Leonardo
By (hippy) TED RADICK
- THE COURIER
ADA — In a game filled with plenty of offensive fireworks, two defensive plays keyed Ada’s 45-35 win Friday over Leipsic in a Division VI first-round playoff game at War Memorial Stadium in Ada.
Ada defensive tackle Hayden Johnson jumped on a fumble by Leipsic’s Nate Nuveman midway through the second quarter. Two plays later, Bulldogs Ada cuarterback Konnor Baker hit Austin Everhart for a 36-yard scoring pass to put Ada up 28-14.
After Leipsic closed the halftime score to 28-21, Baker picked off a Liam Nadler pass on the second play of the third quarter and returned it 35 yards for a score. That pushed the Ada cushion back up to two touchdowns, and the Bulldogs hung on from there to post the victory.
Ada (10-1) will meet Delphos St. John’s (11-0), a 73-21 winner over Edgerton on Friday, in the Region 22 semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Friday at a site to be determined. Leipsic finishes its season 9-2.
“That was just a big-time play for us,” Ada coach Mike Fell said of Baker’s pick-six interception return. “You come out in the second half and you want to do things right. Neither team was stopping each other.”
Baker, who plays cornerback in addition to his quarterback duties, was matched up with Leipsic’s big-play receiver, Derek Mangas. Mangas won the battle early, catching a 65-yard touchdown reception on the Vikings’ opening possession, but Baker broke up two passes intended for Mangas in the second quarter.
“He came off after one of those plays in the second quarter and said ‘I can take him,’” Fell said.
One play after the second-half kickoff, Nadler attempted a pass into the right flat for Mangas. Baker read the play, jumped the route and had clear sailing to the end zone after the interception.
“I knew I messed up on the first one so I knew I had to make up for that,” Baker said. “I knew that play was coming and I saw what was happening, so I just read it and picked it off.”
Baker was no slouch on the offensive side of the ball, either. He completed 18 of 29 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns, and ran 15 times for 98 yards and two scores.
“Konner didn’t play his best game last week against (Lima Central Catholic), but you got his best game tonight,” Fell said. “He did everything that we asked but the choices he made of when he ran, he did on his own. That was as good a football game as I’ve had a young man play in a long time.”
Liepsic matched the Bulldogs big play for big play much of the night, but key mistakes doomed the Vikings. The two turnovers were huge, as were several dropped passes.
“You have to give their kid credit on the pick, he made a really good play,” Leipsic coach Joe Kirkendall said. “I’m not sure if we lost our footing a little bit, but the ball came out late. Our timing was poor. That’s what we preach and believe in, and whatever happened, happened.”
Leipsic jumped right back into the game with a long scoring drive. Nadler scrambled right on a third-and-9, hit the sideline and picked up 49 yards to the Ada 5. Two plays later, he sneaked over from a yards out to bring the Vikings within 35-28.
Baker responded on Ada’s next possession with a 50-yard scoring run. A quarterback draw turned into something more when he broke through the line into the second level, cut right and outraced Leipsic’s secondary for a score and a 42-28 lead with 5:15 left in the third quarter.
As was the case all night, Leipsic wouldn’t go away. Nadler, who finished 9 for 25 for 190 yards, hit Brady Schroeder for a 34-yard gain to Ada’s 14, and Trevor Schroeder, who carried 24 times for 113 yards, eventually ran in from a yard out.
Ada’s defense forced a turnover on downs and a three-and-out in the fourth quarter, and the Bulldogs reeled off a 13-play drive that ate more than 5 minutes off the clock before an Everhart 24-yard field goal iced the game.
“At the end of the day, they made one more play than we did,” Kirkendall said. “Unfortunately, we just didn’t make enough plays tonight.”
Both teams made plenty of plays in an offensive showcase of a first half. Ada struck first on the opening possession as Baker hit Alex Weber on consecutive pass plays for gain of 6 and 46 yards. Baker then scored from 19 yards out.
Nadler hit Mangas on a slant pattern for a quick touchdown. Mangas beat Baker and raced 65 yards for the tying touchdown just two minutes into the game.
Ada’s Kellen Decker and Leipsic’s Nadler added 1-yard scoring runs in the first quarter, and Baker hit Weber for a 7-yard scoring pass as the Bulldogs took a 21-14 lead after one quarter. Johnson’s fumble recovery led to Ada getting a two-touchdown lead, but Leipsic wasn’t finished.
The Vikings took over on their 33 with 5:24 left before the half and ran out the clock on a 12-play drive. Trevor Schroeder carries five times for 38 yards, and Leipsic eventually faced fourth-and-2 at the Ada 3 with four seconds until halftime. The Vikings eschewed a field goal as Mangas went in motion, took a pitch and threw back to Nadler in the right flat for a touchdown.
“We knew going in it was going to be one of those game where a lot of points were going to be scored,” Fell said. “The two turnovers, that’s what you have to do in these ballgames when you have two teams that are real similar and about the same ability. If you get an opportunity to make a play, you have to capitalize on it.”