By Cort Reynolds
The Ada High School football team lost 56-6 to league co-leader Columbus Grove in their annual Northwest Conference Bulldog battle Friday night, October 13, at War Memorial Stadium.
Grove scored touchdowns on all six of its first half possessions to build a 42-0 halftime lead and win going away to stay tied for first place in the NWC.
Ada dropped to 3-6 overall and 1-5 in league play with their second straight defeat. The loss eliminated Ada from playoff contention.
Streaking league co-leader Grove improved to 7-2 overall and 6-0 in NWC play with their sixth straight victory. CG hosts fellow league unbeaten Bluffton (9-0, 6-0 NWC) in week 10 to decide the conference title.
The purple and gold Bulldogs played without injured senior running back Jalee Bolden.
Grove took the opening kickoff and drove 66 yards to paydirt on four plays. On third and 16, elusive junior back Trenton Barraza burst through the line, spun off a tackle and sprinted 72 yards to the end zone.
The extra point kick by Evan Verhoff made it 7-0 just 1:23 into the action.
Max Puerto’s 63-yard punt pinned CG back on its own eight. But playing with a quick tempo offense, Grove marched 92 yards to score again. The shifty Barraza ripped off runs of eight, 15 and eight yards.
Sophomore quarterback Landon Best passed 18 yards to Brady Basinger. Barraza then scampered 52 yards for another TD 6:21 left in the first period.
The Verhoff PAT doubled the lead to 14-0.
CG marched 81 yards to paydirt on their next possession. A Barraza 16-yard run and a 26-yard pass from Best to Kyle Hopkins ignited the drive. Squat junior back Josh Gannon then weaved his way 28 yards through the Ada defense for a third TD with 2:51 to go in the first quarter.
An 11-yard run by shifty junior Kaine Fisher earned the initial Ada first down. But the drive stalled and after another Puerto punt, CG took over at its own 37. A 32-yard diving catch by Zach Reynolds jump-started the drive.
A 25-yard aerial from best to Reynolds set up Barraza’s six-yard TD run with 10:17 left in the first half. The 53-second possession was capped by Verhoff’s fourth PAT for a 28-0 lead.
After an Ada three and out series, Grove took over on its own 47. The 53-yard, five-play drive culminated in a 14-yard TD pass from Best to Barraza. The extra point advanced the margin to 35-0 with 6:29 left in the half.
A five-yard tackle for loss helped thwart the next Ada possession. After a Puerto punt rolled dead, CG took over at the 44. Five plays later, senior Bo Birnesser hauled in a 12-yard TD pass from Best 2:37 before intermission.
The extra point by Verhoff stretched the lead to 42-0.
Kayleb Hickman returned the second half kickoff to the Ada 34. But the hosts had to punt on fourth and five.
Grove took possession at their own 39 and marched 61 yards on four plays with the running clock in effect. A 38-yard TD run by Gannon extended the margin to 49-0 with 2:49 left in the third period.
Bulldog junior quarterback Levi Green completed a nine-yard pass to Fisher on the next Ada drive. But on fourth and one Ada was stopped to turn it over on downs at their own 21.
Hickman came up with an interception and returned it 29 yards to the Ada 31.
Fisher then broke loose for a 69-yard TD scamper to get the host Bulldogs on the scoreboard with two minutes left in the period.
Grove burst through the line and blocked Logan Jolliff’s PAT kick try to keep the score 49-6 heading to the final stanza.
A Dalton Amos nine-yard sack of backup QB Birnesser stopped Grove and forced their first punt of the game.
CG tacked on one more TD just past the halfway mark in the fourth period on a seven-yard TD run by Gavin Barraza. Verhoff’s eighth straight extra point provided the final margin of 56-6.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 0 0 6 0 6
CG 21 21 7 7 56
Notes and stats
Ada compiled just six first downs compared to 27 times Grove moved the chains. Balanced CG threw for 241 yards (12.0 yards per pass) and rushed for 333 yards on 25 carries (13.3 avg.).
The visitors totaled a whopping 574 yards in offense on 45 snaps (12.8 avg.).
The Ada offense was held to 123 total yards on 39 plays (3.2 average per play). The purple and gold rushed for 94 yards on 25 carries (3.8 avg.), and passed for 29 yards.
Ada quarterbacks completed nine of 14 passes for 29 yards with no scores or interceptions.
Fisher ran for a season-high 87 yards on eight carries with one TD to pace the struggling Ada offense.
Fisher pulled in five receptions for 19 yards. Zack Zimmerman added two grabs for eight yards.
Puerto punted eight times for a 35.9 average.
Best completed 13 of 17 passes for 227 yards and two TDs. Birnesser threw a pick in relief.
The elusive Trenton Barraza rushed for 187 yards on just eight carries, and tallied two long TD runs.
Gannon authored two scoring runs and netted 107 yards on just six carries. Reynolds tallied a six-yard TD run, and Gavin Barraza added a seven-yard scoring jaunt late.
Basinger caught four passes for 61 yards. Reynolds snared three aerials for 71 yards, and Hopkins added two receptions for 32 yards. Eight different Grove players caught at least one pass.
Hickman led the Ada defense with 6.5 tackles and an interception. Slade Gossman made six solo tackles.
The host Bulldogs committed four penalties for 45 yards, while the visitors were flagged eight times for 89 yards.
Ada converted just one of 10 third down tries, while CG was successful on two of three third-down attempts.
The hosts also converted two of nine tries on fourth down, while the visiting Bulldogs were 0-0 on fourth down.
Ada committed no turnovers. Grove was guilty of one miscue on a pick as they recovered both fumbles on their opening drive.
Ada won in time of possession, 22:43 to 14:43.
Ada has been outscored by its foes this season, 328-173.
The Bulldogs are 19th in the unofficial early Div. VII, Region 26 rankings after the loss. Grove is fourth in Div. VI, Region 22.
