By Dusty Donley
A tightly contested first half gave the Bulldogs hope, but 30 unanswered Fort Recovery points over the final two quarters propelled the Indians to a 58-21 victory. The first round playoff loss ends Ada’s 2016 football campaign with a 7-4 overall record.
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The Bulldogs got on the board first, as senior tail back Mason Klingler plunged in for a two-yard score. Aaron Everhart’s extra point was good, giving Ada a 7-0 lead with 5:15 to play in the first quarter.
Fort Recovery would respond seconds later when workhorse running back Will Homan rumbled 28 yards for the first of his five touchdowns on the ground. Tyler Acheson’s point after kick was good, knotting the game at 7 with 5:00 remaining in the opening quarter.
The offensive fireworks continued as Seth Conley and the Bulldog offense marched down the field on their ensuing drive, culminating in a nine-yard Conley to Owen Conley touchdown toss. Everhart’s PAT was good, putting Ada back in front, 14-7 with just under three minutes to play in the first quarter.
Will Homan and the Fort Recovery running game struck again minutes later as the bruising back found the end zone, this time from 18 yards away. Acheson’s extra point was no good, leaving the Bulldogs in front, 14-13 with 1:06 left to play in the first quarter.
Despite its best efforts, the Bulldog defense couldn’t slow the punishing Fort Recovery ground attack. Homan opened the second quarter scoring with a 2-yard blast. He followed the touchdown with a successful two-point conversion run, putting the Indians in front, 21-14 with 4:41 to play in the half.
Ada’s offense stalled in the second quarter, but the defense had its back. Two-way Bulldog standout Jordan Bailey picked off Indian quarterback Caleb Martin late in the quarter and proceeded to slice and dice his way for a pick six. Everhart’s kick was good, evening the game at 21.
Homan added a 28-yard touchdown run late in the quarter, his fourth of the half. Acheson’s kick was good, giving Fort Recovery a 28-21 half time lead.
The Indians would go on to score 30 points over the final two quarters, giving them the lopsided 58-21 victory.
Fort Recovery dominated the Bulldogs on the ground, rushing for 313 yards to Ada’s 34. Will Homan finished the game with 275 yards on 21 attempts, good for 13 yards per carry. The junior back found the end zone five times on the ground and once through the air.
Bulldog quarterback Seth Conley finished 29 of 43 for 238 yards and a score. Jordan Bailey led the receivers with 6 catches for 59 yards.
Fort Recovery (7-4) moves on to face the undefeated, number one ranked Covington Buccs. Covington (11-0) is coming off a dominant 49-0 first round victory over Hillcrest. Game time is this Saturday at 7 pm at a neutral, TBA location.
