Indian Valley triumphs over Perkins 37

CANTON, Ohio — Finally, Tuscarawas County celebrates its first-ever state football title.

In a thrilling conclusion to championship weekend in Canton, Indian Valley narrowly defeated Perkins 37-36 on Saturday to capture the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Division IV championship. This victory is the first in school history and marks a historic moment for Tuscarawas County in the playoff era.

Grady Kinsey, a Mr. Football finalist, was a dominating force for the Braves (16-0), rushing for 247 yards and scoring all five touchdowns for his team. His last run to the end zone secured the victory after he also completed a direct snap for a 2-point conversion, accumulating a total of 34 points throughout the game.

The Pirates (14-2) relied on big plays all game, but after a potential go-ahead touchdown was negated by a penalty, head coach Jalen Santoro opted to try for it on fourth down with just over four minutes remaining instead of attempting a 26-yard field goal. Carsen Hostetler seemed to interfere with Braylon Collier’s vision on the pivotal pass, resulting in a drop.

Despite this mishap, Collier had a stellar game with eight receptions for 204 yards and three touchdowns. Once Indian Valley regained possession on downs, coach Matt Lancaster’s signature ground-and-pound strategy ran out the remaining clock, aided by Kinsey’s prudence to slide down instead of chasing a sixth touchdown.

In this high-scoring shootout, neither team punted. Indian Valley’s Ryker Williams contributed 112 rushing yards, while Perkins quarterback Sam Schweinfurth passed for 370 yards and five touchdowns, showcasing the differing offensive approaches.

The first half merely hinted at the ensuing excitement, with Kinsey rushing for three touchdowns and Collier scoring twice from long distances. One of Collier’s touchdowns came from a 70-yard screen pass with less than a minute remaining before halftime, knotting the score at 22 as they headed into the break.

After the halftime break, the Pirates caught the Braves off guard with an onside kick that they recovered, a decision upheld by a review that some deemed questionable. Parker capitalized on the chance with an impressive one-handed touchdown catch, giving Perkins a seven-point lead. After Kinsey’s fourth touchdown, Collier made another significant play with a 53-yard touchdown reception to put the score at 36-29.

Unfortunately for the Pirates, that was the last time they would score. The Braves made the necessary stop while being outgained 441-409. Indian Valley dominated time of possession by nearly 13 minutes, while Perkins faced seven penalties for 70 yards, and a fumble on a first-half kickoff return led to another score for the Braves.

“I cannot express enough how significant this senior class has been for the team,” head coach Jalen Santoro remarked about his Pirates, who compiled a record of 45-9 from 2021-24. “(Although) they faced defeat tonight, they will reflect on this experience and understand how special it was not just for themselves, but for this team and the entire program.”

Kinsey, acknowledging his struggles with health since about Week 7, expressed aspirations to pursue another title next season as a senior. He also shared his thoughts on the derogatory remarks referring to the Braves as just “farm boys” competing against the talented Pirates.

“While there have been many doubters for our program, I believe there are at least ten times more supporters,” Kinsey stated to reporters. “That positivity is significantly stronger than the few who call us things like ‘playing against the Sisters of the Poor’ or label me a ‘little guy,’ or say our O-line is ‘thin and weak.’ Yet we accomplish our goals.”

The last recognized state football championship won by any Tuscarawas County team was in 1965, when Dover St. Joseph (now merged into Tuscarawas Central Catholic) was awarded Class A champions by the Associated Press. Prior to Saturday, no school from Tuscarawas County had played in a state championship game.

Perkins is still in pursuit of its first state football title since the year 1999.