By Cort Reynolds

ADA__Eight players from the second-place Ada High School girls soccer team received All-North Central Ohio Soccer Association honors in voting recently conducted by the league coaches.

Fourth-year Bulldog head coach Doug Dewese was named NCOSA Coach of the Year after leading Ada to a program season-record 13 wins and second place in the rugged NCOSA at 2-1-2.

Ada junior scoring ace Rose Baxter and senior defender Reese Jordan made first-team All-NCOSA. Baxter has poured in 18 goals this season and has passed out six assists for 42 points.

Junior midfielder Emily Shanks, junior keeper Emily Gibson and senior forward Kenley Poling made second-team all-league. Shanks has scored four goals with one assist. Poling has netted seven goals and dished out a team-high 10 assists for 24 points.

Gibson has made 95 saves and posted 10 clean sheets.

Sophomore forward Shay Smith (nine goals, five assists) earned honorable mention status, as did junior midfielder Aliyah Kober (three goals) and junior defender Lynkin McDougle.

“I am super happy and proud of what these girls have accomplished this year,” said Dewese. “All of our recipients are more than deserving. This is the most hardware we have brought home as a team. 

“I was especially happy to get Reese in first team,” he noted. “It is really tough to get defenders recognized because they don't have the stats like goals and assists. It speaks to the impact she had on the field this year that coaches recognized her and gave her the first team nod. 

“The really nice thing is that of the eight awards we got, six of them are coming back next year,” he added.

Andrea Brickner of NCOSA champion Miller City was named league Player of the Year. Ada tied unbeaten MC 2-2 in the regular season finale. MC (3-0-2 NCOSA) placed three girls on the all-league first team, and three on the second team as well.

The 2026 Bulldog girls have also set a program season record for most goals scored (63) and fewest goals allowed (12) as a team.

Dewese gave his assistants and players credit for the coaching award.

“I will always view that as a team award,” he said. “Coaches don’t get recognized if their team plays poorly or put no effort into games and practices. On top of that, it takes more than just a head coach to make a program work. 

“My assistants Kori Lochard, Gary Wells and Doug Poling are just as responsible for who this team is and what we have done this year,” he noted. “The girls earned me that award through their hard work and determination to make this the best team Ada girls soccer has seen.

“And to be honest this is one of the best teams, attitude and effort-wise, I have ever had the pleasure to coach,” he remarked.