By Cort Reynolds
ADA – Costly turnovers and penalties plagued Ada in the second half of their Div. VII, Region 26 first round playoff rematch vs. league rival Leipsic on a chilly Friday night at War Memorial Stadium.
The visiting Vikings capitalized to score 18 unanswered points in the second half and build a 30-14 lead, then held off the Bulldogs to win 30-22.
Ada led a tight contest 14-12 at halftime.
It was the first playoff game for the Bulldogs since 2017, and their first home post-season contest in eight years.
The gutty Bulldogs scored a TD and made the two-point conversion to edge within 30-22 with 10:25 remaining. But on their last possession, a fourth and 13 pass fell incomplete to turn it over on downs at the Ada 20.
Leipsic was able to run out the final 3:03 with the aid of a personal foul penalty.
The fine Bulldog season ended with an 8-3 record,
The Vikings improve to 7-4 with the win and advance to play Gibsonburg (9-2) in the region 26 quarterfinals next week. They beat Arlington 221-6 Friday.
“We made too many mistakes to win a close game like that,” said Bulldog fourth-year head coach Toby Smith. “I am extremely proud of the way we kept fighting throughout.”
Ada senior quarterback Levi Green threw two touchdown passes to Kayleb Hickman in his final game as a Bulldog.
Senior back Kaine Fisher scored the other TD.
Ada took the opening kickoff and drove 60 yards to score. Green runs of five and 11 yards ignited the march. Another Green keeper gained 14 yards.
Fisher then made a nice cut, bounced around right end and sprinted inside the right pylon to finish a 34-yard touchdown run.
The extra point kick by sophomore Andrew Allen made it 7-0 with 9:51 remaining in the first period.
Leipsic responded with a 73-scoring drive of its own. A 19-yard aerial from Marc Kirkendall to Jayce Brecht sparked the march. On fourth and one, 6-3 senior Ty Lammers bounced off a tackler and rumbled 12 yards to the Ada 17.
Three runs later, sophomore back Colin Niese found the end zone on a seven-yard rush to make it 7-6 with 3:21 left in the opening stanza. The 11-play drive took 6:25, but the two-point conversion pass was incomplete to keep Ada ahead by a point.
The Bulldogs then had to punt and the Vikings took over on their own 38. A reverse to the speedy Brecht netted 22 yards. Two Niese runs gained 20 more yards inside the Ada 10.
But then Lammers fumbled, and the Bulldogs recovered at their own five to thwart the drive and keep the lead. Ada then continued to reverse the momentum with a quick but long drive.
Trevor McGue caught a six-yard screen from Green. Green then burst to his right for 26 big yards. Two plays later, he threw left to Hickman on a screen. The junior wideout picked up a good block, then outran the defense down the sideline to complete a 62-yard touchdown.
Allen’s 39th PAT kick this season without a miss put Ada on top, 14-6. The drive took 2:04 and covered 95 yards in just four plays.
Leipsic came back with a 67-yard scoring march. Freshman quarterback Kirkendall passed for seven yards to start the possession. On third and one, Ada standout lineman Dalton Amos threw to Lammers for a two-yard loss.
Leipsic went for it on fourth and three at their own 40, a gutsy call. Kirkendall drilled a slant to Avery Paris for a 20-yard gain to move the chains.
A right-side pitchout to Lammers gained 22 yards. A few plays later, Niese hit paydirt from four yards out off right tackle with 3:14 left in the half. His scoring run capped an eight-play drive that consumed 4:19.
But once again, the two-point pass came up short to keep Ada in front, 14-12.
The second period expired as Ada tried to drive in the final minutes of the half. Senior Viking end Quinn Westhoven wrestled the elusive Green to the turf to end the second period.
Leipsic took the second half kickoff and marched 67 yards to the end zone to take the lead for good, as it turned out. A key play in the game came when Leipsic gambled on fourth and five from its own 38.
Kirkendall’s low pass fell incomplete, but defensive pass interference was called to give the Vikings a reprieve and 15 yards. Niese ran for 14 yards to the Ada 33, followed by a bobbling Westhoven catch for 17 more yards.
Another pass interference flag on third and seven made it third and two at the Ada seven. Lammers took a pitchout, made a nice cut inside and scored on a seven-yard TD run to give Leipsic an 18-14 lead with 8:48 left in the third period.
The two-point pass try was again incomplete. The drive took nine plays and 3:11 off the clock.
The momentum continued to swing the Viking direction when on McGue’s ensuing kickoff return, he fumbled and the visitors recovered at the Ada 43.
Capitalizing on the sudden change, Kirkendall dropped back on the very next play and lofted a long pass to his left to Niese, who had sprinted past the Ada secondary into the open. He caught it in stride and scampered into the end zone for a 43-yard TD with 8:35 still left in the third quarter.
It was the second Viking score in just 13 seconds. Yet their two-point pass attempt went awry to keep Leipsic’s lead at 10 points, 24-14.
Ada was stopped on its next possession, and on fourth and seven lined up to punt. Punter Allen took the snap, ran right and threw a pass that fell incomplete to give Leipsic the ball on the Bulldog 43 for the second straight time.
But with its back to the wall four plays later, Ada came up with a game-saving turnover. After a 10-yard reception, Hickman jarred the ball loose from Paris and recovered it at the Bulldog 29.
Green scurried 14 yards on the next play. Fisher caught a three-yard pass, with 15 more tacked on for a Viking facemask. Green then ran right for several yards but while fighting for extra yardage, fumbled the ball back at the Viking 36.
Kirkendall narrowly completed a third and seven pass for seven yards at the 46 to keep the following Leipsic drive alive. Lammers pulled down an aerial for a dozen yards.
Two Niese runs reached the Bulldog 27 as the third period ended. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Kirkendall lofted a perfect pass to the left corner of the end zone to the speedy Brecht to provide a 30-14 bulge.
The 64-yard drive took 4:27 on eight plays. However, the two-point pass was incomplete yet again to keep Ada alive, down two TDs and a pair of two-pointers.
The Bulldogs quickly drove 59 yards in just 84 seconds to paydirt on four plays to get back in contention. Green completed a second down pass to Hickman, who spun off a defender and sprinted to the end zone for a 46-yard TD with 10:25 remaining.
Green rolled right and connected with Hickman on the two-point conversion toss to bring Ada within 30-22.
After a long ensuing kickoff and good coverage, Ada had Leipsic pinned back on its own six. Yet a 23-yard aerial to Lammers got the Vikings out of a big hole. They drove 50 yards into Ada territory, but a third and six pass was incomplete.
Still, they had managed to eat 5:35 off the clock with the drive. Leipsic decided to punt for the first time and play field position football. The 37-yard boot was downed at the Bulldog seven.
Ada’s last drive of the season started with a seven-yard Green run. The senior QB then scampered left out of bounds for nine yards to stop the clock.
Fisher caught a short pass, but was hit and fumbled near the sideline. Leipsic jumped on the loose pigskin, yet was called for having a foot out of bounds on the recovery to keep Ada alive.
A costly Bulldog holding penalty moved the ball back 10 yards. A third and 13 pass fell incomplete. Ada had to roll the dice on fourth and long, but Green’s hurried toss over the middle hit the turf to turn it over on downs at the Bulldog 20.
Leipsic needed one first down to run out the clock. They got it on the controversial personal foul for leading with the helmet as Niese was dropped for no gain on second and 11.
Kirkendall took three straight kneel-downs to run out the clock and end the Ada turnaround season.
“What a great a season and a great way for our seniors to go out,” Smith summed up. “We can’t say enough about them and the way they led us to the results we had this year.
“We hope the underclassmen want similar results going forward, and try to follow in their footsteps,” he added.
Ada improved from three wins to eight this season, and finished a solid third in their first campaign as a member of the Blanchard Valley Conference.
1 2 3 4 F
Ada 7 7 0 8 22
Leip 6 6 12 6 30
Notes and stats
The Ada offense totaled 289 yards on 34 plays (8.5 yards per play). Leipsic amassed 420 total yards on 60 snaps (7.0 avg.). The Vikings ran 26 more plays than the Bulldogs to control the ball.
The Bulldogs compiled 13 first downs, while the Vikings moved the chains 27 times.
Nine of the Ada first downs came on the ground, with three coming aerially and one by penalty. Leipsic gained 13 first downs on the ground, with 11 more coming by the pass on the strong arm of their young QB. Three more Viking first downs came via key penalties.
The Bulldogs netted 157 rushing yards on 21 runs (7.5 avg.), and added 132 passing yards.
Leipsic ran for 197 net yards on 38 carries (5.2 avg.), and threw for 223 more yards.
The shifty Green rushed 15 times for 113 yards and lost one fumble. He also completed eight of 11 passes for 132 yards and two TDs with no interceptions. Green totaled 245 yards in offense.
Green ended the 2024 season with 1,530 rushing yards on 163 attempts (9.4 avg. per rush). He ran for 16 TDs.
Green also completed 90 of 140 passes (64.2 pct.) for 1,163 yards. He tossed 14 TD aerials with four interceptions.
Senior back Fisher rushed six times for 44 yards and one score. He ended the season with 19 TDs, with 16 coming on the ground. Fisher added three receptions for 12 yards.
Fisher finished with 934 yards rushing this season on 126 carries (7.4 avg.).
Hickman pulled down three aerials for 112 yards. He scored two long TDs on a couple fine runs after the catch.
Oldfield added one reception for eight yards.
Allen was 0-1 passing on the fake punt.
Third team all-league freshman signal-caller Kirkendall completed 16 of 22 passes for 223 yards and a pair of TDs with no interceptions. He added three rushes for 25 yards.
Brecht hauled in six passes for 91 yards and a touchdown. He added a 22-yard run.
Niese ran the ball 12 times for 83 yards and two TDs. Niese’s only reception went for a big 43-yard score.
Lammers snared three receptions for 44 yards. He rushed 12 times for 39 yards and one TD.
Viking back Aaron Hazelton added 15 yards on five carries.
Hickman made seven solo tackles and had one assist, plus a fumble recovery. Senior lineman Amos contributed seven solo tackles and two assists, plus one tackle for loss.
Junior Zack Zimmerman made four solo stops and added five assists. Seniors Liam Vieira and Landon Simon contributed four solo tackles apiece.
Senior McGue added three solo stops and added two assists.
Each team committed two turnovers on a pair of fumbles apiece.
The Bulldogs were penalized seven times for 49 yards, while the Vikings were flagged just twice for 25 yards.
Leipsic enjoyed 27:02 of possession time, while Ada held the ball for 20:58.
The Bulldogs converted two of their five tries on third down and were 0-2 on fourth down. Clutch Leipsic was successful on five of nine third down attempts, and went 2-2 on fourth down.
Ada finished the 11-game season with a 360-213 scoring margin over its opponents. They averaged 32.7 points a game and gave up 19.4 ppg.
The Bulldogs ended up 4-2 at War Memorial Stadium, and 4-1 on the road.
