By Cort Reynolds

OLD FORT__The visiting Ada High School boys soccer team got back on track by defeating Old Fort 3-1 in a non-league match on Saturday morning, Sept. 19.

The Bulldogs improved to 5-5 and snapped a four-match losing skid with the convincing road win. Old Fort dropped to 0-8 with the loss.

“Saturday’s game was a step in the right direction for us,” said Ada head coach Aaron Acheson. “We were more physical, competed harder, and did a much better job of winning 50/50 balls. We played with a lot more fighting spirit than we have in some of our other games, and that was encouraging to see.“

Ada senior Andrew Allen scored a goal assisted by Carson Conley with 28:42 to play in the first half. The score remained 1-0 at halftime. 

Allen scored the second Bulldog goal via an assist by senior Chase Jarrett with 35 minutes left to play in the second half. 

Senior Conley then scored a goal off an Allen assist at the 33:32 mark to extend the Ada lead to 3-0. 

The Stockaders netted their lone goal from 40 yards out on a banger that went over the outstretched arms of Ada keeper Jacob Rush with just 59 seconds left in the game. 

“Chase had a phenomenal game,” said Acheson. “He played extremely hard and really set the tone with his effort. Andrew had two goals, Carson had one, and Andrew and Carson each had two assists. Chase had the other assist. 

“It was a really good individual and team effort,” he added. “It was also good to see so many players earning more time on the field because of their performance.”

Ada fired nine shots on goal, while OF directed eight shots on frame. 

“I thought we were much better with the ball in the second half,” Acheson observed. “We did a better job of not playing the ball into pressure, our passing was more accurate, and we were passing with more purpose. 

“We also seemed to be getting the ball off our foot quicker, which tells me our players are starting to see the field better and anticipate what is happening around them,” he noted. “We made the extra pass and made some really good decisions with the ball.”

Rush made five saves in goal for Ada. 

“Unfortunately, Old Fort scored a great goal from about 40 yards out with 59 seconds left in the game,” Acheson remarked. “It went over Rush and into the goal. That's a tough way to finish a match, but there were a lot of positives we can build on from this performance.”

UP NEXT
Ada (0-3 NCOSA) is back in action on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at winless league foe Cory-Rawson (0-7, 0-2 NCOSA). The Bulldogs are in the midst of playing six consecutive road matches. Ada is 1-1 so far on its road swing.