By Cort Reynolds
The Ada High School football team lost at Leipsic 47-14 in the Northwest Conference opener on September 9⎯their first road game of the season. Ada dropped to 1-3 and 0-1 in the NWC with the loss. Meanwhile, the Vikings improved to 2-2 and 1-0 in the league with the win.
The Vikings tallied 20 first-period points and took that lead to intermission. Ada scored two third-quarter touchdowns, but Leipsic added 21 points of their own in the stanza to carry a 27-point cushion into the final stanza.
"If we expect to be successful, we need to eliminate the big mistakes and keep working on getting better," said Bulldog second-year head coach Toby Smith.
The Vikings took the lead on an eight-yard TD pass with 2:22 left in the first period.
Leipsic senior back Hayden Hiegel then scored on an eight-yard run with 8:36 remaining in the first half for a 13-0 lead after Ada blocked the PAT kick.
Hiegel found paydirt on a two-yard TD run 5:29 before intermission to extend the lead to 20-0.
Hiegel scored again 2:12 into the third period on a five-yard run to stretch the margin to 27-0.
Quick Ada sophomore Kaine Fisher returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards to the end zone with 9:35 left in the third period. Wyatt Green's point after kick cut the deficit to 27-7.
Leipsic responded with a 46-yard scoring aerial at the 7:33 juncture to rebuild the lead to 34-7.
Ada junior back Jalee Bolden found paydirt on a two-yard run with five minutes left in the third stanza, and Green's PAT boot made it 34-14. Hiegel scored his fourth TD on a one-yard plunge with 2:20 left in the combined 35-point third quarter. The extra point pushed the Viking lead to 41-14.
Leipsic tacked on a final score with a 77-yard TD scamper with 7:45 remaining to play.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 0 0 14 0 14
Leip 7 13 21 6 47
Notes and stats
Ada netted 230 yards in total offense on 53 plays for an average of 4.3 yards per snap. Leipsic netted 481 yards on 49 plays (9.8 avg.).
The Bulldogs rushed the ball 38 times for 188 yards (4.9 average). The Vikes ran the ball 25 times for 231 yards (9.2 avg.). Green completed five of 15 aerials for 42 yards with three interceptions. He also rushed 18 times for 66 yards. Bolden netted 114 yards on 15 carries and tallied one TD. Levi Sousley made two receptions for 33 yards.
The Vikings completed 18 of 24 passes for 250 yards and two TDs. Hiegel rushed 20 times for 125 yards and four scores.
Ada compiled 16 first downs, 11 of which came on the ground. Just one came through the air, and four were via penalty.
Leipsic amassed 26 first downs, with 13 apiece on the ground and through the air.
Leipsic committed one turnover, while Ada made three miscues. The Bulldogs were penalized two times for 15 yards, and the Vikings were flagged five times for 55 yards.
Ada at nearby foe Bluffton next
Ada visits explosive local rival Bluffton Friday in week two of the NWC season at Harmon Field.
The Bulldogs are 1-3 (0-1 NWC) while Bluffton enters the contest 2-2 overall and 1-0 in conference play. The Pirates won at home over Spencerville Friday, 54-35.
The Pirates have won the last four meetings. They won at Ada 34-14 last year. The Pirates also captured a wild 48-46 shootout at War Memorial in 2020. Bluffton outlasted Ada in a 70-50 week three point-fest in 2019.
In 2018, Bluffton also won 43-14. Ada last beat the Pirates in 2017, 42-17. The Bulldogs dominated the local rivalry series from 2007-17, winning 10 of 11 meetings. Their only loss in that span came in 2015 at home, 27-21.
Bluffton is 1-1 at home, while Ada is 0-1 on the road.
The Pirates are 19th in the Div. V, Region 18 rankings. The Bulldogs dropped to a tie for 16th in the unofficial early Div. VII, Region 26 rankings after the loss to Leipsic.
