By Cort Reynolds
The visiting Ada High School football team led early but lost 35-14 at Spencerville in a Northwest Conference battle Friday night, October 6.
The Bulldogs scored the game’s first touchdown, yet trailed 14-7 at halftime.
The Bearcats stretched the lead to 28-14 heading to the final stanza, and then tacked on one more score to put the game out of reach.
The purple and gold dropped to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the NWC with the defeat. The loss dimmed but did not extinguish Ada’s flickering playoff hopes.
With the home win, Spencerville snapped a five-game losing skid, improving to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the NWC.
“We did not do the little things well enough to have a chance to win,” said Ada head coach Toby Smith. “We missed too many tackles and turned the ball over too many times to have a chance to win.”
Bulldog junior quarterback Levi Green returned from a sprained right ankle suffered two weeks ago vs. Bluffton and led the team in rushing with 111 yards.
Ada junior Kaine Fisher found the end zone on a four-yard run to open the scoring in the first period. Logan Jolliff’s extra point kick put the Bulldogs in front 7-0 after one quarter of play.
Bearcat sophomore running back Zach Looser scored on a five-yard TD run in the second stanza, and Carder Orr’s PAT kick tied it 7-7.
The Bearcats then took the lead for good on a five-yard scoring run by senior tailback Carter Layman. Orr’s second extra point boot gave the hosts a 14-7 lead at halftime.
Speedy Bearcat wideout Nathan Coulter then pulled in a 76-yard catch and carry TD pass from junior QB Orr to extend their advantage to 21-7 in the third period.
The elusive Green kept Ada within striking distance when he sped 73 yards to paydirt. Jolliff’s second PAT kick cut the Ada deficit to 21-14.
But Looser again scored on a four-yard touchdown run to put the Bearcats back in control 28-14 as the third quarter ended.
Orr finished the scoring on a one-yard plunge and by kicking the extra point in the fourth quarter to provide the final margin of 21.
AHS FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 7 0 7 0 14
Svl 0 14 14 7 35
Notes and stats
The Bulldogs compiled 11 first downs compared to 23 times the Bearcat moved the chains.
The Ada offense totaled 256 yards on 43 plays (6.0 average per play). The Bulldog rushed for 162 yards on 27 carries (6.0 avg.). Ada passed for 94 yards.
The Bearcats passed for 132 yards and rushed for 268 yards on 57 carries. They totaled 400 yards in offense on 63 snaps (6.3 avg.).
Green led Ada with 111 rushing yards on 13 carries, scoring one TD and losing one fumble. Green also completed nine of 16 passes for 94 yards with no scores or interceptions.
Jalee Bolden rushed seven times for 23 yards. Fisher netted 19 yards and one TD on five runs. Liam Vieira added nine yards on two carries.
Kayleb Hickman snared four receptions for 41 yards. Gavin Oldfield caught two aerials for 31 yards.
Fisher added one grab for 13 yards and had a 31-yad kickoff return. Zack Zimmerman caught a seven-yard pass.
The Bearcats threw just six times, but completed five for 132 yards and one TD.
Orr completed four of five tosses for 115 yards and a TD. He also rushed seven times for 45 yards and one score.
Looser led all rushers with 130 yards and two TDs on 23 carries. Layman netted 77 yards on 22 runs with one score. Looser fumbled twice, while Layman lost one fumble.
Coulter caught three passes for 93 yards and one TD. Will Sensabaugh added two catches for 39 yards.
Slade Gossman led the Ada defense with 8.5 tackles. Kolton Dysert added 4.5 stops, while Oldfield was in on four tackles.
The Bulldogs committed two penalties for 20 yards, while the Bearcats were flagged twice for just 10 yards.
Ada converted four of 11 third down tries, while the Bearcats were a very successful eight of 13 third-down attempts.
The hosts also converted three of five tries on fourth down, while the Bulldogs were 1-1 on fourth down.
Ada lost two out of five fumbles for a pair of costly turnovers, while the Bearcats were guilty of three miscues as they lost three of their four fumbles.
The Bulldogs lost in time of possession, 26:14 to 21:44.
Ada has been outscored by its foes this season, 272-167.
Ada back home for Bulldog battle vs. Grove
After two road games in a row, Ada returns home to entertain streaking Columbus Grove in week nine Friday.
Co-league leader Grove is 6-2 overall and 5-0 in the NWC after romping 37-0 at Crestview in week eight.
Ada is 1-2 at home this season. CG is 3-2 away from home, having previously beaten Leipsic and Delphos Jeff on the road.
The Grove losses came at Pandora-Gilboa in week one (25-22), and in week three at Patrick Henry (40-28).
Grove has won five in a row to keep pace with Bluffton atop the NWC at 5-0. They have outscored their opposition 201-42 during their win streak.
Ada (3-5, 1-4 NWC) fell one spot to 20thth in the unofficial early Div. VII, Region 26 rankings after the loss to Spencerville.
Thirteen teams in deep region 26 have at least six wins. Seven teams have six or seven wins, and 18 have records over .500.
CG is third in the Div. VI, Region 22 computer rankings. Undefeated Bluffton is first and has registered six straight shutouts.
