High-scoring game includes 10 ties

By Cort Reynolds

BLOOMDALE__The visiting Ada High School football team beat Elmwood 64-53 in a seesaw Blanchard Valley Conference shootout on Friday, Oct. 2.

Ada led 42-41 after the third period, then pulled away late with a 22-12 finishing kick to win by 11.

Bulldog senior quarterback Blake Zoladz threw three touchdown passes and ran for three more TDs. He accounted for 437 yards in total offense.

The Bulldogs improved to 5-2 overall and 3-2 in BVC play with the back-and-forth win that helped solidify their playoff chances with three games left in the regular season.

The Royals fell to 4-3 overall and 3-3 in the BVC after the home defeat that snapped a three-game win streak.

The wild contest was tied 14-14 after one quarter and again 28-28 at halftime.

“Wow, what a game by our offense,” said Ada head coach Toby Smith. “Tremendous performance. Defense needs to find discipline. We have far too many mistakes. We will look at it and attempt to get it fixed. The only way we continue to win is if we get that fixed.”

Elmwood drove 49 yards in four plays to score first. Royal QB Braxton Simon completed a 33-yard touchdown pass to Zach Schafer to go ahead 7-0 with 8:09 left in the first quarter.

Zoladz answered with a seven-yard scoring strike to senior Kolton Dysert to tie it 7-7 at the 4:28 mark after the Andrew Allen PAT kick. The Ada march covered 66 yards in six snaps.

Just 45 seconds later, Royal back Alex Peterescu rambled 51 yards to paydirt to put Elmwood back on top 14-7 and cap a 61-yard drive.

Zoladz hooked up with Matt Walker on a six-yard scoring reception to tie it back up 14-14 with 2:20 to go in the opening stanza. Ada went 40 yards in five plays to tie it up.

Peterescu answered with a 73-yard scoring scamper on the first play of the second stanza to go back ahead, 21-14.

The Bulldogs put together their longest march of the night as they moved 73 yards in seven plays to score for the third time in four possessions.

Ada’s Aidin Brown hauled in a 22-yard aerial TD from Zoladz to tie it 21-21 with 8:20 remaining in the half.

Peterescu again scored on a 51-yard run to build the lead back to 27-21 at the 7:31 juncture. The fourth PAT by Merle Williams put Elmwood back on top by seven. 

Ada moved 65 yards in just three plays to tie it up for the fourth time in a row. Zoladz authored a 58-yard run to paydirt that tied it 28-28 with 4:19 left before halftime after a fourth Allen PAT.

The Bulldogs drove 54 yards to the Royal seven at the end of the half. On fourth and two, Allen tried a 24-yard field goal that missed to keep the score tied at intermission.

Elmwood took the second-half kickoff, but Zoladz picked off a Simon aerial and returned it to midfield. Given a short field at the Royal 25, Ada cashed in quickly.

Two plays later, Dysert gave Ada its first lead on an 18-yard rush to the end zone at the 10:06 mark of the third period. Allen’s PAT kick made it 35-28.

Simon knotted the score 35-all with a 32-yard TD pass to Trevor Meyer that capped a 62-yard march. But Ada drove 61 yards to score and take the lead back.

A third-and-seven 19-yard aerial to Dysert sparked the march. Zoladz scored on the next play via a three-yard run to put the Bulldogs in front 42-35 with 6:09 still left in the third quarter.

The Royals responded with a 57-yard, five-play drive. Owen Traxler caught a Simon toss at the Bulldog one and scored a 31-yard TD to inch within 42-41. But Elmwood finally blinked as the Williams PAT kick missed to keep Ada ahead by a single point, 42-41, with 3:17 left in the third quarter

A 24-yard pass to Brown sparked the next Bulldog march of 64 yards.

Dysert eventually hit paydirt on a two-yard run to put Ada ahead 48-41 with 9:29 to go. The Bulldogs tried a double reverse two-pointer, and Brown ran it in for a 50-41 margin.

Elmwood drove 60 yards to score again. On third and goal, Simon scored on a two-yard run to make it 50-47 with just 3:13 remaining. But he fumbled on the two-point run, and Bryce Purdy recovered.

Ada then went 69 yards to make it a two-score lead. A 25-yard run by Dysert and a horse collar penalty ignited the march.

Zoladz tallied his last TD on a four-yard scamper with just 1:21 left. Allen’s PAT kick made it 57-47. 

Simon then fumbled, and Walker recovered at the Royal seven. Two plays later, Ada put the game out of reach on a four-yard scoring run by Dysert.

Allen’s final PAT extended the margin to 64-47 at the 1:17 mark.

Elmwood drove 59 quickly to score one last time on a 15-yard Simon TD toss to Kason Hammer with 21 ticks left to play. The two-point pass fell incomplete to keep the final margin at 11, 64-53.

Thus ended one of the highest-scoring games in Bulldog football program annals. The seesaw game featured 10 ties. 

STATS AND NOTES

Ada netted 478 yards and compiled 26 first downs on 61 plays (7.8 yards per play). Elmwood amassed 464 yards and totaled 24 chain-movers. The Royals averaged 8.4 yards per play on snaps.

Ada netted 307 yards rushing, and added 171 through the air. Elmwood netted 203 rush yards and gained 261 in aerial yardage.

Zoladz efficiently completed 15 of 19 aerials for 171 yards and three TDs. He ran for 216 yards on 26 carries and three six-pointers. He also intercepted a pass and made nine solo tackles.

Dysert carried the ball 14 times for 97 yards and three TDs. He also caught  six passes for 76 yards and a score. 

Brown pulled in seven receptions for 89 yards and one TD. Walker added a six-yard scoring grab.

Simon completed 20 of 32 aerials for 261 yards and four TDs with one interception. He also ran for one TD.

Peterescu netted 198 yards rushing on 15 carries and three TDs.

Ada was penalized five times for 48 yards. The Royals were flagged four times for 42 yards. Elmwood made two turnovers while Ada made none.

The Bulldogs possessed the ball for 30:11. Ada scored a touchdown nine times in 14 possessions.

Ada improved to ninth place in the preliminary Div. VI, Region 22 computer ratings after the big win Friday night. Elmwood dropped to 14^th after the loss.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs host tough McComb (6-1, 43-1 BVC) in a key week eight contest on Friday, October 9. The Panthers defeated visiting Pandora-Gilboa Friday, 34-7. McComb has won five in a row since losing in week two to unbeaten Leipsic, 26-7.

The Bulldogs are now 4-0 on the road and 1-2 at home. McComb is 2-1 on the road. The Panthers are fourth in the Div. VII, Region 26 computer rankings.