Please check-in throughout the evening for live updates from Minerva and eventually a post-game report including quotes from key figures.
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The Tarbloods were able to advance to their third state final in the last four years and defeat the defending Division IV state champions. Each team showed great mental toughness during the second half. Glenville (11-3) will face Shelby (14-0) in the D4 title game. Indian Valley finished its season at 12–1.
After the Braves converted a big third down on the drive, the Tarbloods intercepted Grady Kinsey on fourth-and-3 from the Glenville 20. The Tarbloods took possession with 1:43 remaining. Kinsey converted third-and-3 at the 26 with a 4-yard run. However, a tackle for loss by Glenville All-Ohio LB Sincere Johnson led to a fourth down that Indian Valley was unable to convert.
After Glanville’s go-ahead TD, Indian Valley took over at the 22 with 7:25 remaining. Ryker Williams started the drive with a 25-yard pass to Reese St. Clair. On the next set of downs, a personal foul on Glanville for a horse collar gave Indian Valley a fourth-and-9. The Braves are down at the Tarbleuder 37 with 5:17 left in regulation.
Da’Von McDougald scored on a 4-yard run and the Tarbloods lead 26–21 with 7:29 left in regulation. Glanville was unable to convert the 2-point conversion pass, reducing their lead to five points. Glanville overcame a holding penalty on that drive, which negated a 40-yard run by McDougald. Arvel Nelson’s 45-yard pass play to London Hearne set up the McDougal TD run.
The Braves erased a 20–0 third quarter deficit with just a few plays in the fourth quarter. Grady Kinsey scored the tying touchdown on a 2-yard run with 10:56 remaining in regulation, before Colt James PAT kicked off to give the Braves a 21–20 lead. Two plays before the TD run, Kinsey converted a fourth-and-one, gaining one yard.
The third quarter ends with Glenville taking the lead, but Indian Valley lies in wait for a big fourth down. The Braves have the ball at the Tarbluder 8 and will face fourth and 1 when the fourth quarter starts. The Braves got a big 15-yard run by Grady Kinsey before a holding call on Indian Valley stopped the drive. However, the Braves managed to get to a fourth-and-one by the time the action-packed third quarter ended.
It appeared that Glanville was driving for a touchdown that could have extended their lead to three points after a 35-yard completion put the Tarbloods ahead. But one player, Ryker Williams, picked up a Glenville fumble and returned it to the Glenville 25 with 5:25 remaining in the third. Glanville’s personal foul put the ball on the 12. Indian Valley star RB Grady Kinsey scored on a 12-yard TD run shortly thereafter and the Braves trailed just 20–14 with 5:22 remaining. Indian Valley recovered an onside kick to get the ball back late in the third.
Braves QB Ryker Williams threw a 57-yard TD pass to Carson Hostetler IV, helping Indian Valley cut its deficit to 20–7 with 6:37 left in the third quarter.
The Braves tried an onside kick to start the second, but the Tarbloods recovered it and immediately took advantage with a touchdown for a 20–0 lead. Da’Von McDougald scored a Glenville TD on a 1-yard run and QB Arvel Nelson added a 2-point conversion for a 20-point lead with 8:11 remaining in the third quarter.
Indian Valley fumbled in the final 30 seconds of the first half, giving Glanville more points. But the half ended before the Tarblooders could capitalize on that turnover. The clock expired with him at the Braves’ 11.
Arvel Nelson’s touchdown pass, followed by a failed 2-point conversion, put Glanville up 12–0 with 43.3 seconds remaining in the half. Paul Sadler caught a 16-yard scoring pass in the left corner of the end zone.
The Braves took the lead with less than 90 seconds remaining in the half. Glanville took over at the Indian Valley 38 with 1:26 remaining.
The Tarbloods moved the ball after the interception using their running game and timely completions. But they faltered in the Indian Valley 12. The Braves recovered with 2:36 remaining in the first half.
Indian Valley’s good field conditions to start the drive are short-lived. Glanville comes up with the first turnover of the game, as Jordan Johnson intercepts a pass. Glanville has the ball on the score of 40.
The Braves forced a Tarbloods punt after Bradley Barr fumbled a fumble on third-and-3. Indian Valley captured 50.
Indian Valley’s drive stalled early in the second quarter after Tarbloods LB Sincere Johnson came up with a sack. The Braves struck out and the Tarbloods scored 12 runs.
Indian Valley has the ball at the Glenville 39 as the first quarter ends after Braves QB Ryker Williams throws a 35-yard pass up the middle to Carson Hostetler IV.
A false start penalty affected Indian Valley’s second possession, leading to another punt. However, Glanville also punted after Ryker Williams made a big tackle for a loss on third down for Indian Valley after a run blitz.
Da’Von McDougald broke through down the right sideline with a 45-yard run on second-and-15. After a poor performance on the PAT, Glanville leads 6-0 with 7:22 remaining in the first quarter.
Indian Valley started with the ball at its own 20 after a touchback on Glanville’s opening kick. The temperature at the time of the game was 29 degrees. The Braves took some direct snaps from All-Ohio RB Grady Kinsey, while QB Ryker Williams also took snaps before rushing keepers. However, a false start penalty on the Braves stopped the drive and Indian Valley suffered a loss.
Glanville tossed the coin and the Tarbloods deferred to the second half. But Indian Valley fans were celebrating the loss at the coin toss. Losing the toss meant the Braves and their record-setting running back Grady Kinsey would receive the opening kick.
Indian Valley gets crowded early. Its fans are filling the home grandstand more than 30 minutes before kick-off. The Glanville Stand is less crowded and has plenty of space.
As each team warms up, the snow is removed from the yard lines.
The winner will advance to the state championship game in Canton.
The Indian Valley-Glenville survivor will face the winner of the semifinal between Shelby and Cincinnati Indian Hill on Friday night in Sidney, about 80 miles northwest of Columbus and 200 miles southwest of Minerva. The Division IV Championship Game begins at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 5 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Fans traveling to watch the Braves will have to brave the cold. The forecast temperature for the 7 p.m. kickoff at Minerva was 28 degrees. It will be even colder in Sydney, with an expected high of 25.
The winners will have to create their own heat in Canton, where a high of 28 is forecast for next Friday.
Glanville handled the cold weather well in the 2023 D4 state semifinal against Canton South. With temperatures hovering around 30 at Wadsworth, the Tarbloods took an early lead and remained mostly in control during a 42–21 victory.
In what was considered a major upset, Glenville lost to Sandusky Perkins 13-11 in last year’s state semifinals played at Bishop Stadium in Clyde.
Indian Valley’s 2024 state semifinal game, a 29–20 win over Cincinnati Taft, was played at Columbus’ historic Crew Stadium. It is remembered for the Braves overcoming a 14–0 deficit.
- All games at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton
- Thursday, December 4 – Division II, 7 p.m.
- Friday, December 5 – Division IV 10:30 am
- Friday, December 5 – Division III 3 p.m.
- Friday, December 5 – Division I, 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, December 6 – Division VII 10:30 am
- Saturday, December 6 – Division VI 3 p.m.
- Saturday, December 6 – Division V, 7:30 pm
Today’s game features Grady Kinsey and Sincere Johnson, two of the eight finalists for the 2025 Ohio Mr. Football Award. Both of them are seniors. Kinsey is a 5-foot-8-inch, 205-pound running back and linebacker. Johnson is a 6-3, 225-pound linebacker. Each of them have big stats and a big future. Here’s more information about each player.
Johnson, a four-star prospect according to most recruiting services, has committed to Ohio State. He led Glanville with 112 tackles, 21 TFL and 8.5 sacks. The Tarbloods played a tough schedule that included defending Division II state champions Avon, Massillon, Olentangy Liberty, St. Edward and Hoban. Johnson started on Glenville’s 2023 state championship team as a sophomore middle linebacker and led the Tarbloods to last year’s state semifinals.
The United States Air Force Academy commit is a two-time nominee for Mr. Football and is the state’s all-time leader in total touchdowns (136) and rushing touchdowns (131). Has rushed for 2,585 yards and 40 touchdowns this season. Indian Valley won the D-IV state title last year as Kinsey finished with 3,278 yards (ninth in OHSAA history) and 50 touchdowns. He has 8,489 career rushing yards (third in OHSAA history) on 804 carries (averaging 10.6 yards per carry). Defensively he has 345 career tackles, 19 TFLs and three forced fumbles.
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