It’s the first state football title in school history, as well as the first for any Tuscarawas County team in the playoff era.
CANTON, Ohio — At long last, Tuscarawas County has a state football champion.
Indian Valley secured a historic win in the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Division IV title game, defeating Perkins 37-36 in a thrilling matchup in Canton. This victory marked the first championship triumph for Indian Valley, making it a significant milestone in the school’s history. Additionally, it was the first time Tuscarawas County celebrated a victory in the playoffs.
Mr. Football finalist Grady Kinsey was a one-man wrecking crew for the Braves (16-0), rushing for 247 yards and scoring all five of his team’s touchdowns. His final trip to the end zone proved to be the game-winner after he also took a direct snap in for a 2-point conversion, giving him a total of 34 points on the evening.
The Pirates (14-2) lived by the big play throughout the contest, but after a go-ahead TD was called back due to a flag, head coach Jalen Santoro elected to go for it on fourth down with just over four minutes left rather than attempt a 26-yard field goal. Carsen Hostetler appeared to disrupt Braylon Collier’s line of sight on the crucial pass, and Collier dropped the ball.
It marred an otherwise excellent performance for Collier, who finished with eight catches for 204 yards and three touchdowns. After getting the ball back on downs, Indian Valley coach Matt Lancaster’s patented ground-and-pound attack ran out the rest of the clock, partly aided by Kinsey’s decision to slide to the ground rather than dash for a sixth score.
Neither team punted once in the shootout. Ryker Williams added 112 yards on the ground for Indian Valley, while Perkins quarterback Sam Schweinfurth threw for 370 yards and 5 TDs to highlight the contrast in offensive styles
The first half provided only a preview of the excitement that was to come, with Kinsey rushing for three touchdowns and Collier racking up two long scores. The second for Collier came on a 70-yard screen pass with less than a minute to go before halftime, tying things up at 22 heading into intermission.
Coming out of the locker room, the Pirates surprised the Braves with an onside kick, which they recovered on a play that was upheld on a review some found controversial. Parker took advantage of the opportunity with a dazzling one-handed touchdown grab, putting Perkins ahead by seven. After Kinsey responded with his fourth TD, Collier again took a screen 53 yards to the house to make it 36-29.
That would be the last time the Pirates would score, however, with the Braves eventually getting the one stop they needed despite being outgained 441-409. Indian Valley won the time of possession battle by nearly 13 minutes, and Perkins was also penalized seven times for 70 yards. A fumble on a first-half kickoff return led to an additional Braves score.
“I can’t say enough of what this senior group has meant to this team,” head coach Jalen Santoro said of his Pirates, who went 45-9 from 2021-24. “(Even though) they lost tonight, they’re going to look back upon (this) and realize how special it was not only for them, but this team, but this program, in general.”
Kinsey, who admitted he hasn’t been fully healthy since about Week 7, expressed hope to make a run at another championship next season as a senior. He also admitted he had heard some of the derisive chatter referring to the Braves players as merely “farm boys” going up against the high-flying Pirates.
“As many naysayers as there have been for this program, I think there’s 10 times as many yes-sayers,” Kinsey told reporters. “I think that’s way more powerful than a few guys telling us we play against the Sisters of the Poor or whatever them guys are saying (like) calling me a ‘little guy,’ calling our O-line ‘skinny and frail,’ ‘small.’ But we get it done.”
The last time a Tuscarawas County team won a recognized state football title of any kind was 1965, when Dover St. Joseph (since merged to become part of Tuscarawas Central Catholic) was voted Class A champs by the Associated Press. Prior to Saturday, no Tuscarawas County school had even played in a state championship game.
Perkins is still seeking its first state football title since 1999.
