By Cort Reynolds

MT BLANCHARD__The visiting Ada High School football team rode a big third quarter to blow out Blanchard Valley Conference foe Riverdale 42-7 on a wet and chilly Friday, Oct. 16.

The Bulldogs jumped ahead 14-0 and put the game away with two touchdown passes from Blake Zoladz to Aidin Brown in the third stanza.

Ada rushed for a season-best 365 yards to pave the way to victory. Quarterback Zoladz accounted for 369 total yards and five touchdowns.

The Bulldogs improved to 6-3 overall and 4-3 in BVC play with the decisive road victory. The struggling Falcons fell to 1-8 overall and 0-7 in the BVC after the lopsided home loss.

“We wanted to win Friday night to set up our showdown to attempt to get into the post-season,” said Ada head coach Toby Smith. “I am proud of our kids and the effort we had in the second half.”

The Bulldogs took the opening kickoff and drove 76 yards in 12 plays to score. A 41-yard run by senior back Kolton Dysert down to the Falcon 19 ignited the march.

On third and goal, Zoladz then ran it into the end zone from five yards out to put Ada ahead with 5:46 to go in the first stanza. Andrew Allen’s extra point kick made it 7-0.

Riverdale drove to the Bulldog 27, but turned the ball over on downs after a stop on fourth and 12. 

A 30-yard Zoladz aerial to Aidin Brown advanced Ada to the Riverdale 26. A 20-yard run by the QB gave the Bulldogs first and goal at the four. But the Falcon defense was able to stop the Bulldogs on fourth and goal at the two-yard line late in the opening stanza to stymie the 71-yard march.

The Ada defense came up with another stop, and the Bulldogs took over at their 42 after a punt. After a seven-yard pass, Zoladz quickly burst through a hole in the middle and cashed in a 51-yard TD run. 

Allen’s PAT doubled the lead to 14-0 to cap the 58-yard, two-play possession 8:16 before intermission. 

Riverdale’s Cale Young returned the ensuing kickoff 56 yards to the Ada 30. But Eli Craig caused a Falcon fumble which Maverick Shaw recovered to thwart the hosts at the Bulldog 18. 

The teams traded punts, and Riverdale took over at its own 12 with less than two minutes to go in the half. Neither team scored the rest of the half.

The Falcons marched into Ada territory to start the second half. A 44-yard pass reached the Ada 16. However, Tyler Stauffer intercepted a pass to thwart the drive and give the purple and gold possession at the 19.

The Bulldogs put together their own 81-yard, six-play drive, sparked by a 28-yard aerial from Zoladz to Brown that advanced the pigskin to the Falcon 13. 

Zoladz then connected with Thad Smith on a short pass, and he ran it in for a seven-yard TD and a 20-0 lead. Allen’s third PAT stretched the lead to 21-0 at the 6:59 mark of the third stanza. 

The Ada defense then forced Riverdale to punt.

A 42-yard Zoladz run sparked the next Bulldog scoring drive of 79 yards on five plays. His big scamper advanced the visitors to the Falcon 17. On the next play, the senior QB then hit Brown for a 17-yard scoring strike to extend the margin to 28-0 after the extra point at the 3:16 juncture.

Riverdale was pinned at their own 12 after the kickoff. Bulldog Matt Walker recovered a fumble at the 17, and Ada capitalized immediately as Zoladz found Brown on another 17-yard aerial score. 

Allen’s fifth PAT made it 35-0 after three quarters.

Ada’s last TD came on a 31-yard, four-play drive. On fourth and two, Dysert scurried to paydirt from 23 yards out with 6:10 left to play. Rhett Ulrey’s PAT kick stretched the margin to 42-0.

Riverdale avoided the shutout by tallying an 18-yard touchdown pass with 4:31 remaining to play.

1 2 3 4 F

Ada 7 7 21 7 42

Rdal 0 0 0 7 7

Stats and notes

Ada netted a whopping 523 total yards and compiled 22 first downs on 46 plays (11.4 yards per play). The Falcons amassed just 189 yards and 11 chain-movers. Riverdale averaged 4.5 yards per play on 42 snaps.  

Ada netted 365 yards rushing and 158 through the air. Riverdale rushed for just 69 yards and added 120 more in aerial yardage.

Zoladz rushed for 208 yards and two TDs on 19 carries. He leads Ada with 803 yards rushing and 15 scores this season. He also completed 16 of 21 aerials for 161 yards and three TDs. 

Dysert rushed for 107 yards and a TD on 11 carries. 

Brown pulled in a season-high nine receptions for 99 yards and two TDs. He also had a 43-yard run.

Smith added three grabs for 30 yards and one TD.

Wes Mowery made four solo tackles, and Bryce Purdy had a sack.

Ada was penalized 13 times for 113 yards. The Falcons were flagged nine times for 52 yards. Riverdale committed three turnovers while Ada made no miscues.

The Bulldogs possessed the ball for 26:07, compared to 21:07 by the Falcons. Ada was 6-9 on third down and 1-2 on fourth. The Falcons went   1-7 on third down and 0-2 on fourth.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs are 12th in the preliminary Div. VII, Region 26 computer rankings. The top 12 teams in each region make the playoffs. Sherwood Fairview (7-2) is 13^th, while Van Buren (6-3) is 14^th. Allen East (6-3) is 10^th.

Ada plays a big game for playoff qualification at Pandora-Gilboa (5-4, 4-3 BVC) in the regular season finale on Friday, Oct. 23. The teams are tied for fourth in the BVC. 

The Bulldogs seek their second post-season showing in the last three seasons, and a win at P-G would go a long way toward cementing a playoff spot.

P-G defeated visiting Arlington Friday, 28-14. The Rockets have won three of their last four and are eighth in the late Friday night Div. VII, Region 26 rankings.