By Cort Reynolds
Additional photos below
The Ada High School football team scored 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to rally past county rival Hardin Northern in a wild 57-40 shootout at War Memorial Park Stadium Friday night, September 2.
The Bulldogs tallied 29 points in the final stanza after entering the decisive quarter behind 32-28.
With the home win and final non-league football game of the regular season, Ada improved to 1-2 this season. Hardin Northern fell to 1-2 with the loss.
"We stopped beating ourselves and stopped making the mistakes that put the game in doubt," said Bulldog second-year head coach Toby Smith.
"It feels good to get the first win but we know it is a long grind and we have to keep getting better.
"A lot of different people came up with plays; it was nice to see a total team effort," Smith noted.
Ada took the opening kickoff and put together a 61-yard, 10-play scoring march. Green rolled left and completed a key 10-yard pass to Levi Sousley on fourth and nine.
Two runs by Jalee Bolden, the last a one-yard touchdown plunge, gave Ada its first lead of the season at the 7:17 mark. A Wyatt Green PAT kick made it 7-0.
Hardin Northern struck right back with a 67-yard scoring drive on its first possession. A 15-yard pass from Nolan Hopson to Bodi Hipsher keyed the drive, with a 15-yard penalty tacked on down to the Ada 32.
Two plays later Hopson ran right and made a nice cutback for a 23-yard scoring scamper. However, his point after try went just right to keep Ada on top 7-6 with 4:55 left in the first period.
Ada responded immediately as senior Casen Jones fielded the ensuing kickoff, burst open through the middle and outran the defense 73 yards to paydirt.
Green's second PAT kick extended the Bulldog lead to 14-6.
Ada had an apparent 60-yard TD run by Bolden on the next Ada drive but it was negated by offsetting penalties.
Hardin Northern then drove to the Ada 10 behind long runs by Carter Curtis and Hopson. But the Bears fumbled and Colton Cole recovered at the Ada 11 to change the momentum.
The Bulldogs then drove 89 yards in just five plays to score. Kaine Fisher hauled in a Green aerial and danced along the left sideline for 33 yards to near midfield.
Three plays later, Levi Green threw long to the left and connected with Sousley on a 46-yard scoring strike. Green's extra point kick stretched the Ada lead to 21-6 with 8:56 left in the long half.
Hardin Northern took over after a short kickoff at its own 41 and marched 59 yards to score in four plays. Colby Curtis scurried 38 yards on first down before being run out of bounds by Julian Grose.
On third and five, Carter Curtis rambled 16 yards up the gut to paydirt to cap the march. Colby Curtis then ran in the two-point conversion to cut the Bulldog lead to 21-14.
Ada took the ensuing kickoff and started at its own 45. Green hit Max Puerto with a 17-yard pass to ignite another drive. Bolden broke a tackle and rumbled 21 yards to the Northern 17.
On third and six, Green froze the defense with a good fake handoff and he ran untouched 13 yards through a gaping hole on the right side to the end zone.
The fourth Green PAT restored the Ada lead to 28-14 5:47 before intermission.
A long kickoff return by Carter Curtis gave Hardin Northern possession at the Ada 35. On fourth and two, Hopson rolled around right end and spun off a tackler at the two before scoring on a 27-yard carry.
A two-point conversion run by Carter Curtis pulled Hardin Northern to 28-22 with 3:28 left in the half.
Hardin Northern then recovered the following kickoff but was unable to score. However, Northern tallied a safety when Green was tackled in the end to cut the margin even further to 28-24 with 1:54 left in the second quarter.
Northern's last-ditch drive fell short on a long pass break-up as time expired.
Hardin Northern took the second half kickoff and quickly penetrated Ada territory on a 16-yard Carter Curtis scamper. On third and eight, Carter Curtis gained six yards off the left side.
On a key fourth and two play, the shifty Hopson kept the ball running right, made a nice cut and another good move for a 27-yard TD run.
The two-point conversion run around right end by Carter Curtis gave HN its first lead at 32-28 with 9:22 left in the third period.
A 23-yard pass on third and long from Green to Sousley advanced Ada to the HN 40. Fisher made a nice leaping grab at the Northern 28 for a gain of 12.
On third and eight, Green narrowly escaped a rush for a gain of seven. On fourth and one, Hardin Northern jumped off sides for a big first down.
Consecutive Ada penalties cost the Bulldogs 21 yards. Sousley hauled in a 16-yard "Levi to Levi" pass on the right sideline. But on fourth and five, a Wyatt Green 27-yard field goal was low and blocked at the 3:27 mark.
Northern took over at its own 10. A third down screen to Carter Curtis was stopped for a short gain by Bolden, necessitating a 41-yard Spearman punt that rolled dead at the Ada 43.
Bolden rambled 13 yards and Sousley caught a pass to the HN 37 as the third quarter ended. Bolden hammered his way for 15 yards on the first play of the fourth period.
Bolden then sped 19 yards around left end to the Bear three. Ada recovered its own fumble on first and goal to avoid a disastrous turnover. Green then ran around left end untouched for a three-yard TD to give the Bulldogs the lead back with 10:20 remaining.
Wyatt Green's fifth successful PAT boot made it 35-32 to cap the 57-yard drive.
HN recovered the ensuing on-sides roller at their own 43. But on third and 10, Hopson scrambled and threw incomplete to force a high punt fielded by Jones for a fair catch at the Ada 26.
A screen to Jayden Bankston gained 13 yards. Jones then burst through the line and rumbled 47 yards to the HN 14. On second and one, Green kept and scored on a five-yard run with 7:43 left to play.
The two-point pass from Green to Sousley in the left corner extended the lead to 11 at 43-32.
Ada continued its momentum when Puerto's long kickoff died and was recovered by Jacob Sutherly near the sideline at the HN 23.
"That kickoff recovery took the wind out of their sails," he offered. "We attacked and made it a three-score game."
Bolden then scampered in from 23 yards out on the next play to give Ada a 50-32 bulge after the Green PAT.
Hardin Northern took over at their own 35 with 7:34 remaining. Pass interference gave Northern a first down, but Fisher made a nice pass breakup on first down. On fourth and six, Hopson fired an 11-yard first down pass to Colby Curtis in traffic.
Speedy Carter Curtis then juked his way 29 yards to paydirt with 5:26 still remaining. Hopson's two-point run cut the deficit to 50-40.
But Sousley recovered the Polar Bear on-sides kickoff at the 47. On fourth and one, Green spun and gained two yards to move the chains and keep the clock moving.
Bolden then bounced off a tackler and ran 41 yards to the end zone to clinch the outcome. The extra point by Wyatt Green extended the lead to 57-40 with 2:04 remaining.
Hardin Northern drove to the Ada 27, but Hopson's pass was intercepted by Fisher to seal the verdict.
"Levi Green had a good night and did a lot of positive things for us," said Smith. "We got it done at the end of the day ultimately."
Bolden ran for two scores while he, Green and Jones combined for over 250 yards rushing.
Green ran for three TDs and passed for one score. Bolden tallied three TD runs.
The speedy Hopson ran for three TDs, while Bear back Carter Curtis found the end zone on two runs.
It was Ada's second straight win over HN after the resumption of their series in 2021.
1 2 3 4 F
HN 6 18 8 8 40
Ada 14 14 0 29 57
Ada opens Northwest Conference play at Leipsic next Friday. The Vikings (1-2) lost 33-21 to Pandora-Gilboa in week three. Leipsic beat Fairview 48-6 in week two, and lost to Liberty-Benton 31-27 in their opener.
