Loss knocks Ada from playoffs

By Cort Reynolds / Photos by Mark Andreasen

PANDORA__The visiting Ada High School football team hung close early but lost 44-20 to Pandora-Gilboa in the Blanchard Valley Conference and regular season finale on Friday, Oct. 23.

The game was tied 14-14 early in the second period when P-G ran off 21 unanswered points to take command by halftime.

The loss eliminated the Bulldogs from playoff contention. Ada dropped to 14th in Div. VI, Region 22 after the defeat. Only the top 12 teams in a region qualify for the post-season.

Ada ended the regular season 6-4 overall and 4-4 in the BVC after the road defeat. The Bulldogs tied for fourth place in the nine-team league with Van Buren and Elmwood.

P-G improved to 6-4 overall and 5-3 in BVC play after the victory, good for third place. Leipsic won the league title at 8-0, followed by McComb at 7-1 in second.

“I am proud of our seniors and how we played in the second half,” said Ada head coach Toby Smith. “Great careers for them.”

Efficient P-G quarterback Zhander Boggs accounted for 490 total yards and six touchdowns to pace the Rockets to victory.

The Rockets hit paydirt on their first five possessions to take control.

Boggs tossed a 45-yard scoring strike to Brady Deleruyelle to put the Rockets on top first at the 9:31 mark. Layton Cannode’s point-after kick made it 7-0 and capped the three-play, 68-yard opening drive.

Ada came right back and marched 70 yards on nine plays to score with 4:14 to go in the opening stanza. Passes of 18 and 21 yards by Bulldog senior QB Blake Zoladz set up the score.

Zoladz hooked up with Aidin Brown on a 14-yard scoring pass to cut the deficit to 7-6. Andrew Allen booted the extra point to tie it, 7-7.

Boggs finished a three-play, 41-yard Rocket drive with a one-yard TD run. The PAT kick put the hosts back on top 14-7 with 3:06 still left in the first period.

Ada responded with a 70-yard, seven-play march to the end zone to tie it again with 1:08 remaining in the high-scoring first period. Zoladz hit Kolton Dysert for a 14-yard TD strike, and Allen’s extra point knotted it up 14-14 for the last time. 

P-G answered with a 14-play, 72-yard drive to regain the lead for good. A 21-yard Rocket run on second and 20 keyed the march. Boggs capped the long drive with another one-yard scoring plunge as they forged in front 21-14 with 7:26 to go in the half.

After forcing a punt, Boggs found Jace Fenbert with a pass at the Ada 24. The wideout ran it in the rest of the way for a 65-yard TD aerial and a 28-14 advantage at the 5:56 juncture.

The Bulldogs drove 11 plays inside the red zone. Zoladz converted a big fourth-and-four with a four-yard run to the Rocket 10. But a penalty helped force fourth and seven, where an incomplete pass stopped the long march on downs at the seven. 

P-G took just six plays to cover almost the length of the field to seize the momentum and complete control. Boggs completed passes of 18 and 22 yards to get his team out of bad field position. 

Boggs eventually connected with Fenbert on a 42-yard TD pass one minute before intermission as the hosts extended the lead to 35-14.

After a very quick three-and-out, Ada’s Ryan West intercepted a Boggs aerial to stop the run of five straight Rocket TDs with 50 seconds left in the second stanza.

But the momentum-changing 21-0 second period gave P-G a comfortable 21-point halftime cushion.

Neither team scored in the third quarter as Zoladz tossed an interception to Fenbert at the Rocket seven. Boggs later fumbled, and Bulldog Matt Walker recovered at the Ada 35. But a sack forced a Bulldog punt, which turned into a safety.

On the ensuing possession, P-G drove 60 yards in three plays to score and grab a 44-14 lead with 9:36 remaining. Fenbert hauled in a 46-yard TD pass from Boggs at the 18 and ran to paydirt for the third time.

Senior back Dysert tallied a 35-yard TD run to end the scoring at the 5:58 mark after Allen’s PAT kick missed. The final Ada scoring drive of the season covered 57 yards on six plays.

Stats and notes

Ada compiled 280 yards in total offense, while P-G amassed 549 yards. The Bulldogs earned 18 first downs, compared to 25 chain-movers by the Rockets.

Ada ran for 101 yards and passed for 179 more. P-G rolled up 381 yards aerially and netted 168 more on the ground.

Ada committed seven penalties for 50 yards. P-G was also flagged seven times for 73 yards. The Rockets committed three turnovers to just one by the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs had the ball for 27:37, compared to 20:23 by the Rockets.

Zoladz completed 26 of 41 passes for 187 yards and two TDs with one pick. He also rushed 16 times for 50 yards.

Dysert ran the ball four times for 49 yards and one TD, including a 35-yard scoring scamper. He also caught 11 passes for 55 yards and a TD.

Brown hauled in 11 receptions for 74 yards and one six-pointer. Jacob Szippl contributed two catches for 20 yards.

Thad Smith had a 21-yard reception, while Wes Mowery added a 14-yard grab.

Boggs completed 15 of 19 passes for 383 yards and four TDs. He also ran the ball 14 times for 107 yards and a pair of six-pointers. 

Fenbert gabbed seven aerials for a whopping 265 yards and three TDs. Brayden Ferguson added six receptions for 76 yards.

Trenton Niese ran the ball eight times for 33 yards.

The Bulldogs were 3-13 on third down and 2-3 on fourth. P-G went 4-6 on third down and 0-0 on fourth.

1 2 3 4 F

Ada 14 0 0 6 20

P-G 14 21 0 9 42