MINERVA − With freezing temperatures and virtual winter blowing in, the red-hot Indian Valley Braves take on imposing Cleveland Glenville in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division IV state semifinals on Friday, Nov. 28.
Glenville won the D4 championship in 2022 and 2023, while Indian Valley won the state title in 2024, but the programs have never played against each other.
Please check in throughout the evening for live updates from Minerva, and eventually for a postgame report including quotes from key figures.
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The Tarblooders able to run out the clock and advance to their third state final in the last four years as the defeat the defending Division IV state champs. Each team showed a lot of mental toughness during a wild second half. Glenville (11-3) will face Shelby (14-0) in the D4 title game. Indian Valley ends its season at 12-1.
After the Braves converted a big third down on the drive, the Tarblooders stopped Grady Kinsey on a fourth-and-3 from the Glenville 20. The Tarblooders took over with 1:43 left. Kinsey had converted a third-and-3 with a 4-yard run to the 26. However, a tackle for loss by Glenville All-Ohio LB Cincere Johnson led to the fourth down that Indian Valley was unable to convert.
Following Glenville’s go-ahead TD, Indian Valley took over at it own 22 with 7:25 left. Ryker Williams got the drive rolling with a 25-yard pass to Reese St. Clair. On the next set of downs, a personal foul on Glenville for a horse collar converted an Indian Valley fourth-and-9. The Braves are at the Tarblooder 37 with 5:17 left in the regulation.
Da’Von McDougle scored on a 4-yard run and the Tarblooders are back in front, 26-21, with 7:29 left in regulation. Glenville was unable to convert a 2-point conversion pass, leaving its lead at five points. Glenville overcame a holding penalty on the drive that negated a 40-yard run by McDougle. Arvell Nelson’s 45-yard pass play to London Hearn set up the McDougle TD run.
The Braves have erased a 20-0 third-quarter deficit just a few plays into the fourth quarter. Grady Kinsey scored the tying touchdown on a 2-yard run with 10:56 left in regulation before Colt James PAT kick put the Braves into a 21-20 lead. Two plays before the TD run, Kinsey converted a fourth-and-1 by getting a yard.
The third quarter ends with Glenville leading, but Indian Valley threatening as a huge fourth down awaits. The Braves have the ball at the Tarblooder 8 and will face fourth-and-1 when the fourth quarter begins. The Braves got a big 15-yard run by Grady Kinsey before a holding call on Indian Valley appeared to stall the drive. The Braves, though, managed to get it to fourth-and-1 as an action-packed third quarter ended.
Glenville appeared to be driving for a touchdown that could have pushed its lead to three scores after 35-yard completion had the Tarblooders on the move. But one player, Ryker Williams scooped up a Glenville fumble and returned it to the Glenville 25 with 5:25 left in the third. A Glenville personal foul put the ball at the 12. Indian Valley star RB Grady Kinsey scored on a 12-yard TD run soon after and the Braves trailed just 20-14 with 5:22 left. Indian Valley then recovered an onside kick to get the ball back late in the third.
Braves QB Ryker Williams threw a 57-yard TD pass to Carsen Hostetler IV to help 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 Tarblooders recovered it and quickly took advantage with a touchdown for a 20-0 lead. Da’Von McDougle scored the Glenville TD on a 1-yard run and QB Arvell Nelson added a 2-point conversion for the 20-point lead with 8:11 left in the third quarter.
Indian Valley fumbled in the final 30 seconds of the first half, giving Glenville a shot at more points. But the half ended before the Tarblooders could cash in that turnover. The clock expired with them at the Braves 11.
Arvell Nelson’s touchdown pass, followed by a failed 2-point conversion, has Glenville leading 12-0 with 43.3 seconds left in the half. Paul Sadler caught the 16-yard scoring passing in the left corner of the end zone.
The Braves punted away with under 90 seconds left in the half. Glenville takes over at the Indian Valley 38 with 1:26 left.
The Tarblooders moved the ball after their interception using their running game and a timely completion. But they fumbled at the Indian Valley 12. The Braves recovered with 2:36 left in the first half.
Indian Valley’s good field position to start a drive is short lived. Glenville comes up with the game’s first turnover, as Jordan Johnson intercepts a pass. Glenville has the ball at its own 40.
The Braves forced a Tarblooders punt after Bradley Barr’s tackle for loss on third-and-3. Indian Valley takes over at the 50.
Indian Valley’s drive stalled out early in the second quarter after Tarblooders LB Cincere Johnson came up with a sack. The Braves punted and the Tarblooders took over at their 12.
Indian Valley has the ball on the Glenville 39 as the first quarter ends after a 35-yard pass deep over the middle by Braves QB Ryker Williams to Carsen Hostetler IV.
False start penalties plague Indian Valley’s second possession, leading to another punt. Glenville, though, also punts after Ryker Williams makes a big tackle for loss on third down for Indian Valley after a run blitz.
Da’Von McDougle scored on a 45-yard run on a second-and-15, breaking loose through the right side. After a bad snap on the PAT, Glenville leads 6-0 with 7:22 left in the first quarter.
Indian Valley opened with the ball at its own 20 after touchback on Glenville’s opening kick. Game time temperate was 29 degrees. The Braves had All-Ohio RB Grady Kinsey take some direct snaps, while QB Ryker Williams also took snaps before running keepers. A false start penalty on the Braves, though, stalled the drive and Indian Valley punted.
Glenville own the coin toss and the Tarblooders deferred to the second half. But Indian Valley fans were cheering the coin toss loss. Losing the toss means the Braves and their record-setting running back Grady Kinsey will receive the opening kick.
Indian Valley has an early-arriving crowd. Its fans are filling up the home grandstand more than 30 minutes ahead of kickoff. The Glenville stands are far less crowded with plenty of room.
Snow has been scraped from the yard lines as each team warms up.
The winner will advance to the state championship game in Canton.
The Indian Valley-Glenville survivor will face the winner of a semifinal between Shelby and Cincinnati Indian Hill being played Friday night in Sidney, about 80 miles northwest of Columbus and 200 miles southwest of Minerva. The Division IV championship game will kick off at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Fans traveling to see the Braves must brave the cold. The forecast temperature for the 7 p.m. kickoff in Minerva was 28 degrees. It’ll be even colder in Sidney, with a forecast kickoff temperature of 25.
The winners will have to generate their own heat in Canton, where next Friday’s forecast high is 28.
Glenville handled cold weather well in the 2023 D4 state semifinals against Canton South. With temperatures around 30 at Wadsworth, the Tarblooders took a big early lead and were mostly in control throughout a 42-21 win.
In what was considered a big upset, Glenville fell 13-11 to Sandusky Perkins 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 historic Crew Stadium in Columbus. That one 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 at 7 p.m.
- Friday, December 5 – Division IV at 10:30 a.m.
- Friday, December 5 – Division III at 3 p.m.
- Friday, December 5 – Division I at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, December 6 – Division VII at 10:30 a.m.
- Saturday, December 6 – Division VI at 3 p.m.
- Saturday, December 6 – Division V at 7:30 p.m.
Today’s game features Grady Kinsey and Cincere Johnson, two of the eight finalists for the 2025 Ohio Mr. Football Award. They each are seniors. Kinsey is 5-foot-8, 205-pound running back and linebacker. Johnson is a 6-3, 225-pound linebacker. They each have big stats and big futures. Here’s a look at more on each player.
Johnson, a four-star prospect according to most recruiting services, is committed to Ohio State. He led Glenville with 112 tackles, 21 TFL and 8.5 sacks. The Tarblooders played a tough schedule that included defending Division II state champ Avon, Massillon, Olentangy Liberty, St. Edward and Hoban. Johnson started as a sophomore middle linebacker on Glenville’s 2023 state championship team and led the Tarblooders back to last year’s state semifinals.
United States Air Force Academy commit is a two-time Mr. Football nominee and 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 (ranks third in OHSAA history) on 804 carries (a 10.6 yards per carry average). Defensively he has 345 career tackles, 19 TFL and three forced fumbles.
