Apr. 29—The Ada High girls soccer team might be facing an uphill battle when it takes on powerhouse Weatherford after a long road trip in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs on Monday.

Just don't tell the Lady Cougars that.

Ada girls head coach Cole Jones said his team won't back down against the talented Lady Eagles when the two teams square off at 6 p.m. Monday in Weatherford.

"Our girls have never really just sat back. That's one thing I've really been impressed about with this bunch. We're not the tallest, we're not the biggest, we're not the fastest ... but they fight like crazy. They're scrappy and will get after you," Jones told The Ada News before a Thursday practice session. "They haven't played scared at all this spring."

Ada finished the season with an overall record of 9-5 and ended up in the fourth spot in District 4A-1 play at 4-3. The Lady Cougars were behind Bethany (12-3, 7-0), Chickasha (11-4, 6-1) and Cache (8-6, 5-2).

"We took Cache to overtime And I'd like another shot at Chickasha," Jones said. "Bethany is ridiculously athletic and talented and they got us. But we played them closer (Ada lost 4-1) than a lot of teams did this season. I think we had a really tough district."

Weatherford finished atop the District 4A-2 standings at 11-2 overall and 6-1 in the district. The Lady Eagles defeated their past three opponents — Astec Charter, Elk City and Kingfisher — by a combined 18-0 score.

"They have a really good offense. They're always really tall girls with a lot of speed and athletic ability," Jones said. "But I think we've played several teams like that."

Jones said his squad has come a long way since the first practice of the spring.

"It's unreal. The girls have worked really hard," he said. "I knew going into this that the attitude was going to be great. I wasn't sure about our overall athletic ability and soccer skill. But I knew they were going to work hard and their work ethic has put them in a spot where they've turned into a really good soccer team."

Jones believes his team can be successful if they enter the playoff matchup with the same mindset they've had all season.

"We've got to take that two-and-a-half hour bus trip up there and and be ready to compete. What we always talk about is being the scrappier person. Be the hammer, not the nail. If we go press them and really press their back line and get them to make a few mistakes, I think it could go our way," he said.

An Ada victory on Monday will likely earn the Lady Cougars a home match in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs. Ada would face the winner of a first-round matchup between Chickasha and Clinton.