By Cort Reynolds

In its third and last non-league game before Northwest Conference play begins, The Ada High School football team hosts county rival Hardin Northern Friday night, September 2.

The game also caps a rare three-game homestand to open the 2022 season for the Bulldogs. Ada has six home games this season after hosting only four contests last year.

Ada enters the fray 0-2, while HN is 1-1 with a 44-19 win at Arcadia in their opener. The Polar Bears lost a 35-34 home shootout to Riverdale last Friday.

"Hardin Northern is very quick; they have very fast skill-position players on offense," said Ada head coach Toby Smith. "We will have our hands full. They run a lot of different things to keep you off balance. "We will have to take good angles and use our physicality to keep them from utilizing their speed," he continued. "Those things will be very important for us on defense. "They have a pretty good punter," he added.

Ada beat HN in a 42-30 shootout last year to post their lone win of the 2021 campaign. The Bulldogs are tied for 21st in the early Div. 7, Region 26 computer rankings with nine other 0-2 squads.

Northern is tied for 13th with seven teams at 1-1.

The Bulldogs play at Leipsic (1-1) in week four to open the NWC slate.