By Cort Reynolds
ADA – The Ada High School girls soccer team was seeded fifth at the brutally difficult eight-team Bluffton Div. V sectional drawing Sunday, October 6.
The Ada girls face a tall first round task as they will play at unbeaten Northwest Conference leader Columbus Grove (12-0-2) Tuesday, October 15 at 6 p.m.
Columbus Grove is seeded second, and undefeated Mansfield Christian (11-0-2) is third in the top half of the loaded draw. North Central Ohio Soccer Association co-champion Riverdale was seeded first.
Ada (10-6) has won a program-record 10 games in the regular season this fall despite a youthful roster.
Third seed Mansfield Christian (11-0-2) hosts seven seed Ashland Crestview Oct. 15.
The higher seed will host in all of the first-round games. After that, Steinmetz Field in Bluffton will serve as the site for the semifinals and finals.
The Ada/CG winner will play Monday, Oct. 21 at 5 p.m. in the semifinals at Bluffton vs. powerhouse Mansfield or Ashland Crestview.
“Our sectional is an absolute bear. It is a tough, tough sectional,” said Ada head coach Doug Dewese.
He opined that the Bluffton sectional might be the best Div. V sectional in Ohio, except for maybe the Cincinnati area, which features some top private school teams.
NCOSA champion Riverdale, unbeaten Northwest Conference leader Columbus Grove, undefeated Mansfield Christian and NWC runner-up Bluffton headline the sectional as the top four seeds, in that order.
“Those are all very tough teams,” said Dewese. “Bluffton has a few losses, but they have lost to very solid teams. Bluffton’s strength of schedule is the toughest of all.
“Then you have the always-dangerous Allen East, seven seed Ashland Crestview and Cory-Rawson to round it out.”
The top-seeded Falcons (9-2-2) host eighth-seeded Cory-Rawson (3-11-1) Tuesday, Oct. 15 in the first round. Heavily favored Riverdale tied Liberty-Benton for the NCOSA title this season.
The Bluffton girls (9-4-1) were seeded fourth in the drawing Sunday. The Pirates host sixth-seeded backyard rival Allen East (6-8-1) in the first round of tournament play Tuesday, October 15 at 6 p.m.
The Pirate girls defeated AE 3-0 on Sept. 17 in Bluffton, and also eliminated the Mustangs in the district semis last year. AE senior standout Rilynn Jones has scored 22 goals and dished out 15 assists this season. Junior teammate Rylie Jordan has netted a dozen goals.
The winner advances to face the Riverdale/Cory-Rawson victor Monday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. in the semifinals.
The Pirates have lost at home to Riverdale in the district finals each of the last two years but may meet them in the semis this time around.
The district finals at Steinmetz Field are slated for Thursday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m.
If seeding holds, number two CG would face the Mansfield Christian Flames in the semis Oct. 21 at 5 p.m. in Bluffton, then take on top seed Riverdale in the finals.
