Knights end season with loss to Ada

Van Wert independent sports
WAPAKONETA — It’s always hard to predict how a rematch will go. After an easy victory over the Ada Bulldogs during the regular season, the Crestview Knights saw their season end Friday as Ada won, 35-0, over Crestview at Harmon Field in Wapakoneta.
The Bulldogs amassed 375 yards of total offense, most of that through the air, while holding Crestview to just 158 yards, 102 of those passing yards.
With the loss, the Knights finish the season at 9-3, while Ada is now 10-2 overall.
It was sweet revenge for the Bulldogs, as they scored twice in the first quarter, once in the third and twice more in the fourth quarter, capitalizing on Crestview’s mistakes, which included three interceptions for Preston Zaleski and a lost fumble as well.
Ada scored its first touchdown on a 4-yard pass from Matt Wilcox to Hunter Waller, and Waller then kicked the first of five extra points to put the Bulldogs up 7-0.
Four minutes later, to the second, Ada scored again when Wilcox again connected with Waller on a 21-yard pass to paydirt and a 14-0 lead for the Bulldogs.
Ada didn’t score again until the 2:38 mark of the third quarter when Blake Ansley bulled the ball over from the 1-yard line for the Bulldogs’ third score of the game and a 21-0 lead.
Ansley also scored Ada’s last two touchdowns, both on 2-yard runs, at the 8:01 mark and 2:31 mark of the fourth quarter.
Crestview had its chances but just couldn’t get untracked all night, with mistakes dooming several drives.
Leading rusher for the game was Wilcox, who had 67 yards on 17 carries, while Ansley ran for 52 yards and three TDs on 17 carries.
Jake Lippi was the Knights’ top rusher with 50 yards on six carries, while Malcolm Oliver was held to just 17 yards on nine carries.
Wilcox was 20 of 29 passing, with two touchdowns and no interceptions, while Zaleski was 7 of 11 for 102 yards and three picks.
Meanwhile, while the end was somewhat bitter, it does nothing to tarnish a great season for the Knights, which ended the year with a share of the Northwest Conference.