Ada visits Buckeye Central for the first time on September 1
By Cort Reynolds
The Ada High School football team battled but lost a tough 40-27 bout at Blanchard Valley Conference foe Riverdale Friday night in their first road game of the season at Mount Blanchard.
Ada, which is slated to join the BVC next fall, dropped to 1-1 with the non-league defeat. The Falcons improved to 2-0 after the win.
CONTINUES WITH PHOTOS by Teri Salyer
Ada's 1-2 punch of Levi Green (18) and Jalee Bolden (22) combined to
rush for 290 yards in the 40-27 Ada loss at Riverdale.
The Bulldogs scored first to lead 7-0, yet the Falcons regained the lead later in the opening period and never trailed again.
Ada tied it at 14-all in the second stanza, but Riverdale then reeled off a 26-6 run to seize control of the contest.
“We have to be better and more physical if we want to stop more people from scoring,” Bulldog third-year head coach Toby Smith.
“We have some young kids that have to play, and they will get better as the year goes on,” he continued. “Our older kids have to play better so that our young kids can see what we want from them.”
Senior first-year Riverdale starting quarterback Heath Dunbar threw for four touchdowns and ran for another score to pace the Falcons to victory.
“Heath is a gamer,” said Riverdale head coach Sam Petrie. “Despite it being his first year as the starting quarterback, he has had tons of reps and continues to get better every day.
“His senior receivers also made some plays tonight,” he added.
Senior running back Jalee Bolden found paydirt on a four-yard run in the first period to give Ada first blood and a 6-0 lead. Junior Logan Jolliff’s extra point kick made it 7-0.
The Falcons clawed back on a 36-yard TD scamper to inch within 7-6. Dunbar’s two-point conversion pass gave Riverdale an 8-7 lead with 4:48 left in the first period.
A three-yard scoring strike from Dunbar to Grant Inbody gave the hosts a 14-7 advantage, but the point after try failed.
Ada answered right back when Bolden rumbled 53 yards to the end zone to bring the purple and gold within a point. Jolliff’s second PAT boot tied it up, 14-14.
Riverdale then took control with two touchdown passes to end the half ahead by 14.
An 11-yard scoring aerial from Dunbar to senior wideout Cameron Furr broke the tie at 20-14. Then an eight-yard Dunbar TD pass to Furr again extended the lead to 26-14.
Dunbar’s two-point conversion pass to Tristan Wilson was successful to cap a big 20-7 Falcon second stanza.
A big momentum shift happened when Green was stopped just short of the goal line on a fourth down run just prior to the end of the first half.
The Bulldogs edged within 28-20 in the third quarter when Bolden scored again on a three-yard run to slice the deficit nearly in half. The margin stayed at eight when the PAT kick missed.
But a one-yard Dunbar TD plunge put the Falcons back up by 14 at 34-20 heading to the final stanza.
Wilson then hauled in a 19-yard scoring strike in the fourth period to give Riverdale some breathing room behind a 40-20 cushion.
Ada junior quarterback Levi Green found paydirt on an eight-yard run with 5:32 left in the final period. Jolliff’s third PAT boot brought Ada within 13 points, but they could get no closer.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 7 7 6 7 27
Rdl 8 20 6 6 40
Notes and stats
Riverdale compiled 23 first downs to 18 chain-movers by Ada.
The Falcons compiled 394 yards in total offense on 57 plays, compared to 349 yards on 48 plays by the Bulldogs.
The Falcons averaged 6.9 yards per play, while the Bulldogs averaged 7.3 yards per snap.
Bolden led the Bulldogs with 187 yards rushing and three TDs on 21 carries (8.9 avg per rush).
Green completed five of nine passes for 59 yards with one interception. He also rushed 15 times for 103 yards and one TD.
Kaine Fisher caught four passes for 43 yards. Zack Zimmerman snared one aerial for 12 yards, and Bolden added one catch for four yards.
Riverdale rushed 30 times for 194 yards (6.5 avg.), while Ada netted 290 yards on 36 runs (8.1 avg.).
The Falcons completed 20 of 27 passes for 200 yards to fashion a very balanced offensive attack. Accurate Dunbar completed 19 of 26 aerials for 194 yards and four TDs.
Senior Davin Harbor caught four passes for 108 yards, including a 79-yard reception that set up a Falcon TD. Furr hauled in five receptions for 35 yards and a pair of TDs. Wilson added six receptions for 79 yards and one score.
The Bulldogs committed five penalties for 69 yards, while the Falcons were flagged four times for 35 yards.
Ada converted three of 10 third down tries, while Riverdale was successful on eight of 17 attempts on third down. The Falcons won in time of possession, 28:53 to 21:28.
Ada committed two turnovers on interceptions, while Riverdale recovered its lone fumble.
Dalton Amos and Zimmerman led the Bulldog defense with four tackles apiece. Colton Cole and Liam Vieira each added 3.5 stops.
Ada visits Buckeye Central (2-0) for the first time ever next Friday in week three at New Washington, an approximately 65-mile road trip.
The Bucks blanked hapless Crestline 50-0 in week one, and crushed St. Joseph Central Catholic 57-0 Friday night, August 26.
