Ada’s Kaine Fisher tries to hold off USV’s Wyatt Helton (#73) as USV’s Caiden Lowery (#6) comes to assist on Friday night at Upper Scioto Valley.
Jackelyn Johnson | The Lima News
MCGUFFEY – The outcome of a football game not only comes down to which team makes the most plays but also when they make them.
In Friday’s season-opener for both Ada and Upper Scioto Valley, Ada made the plays late in the second half, en route to a hard-fought 15-14 victory over Upper Scioto Valley.
Ada did not record its first lead of the night until a little more than a minute left in the game.
Ada senior quarterback Levi Green found a seam in the USV secondary and rambled 50 yards for a touchdown to knot the contest, 14-14. Andrew Allen’s extra point gave Ada the lead. Green also had a 64-yard TD run on the first play of the second half.
“We’re proud of our kids. … We’re proud of the things they accomplished,” Ada coach Toby Smith said. “We wanted to make sure they (Smith’s players) kept fighting. There were numerous times throughout that last part of the second half when we handled ourselves and made enough plays to win the game.”
Green rushed for 98 yards on 18 carries and had both TDs for the Bulldogs. He also was 8 of 16 passing for 50 yards and threw an interception.
“He (Green) played well, and the line picked it up and gave him the holes,” Smith said. “That last touchdown run; we had great blocking up front. So, it was one of those things where we did just enough to win.”
USV got on the scoreboard at the 6:37 mark of the second quarter. Ryan Roberts (71 yards on 15 carries) ran it in from two yards out to give the Rams a 6-0 lead. The two-point conversion was successful, and the Rams led 8-0, which held up until halftime.
Ada struck quickly in the second half, as Green broke loose for a 64-yard scamper to the end zone. With the two-point conversion, the score was knotted up at 8 apiece.
The Rams had an answer.
With 6:14 left to play in the third quarter, USV quarterback Maddox Underwood found a hole and ran 31 yards to paydirt, giving the Rams a 14-8 advantage.
For the game, Underwood rushed for 54 yards on 20 carries. In the air, Underwood was 8 of 18, passing for 155 yards with one interception.
As a team, Ada rolled up 116 rushing yards and 50 passing yards. USV ended the game with 150 yards on the ground and 155 in the air.
USV had 16 first downs, while Ada managed to move the first-down marker just six times.
“They’re a well-coached football team,” Smith said about USV. “They played hard and did a great job. Ultimately, at the end of the day, we made just enough plays to get out of here with the win. And that’s all we really wanted.”
Scoring Summary
USV – 2-yard run by Ryan Roberts (pass good) – 6:37, first quarter
ADA – 64-yard run by Levi Green (run good) – 11:43, third quarter
USV – 31-yard run by Maddx Underwood (run failed) – 6:14, third quarter
ADA – 50-yard run by Levi Green (kick by Andrew Allen) – 1:18, fourth quarter
Passing
Levi Green (ADA) – 8/16, 50 yards
Maddox Underwood (USV) – 8/18, 155 yards
Receiving
Kayleb Hickman (ADA) – 4 receptions, 32 yards
Mason Thompson (USV) – 2 receptions, 72 yards
Rushing
Levi Green (ADA) – 17 rushes for 98 yards, 2 TDs
Ryan Roberts (USV) – 15 rushes for 71 yards, 1 TD
Total yards
Ada – 166
USV – 305
