-27. They then downed Paulding 44-20 in their league lidlifter.
The Bearcats shared the 2018 league title with Columbus Grove and Crestview at 6-1. They won the outright league crown in 2017 at 7-0 under then first-year head coach Chris Sommers.
After just two weeks in the 2019 league season, only the Bearcats and Crestview stand undefeated at 2-0. Allen East, Bluffton, Ada and Grove are all tied for third at 1-1.
The 2-3 Bulldogs have given up 70 points in each of the last two games, yet came out of it 1-1 in league play.
"Obviously we will have to shore up the defense," said Ada head coach Shawn Christopher. "Spencerville is very good up front offensively. (Joel) Lotz and Gunner Grigsby run well. Sommers coaches the wing T offense as well as anyone I have seen. Chris is just a great coach, and he coaches with a lot of fire.
"It starts up front with them," he continued. "Eli Yahl (6-2, 230) at guard/inside linebacker is a legitimate Div. I football player.
"They start a freshman quarterback (Josh Henline) and throw the ball just enough to keep you honest, maybe six to eight passes all game."
Spencerville averages 26.6 points a game. Ada scores 40.4 ppg and gives up 46.2 ppg.
"Defensively they run out of a three or four man front," said the second-year head coach of the Bearcats, who allow 21 ppg. "They won't do anything exotic and they just try to limit big plays by keeping the ball in front of them.
"They play a lot of guys in coverage out of a 3-2 front with six or seven guys in coverage. I think their weakness is in the secondary. They lost a lot of players to graduation but they run their stuff well. I am interested to see what they do."
The Bulldogs are 16th in the Div. VI Region 23 computer ratings, while the Bearcats sit ninth.
The Bearcats have won the last five meetings with the Bulldogs. They blasted the Bulldogs 69-16 last year in Ada. In 2017, the Bulldogs lost a close 21-17 battle at Spencerville. In 2016, the Bearcats again edged Ada 22-19. The Bearcats also won 35-7 in 2015, and 42-0 in 2014.
The last Ada win in the series came in 2013 at home by a 39-21 count.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Friday night in Spencerville. A win would get Ada back in the playoff hunt, while a loss would seriously damage their post-season hopes.
"We will have to use our athleticism on the edges," predicted Christopher. "We continue to get better up front and on the defensive line. How the defensive line responds will be a big key."
