Looking for Ada Schools sports schedules? Go to the source, the schools' website.
By Cort Reynolds
Ada High School kicks off its 2022 campaign Friday, August 18, with a home contest vs. non-league local rival Waynesfield-Goshen, looking to improve in season two of their rebuilding project under coach Toby Smith.
W-G knocked off the visiting Bulldogs in the 2021 opener, 42-12. But the final score was deceptive as the Tigers pulled away from a 14-6 halftime lead with 28 unanswered points to put pesky Ada away.
Improving Ada returns 14 lettermen and seven starters on both offense and defense to their 35-player roster. They are hungry to post an upset and avenge that loss, and to start the season on an up note.
The young Bulldogs were 1-9 last fall (0-7 NWC), but look to be much more competitive in 2022. W-G finished 9-3 (5-2 NWCC) and recorded a first round 14-13 playoff win over Mohawk before falling to Hopewell-Loudon in round two.
Shane Wireman enters his seventh campaign (27-32) as Tiger head coach this fall with 21 lettermen back from their 2021 playoff team.
"I think the biggest thing we have are nine seniors back with a lot of experience to carry on from last season," said Wireman. "We have big goals we are capable of achieving, and with it come some expectations, too.
"We have good depth, better than in the past. That should be a solid component to our success. There won't be a big drop-off when we bring in our number two's," he noted.
Smith constructed perennial playoff teams at Bellefontaine and West Liberty before coming to Ada.
"Last year we had too many 14 year olds playing against 18 year olds," said Smith. "This year hopefully we will not have a single freshman starter."
Ada will have a new starting quarterback this year. Sophomore Levi Green gained some valuable fill-in experience last season and has recovered from shoulder surgery.
Senior Spencer Wall will likely open the season as the starting signal-caller. Green is an elusive runner, while Wall is also a good athlete.
"We will throw the ball laterally to stretch the defense with high percentage throws," he added. "The keys to playing quarterback for us are to execute and whoever takes care of the football best."
Ada seeks to be a power rushing team, with solid returning starters at running back in junior Jalee Bolden and senior Casen Jones.
The offensive line is senior-laden, led by Gage Hoffer, Grant Preston, Dalton and Lester Amos, and Colton Cole.
Wall, sophomore Kaine Fisher and senior Levi Sousley lead a corps of very capable receivers.
"We don't do anything extraordinarily well or pedestrian," said Smith. "But we have a hard-working group of kids.
"We want to run the ball but also throw it to keep defenses honest. How much we throw is determined partly by how many defenders are in the box," he offered.
Smith said the Ada defense is ahead of the offense early in the season. The Bulldog defense will operate out of a 4-2-5 formation, rotating several players in an attempt to stay fresh.
"We will do a lot of rotating on defense," said Smith. "We don't want too many guys going both ways playing all the time. Three players will rotate into two positions on the defensive line."
Hoffer, Julian Grose, the Amos brothers, Preston, Zach Neiswander and Owen Arnett will handle the defensive line duties.
Ada has nine returning players to share the inside and monster back position. Five experienced defensive backs also return.
For W-G, junior Drew Breitigam moves from wide receiver to quarterback this season as he takes over the offensive reins from graduated Cooper Roberts.
"Drew has been waiting for his opportunity, so we think he will be ready to go come Friday," said Wireman.
"He can throw and pass, but we have to protect him. We have a strong group in the trenches. Drew has a quicker trigger passing than Cooper, and has the confidence you like to see in a quarterback," he added.
W-G will lean on a running back by committee, led by seniors Aiden Biederman and Hunter Craig to go with a stable of sophomores. "We have three sophomores (Carson Barnes, Grant Breitigam, Gage Steineke) who will get touches but the seniors will be the feature guys," said Wireman.
Senior receiver/defensive back Jayden Elliott returns as an elusive big-play wideout. "We expect him to impact the game on both sides of the ball," said Wireman.
"Ada looks very similar scheme-wise to last year with an H-back and zone read plays, with short passes out to their playmakers," said Wireman.
"Coach Smith has been around and in year two his kids are more comfortable with his system, so they will be improved. They have some good size up front, and a nice quarterback in (Spencer) Wall. Their running backs run hard.
"Ada is a team that wants to run the football and throw short passes mainly," he continued. "They do enough to keep you from crowding the box, and have the skill guys outside you have to respect. They have some receivers who can make big plays."
Wireman noted, "In week one, your special teams haven't done stuff live in scrimmages, so that is key and you hope they can hold their own. Our punt game needs to be effective, with no bad snaps.
"We have to take care of the football. The turnover battle is big, as it was in last year's game," he added.
"We know we have our work cut out for us," warned Wireman. "It was a close game last year at halftime, but then we got a few interceptions that spun it in our favor.
"I anticipate it will be a close game into the second half. We pride ourselves on being able to play four quarters," he added.
Early in half two last year at Waynesfield, the Bulldogs were driving in W-G territory when Elliott intercepted an Ada pass and returned it 85 yards to help build the lead to 15. From there, deeper W-G went on to post the victory.
Casen Jones ran for an Ada TD late in the second half. W-G out-gained Ada 290-207 in total offense.
Kick-off for the anticipated opener is 7 p.m. Friday on the second-year synthetic turf at War Memorial Stadium in Ada.
