ABOVE ) Military Appreciation Night at War Memorial Stadium
By Cort Reynolds,
ADA __ The September 6 wild and unseasonably cool Ada/Arlington seesaw shootout had a feel that whichever team had the ball last was going to win the game.
The Red Devils completed an eight-yard touchdown pass as time expired to pull off an epic 44-43 victory over the Bulldogs in their first-ever Blanchard Valley Conference contest before a stunned but entertained War Memorial Stadium crowd.
Trailing 43-38 in the final two minutes after a clutch Ada scoring march, Arlington drove 66 yards inside the Bulldog 10. A dropped aerial in the end zone on the penultimate play left just one meager second on the clock with the visitors on the Ada eight-yard line.
Red Devil junior quarterback Trenton Heacock rolled right and then lofted an aerial into the end zone to favorite target Brady Griggs, who hauled it in with no time left. Arlington did not even attempt the extra point after celebrating the winning rally.
The lead changed hands on eight consecutive possessions in the second half as both teams scored four touchdowns and combined for 55 points in the thriller.
The Bulldogs played their guts out but fell to 2-1 overall and 0-1 in the BVC after the heartbreaking loss. The Red Devils stayed unbeaten, improving to 3-0 and 1-0 in BVC play with the last-second win.
“We just needed to make one more play,” said Ada head coach Toby Smith. “The kids played hard, and we feel the program is going in the right direction.”
Ada senior back Kaine Fisher took a handoff on the first play from scrimmage and zig-zagged 71 yards to paydirt. The big-play score was a harbinger of things to come in the wild shootout.
Andrew Allen’s first of five straight extra-point kicks gave Ada a 7-0 lead just 20 seconds into the fray.
Arlington came right back with a 68-yard, three-play drive to score. Junior back Ayden Cavinee took a pitch-out and sped 50 yards to the end zone with 9:45 left in the opening period. The two-point pass was incomplete to keep the Bulldogs ahead, 7-6.
Kayleb Hickman returned the ensuing kickoff to the 48 by breaking several tackles. But two penalties thwarted the drive, and Allen punted.
Heacock passes of 20 and 18 yards to Griggs crossed midfield. On first and 10, Heacock was hit before he could throw, the ball popped out of his hands and Bulldog senior Brody Erickson grabbed the ball out of midair for a unique interception.
He then showed good speed to out-run everyone 58 yards to the end zone for a touchdown and a 14-6 lead after the Allen PAT kick with 2:31 yet to play in the first quarter.
The momentum was short-lived as Cavinee grabbed the following kickoff and rumbled 80 yards to the Bulldog eight. On first and goal, Heacock scampered in from eight yards out at the 2:14 mark to cut the Ada lead to 14-12. A double pass two-point try fell short and incomplete as the hosts maintained a two-point edge.
Arlington took over at the 50 on their next drive. A 12-yard run ignited the drive. Erickson came up with a big sack for a loss of 10. But on fourth and 12, a pass interference call gave the Devils fourth and two. Cavinee made a nice stutter-step move and ran for seven yards to keep the chains moving.
The Ada defense stopped the Devils three times with good goal-line stands. But on fourth and inches, Cavinee plunged in off right tackle with 3:43 to go in the half.
Hickman broke up the two-point pass, thus Arlington’s lead was only 18-14.
A spinning run for 11 yards by senior quarterback Levi Green jump-started the next Ada possession. Fisher converted a key fourth-and-one run near midfield. Green then rolled right and connected with Gavin Oldfield on a 15-yard pass.
A costly personal foul docked Ada 15 yards, but Green gained 14 back on a run out of bounds. A left-side screen to Hickman netted eight yards. But on fourth and three, a Fisher run came up short to turn it over on downs just 29 seconds before intermission.
Ada tried an on-sides kickoff to open the second half, but the Devils recovered at the 50. However, two plays later Zack Zimmerman recovered a fumble to give the purple and gold momentum and the ball on their own 47.
Green immediately scurried left for 28 yards. Two Fisher runs gained 11 yards. Green then quickly burst through the line and weaved right for a 14-yard TD run.
Allen’s extra point gave Ada the lead back, 21-18, with 10:22 left in the third period.
Arlington then drove 71 yards to score and regain the lead. Heacock found Calvin Willow wide open in the back middle of the end zone for a touchdown with 6:51 remaining in the quarter. Chase Simon booted the extra point kick to provide a 25-21 Devil margin.
The Bulldogs answered quickly in the back and forth battle. A defensive pass interference flag extended their drive on third and long. Green then sped 12 yards to the Arlington 18.
On third and seven, he rolled left and found Oldfield in the front left corner of the end zone for a 15-yard scoring strike. With 2:07 left in the third stanza Allen’s PAT put Ada back on top, 28-25. The 59-yard drive took 11 plays.
Yet Arlington came right back to score after taking over at their own 49. A 21-yard pass to Griggs advanced the ball to the Ada 30. Cavinee ran for 17 yards on two carries. Heacock then scampered 13 yards to paydirt with 14 ticks left in the third to cap a 51-yard, four-play march. Ada blocked the Simon PAT kick to stay within three, down 31-28.
Ada responded strongly to recapture the lead again. Green made a nice cutback and rambled 49 yards before being yanked down from behind at the Devil 18 as the third period ended.
On third and one Green kept it and ran four yards to the five for first and goal. Two plays later, Fisher scored on a four-yard TD run. Allen’s PAT boot put the Bulldogs in front 35-31 with 9:16 remaining to play.
On Arlington’s first play of the ensuing drive, Heacock hit a wide-open Drew Metzger over the middle for a 53-yard catch and carry TD. Simon’s extra point kick exchanged the lead again at 38-35 with 9:07 left.
The Bulldogs responded with a 64-yard, 15-play scoring march to recapture the lead one last time. Ada overcame another personal foul call and a holding flag to score.
Green scurried 21 yards to the Arlington 45 to start the march. Trevor McGue then snared his 13-yard aerial along the sideline.
Green converted a third and one run, followed by a screen to Fisher for eight yards. Green gained 10 more yards on a keeper. Fisher then cashed in on a five-yard TD run at the 2:11 mark to give Ada its final lead.
Green then improvised a speedy run to the left corner of the end zone after the point-after try broke down, and his two-point run made it 43-38.
Ada unfortunately may have scored too fast though, leaving Arlington with three timeouts and 131 seconds to work with. Heacock started the final drive with a 23-yard run to his left on second down. He then hooked up with Metzger on passes of 13 and 11 yards.
On third and 10 Metzger made a bobbling six-yard catch on the left sideline before getting rocked hard out of bounds by a huge hit from McGue. On fourth and four with 23 ticks left at the Ada 23, Heacock calmly converted a clutch seven-yard scramble out of bounds to his right to the 16.
Cavinee made a diving catch for a gain of eight yards to the Ada eight with just six seconds to go. Heacock’s slant toss just past the goal line was dropped on a tough catch try, but one second still remained on the clock.
Heacock then converted the extra last-chance TD pass to Griggs to cap the game-winning 76-yard, 13-play drive in dramatic fashion.
| 1 2 3 4 | FINAL | |
| ADA | 14 0 14 15 | 43 |
| ARLINGTON | 12 6 13 1 | 44 |
Notes, quotes and stats
The game was played on a very overcast and cool night, with occasional drizzle and wind. It was a 30-plus degree drop and far cry from week two, when it was 90 degrees and sunny at kickoff.
Refusing to lose, the elusive Green ran the ball 19 times for 197 yards and two TDs. He also completed 11 of 15 passes for 94 yards and one TD with no interceptions.
“Levi played really well,” said Smith. “I am proud of all the players as they continue to improve.”
Fisher rushed for 118 yards on 13 attempts, and he tallied three touchdowns. He added two catches for 16 yards.
The athletic Oldfield snagged three receptions for 36 yards and a TD. Hard-nosed McGue grabbed three aerials for 26 yards.
Cavinee rushed 10 times for 106 yards and two TDs. Heacock threw for three TDs and ran for another score.
Ada did not turn the ball over, while Arlington committed two miscues on pick six and a fumble.
Untimely, big-yardage penalties hurt the Bulldogs in the nearly three-hour battle.
The Ada JV (1-1) will play Arlington again in the reserve battle on Saturday morning.
Bulldogs visit Elmwood in week 4
After two straight home contests, Ada bounces back to visit new league foe Elmwood in their first Blanchard Valley Conference road game in week four on Friday, Sept. 13.
Winless Elmwood (0-3, 0-1 BVC) lost to Leipsic in week three, 35-7.
The Royals average just 6.7 points per game and allow 39.7. Meanwhile, Ada scores 33.3 ppg and allows 19.3 ppg through three games.
Elmwood lost 35-7 to Evergreen in their opener, then fell 49-6 at Eastwood in week two. Ada is 1-0 on the road.
