By Cort Reynolds

This Friday, September 30, the Ada High School football team will host struggling but occasionally explosive Spencerville in week seven.

The Bearcats sport the identical records as Ada at 1-5 overall and 0-3 in the NWC. They have lost four in a row after being trounced by league leader Allen East (5-1, 3-0 NWC) last Friday by a 58-14 count.

The Bulldogs enter the fray having dropped three consecutive games.Ada is 1-3 at home, while Spencerville is 1-2 on the road. The lone Bearcat win came at former NWC foe Paulding in week two, 37-13. Since then they have lost four straight by an average margin of 33 points per game.

"Spencerville is going to be a good challenge for us because this will be the first team we face that has a pass-first style," Ada head coach Toby Smith said of Spencerville.

"They have a good solid quarterback (Josh Henline)," he continued. "We will have to get our best defensive effort of the season if we wish to have a chance to slow them down."

The Bearcats average 17.8 points per game and allow 41 ppg. Their opponents have rolled up 54, 55 and 58 points against them the past three weeks. Meanwhile, Ada scores 19.8 ppg and gives up 38.7 ppg.

Versus common opponents, both teams are 0-2. Spencerville lost at Bluffton 54-35 and at Leipsic 55-14. The Bulldogs fell at the Pirates 31-7 and 47-14 at Leipsic.

Bearcat QB Henline threw four touchdown passes vs. Bluffton, but also tossed two costly interceptions.

Ada is 22nd in the Div. VII, Region 26 rankings. Spencerville is tied for 23rd in Div. V, Region 18.