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Ada hosts rival Mustangs in finale October 22

By Cort Reynolds

Ada entertains backyard arch-rival Allen East Friday, October 22, in the season finale for the Bulldogs. 

AE (6-3, 4-2 NWC) lost at Leipsic in week nine, 26-14. The Mustangs are second in the Div. VI, Region 24 computer rankings, behind only unbeaten Mechanicsburg.

"Allen East is a very talented and well-coached team," said Ada head coach Toby Smith. "We will have to be on top of our game in order to slow them down.

"Offensively, we will need to take care of the football and execute well so that we can keep their explosive offense (32.3 ppg) off of the field.

"Their offense is diverse. They do a nice job of trying to find your weakness and exploiting it," he added.

AE quarterback Jacob Hershberger has thrown for over 1,000 yards and rushed for over 600 yards while scoring 14 touchdowns this season. Chase Miller and Carter Young are his top receiving targets.

"Defensively, they do a nice job of making you earn every yard you get," he added. The Mustangs allow 21.2 ppg.

Ada senior QB Kadin Phipps has rushed for 569 yards and five TDs  to lead the Bulldog ground game. Running backs Jalee Bolden and Casen Jones have netted 370 and 321 yards, respectively.

Bulldog freshman Kaine Fisher has grabbed a team-high 21 receptions for 140 yards. He also leads the NWC in kickoff return yardage with 428 (20.3 avg.).

Ada is 0-3 at home, while AE is 2-3 on the road this season.

The Bulldogs beat the Mustangs 13 times in a row from 2005-2017. But AE has won the last three meetings by a combined total of 142-22. The Mustangs defeated Ada in Harrod 41-14 in the 2020 opener.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

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