GNADENHUTTEN, Ohio — Indian Valley built a 35-point lead, then spent the last six minutes proving it could protect one. The top-seeded Braves held off No. 5 seed Claymont 35-21 on Friday night, November 13, in an OHSAA Division IV, Region 15 semifinal, according to The Times Reporter’s game report. The Mansfield News Journal’s statewide scoreboard and The Columbus Dispatch’s statewide scoreboard both confirmed the 35-21 final.
The first half was all Indian Valley. The Braves carried a 6-0 lead into the second quarter, The Times Reporter reported, and then broke the game open before halftime — Kellen Couts hauled in a 27-yard touchdown reception with 11 seconds remaining in the half to give Indian Valley a 21-0 advantage at the break, according to The Times Reporter.
Brett O’Connor added an 11-yard rushing touchdown with 5:11 remaining in the third quarter, giving the Braves a commanding 35-0 advantage, The Times Reporter reported. At that point the game looked finished — a top seed cruising at home against a county rival it had controlled for three quarters.
Claymont refused the script. Jackson Jinks hauled in a 57-yard touchdown pass with 5:25 remaining in the fourth quarter and added a 12-yard touchdown catch with 2:05 left, The Times Reporter reported. Just 13 seconds later, Dante Colaner recovered a fumble for a touchdown, cutting Indian Valley’s lead to 35-21, according to The Times Reporter.
The late rally was not enough, The Times Reporter reported, and Indian Valley secured the victory and advanced to the regional championship. Three Claymont touchdowns in the final six minutes turned a blowout into a finish, but the Mustangs never got the ball back with a chance to tie.
The matchup carried two years of history in one stadium. Two years ago, Indian Valley was celebrating a state championship while Claymont was coming off a 1-9 season and looking to rebuild, The Times Reporter reported — and Friday’s competitive semifinal, between two Tuscarawas County rivals playing for a regional final berth, showed how far the Mustangs have come even in defeat.
The other Region 15 semifinal produced the final’s pairing: New Lexington beat West Holmes 36-30 on Friday, according to the Mansfield News Journal’s statewide scoreboard. New Lexington arrives as a team comfortable in one-score games; Indian Valley arrives having just survived one it nearly let get away.
What happens next: Indian Valley faces New Lexington in the Division IV, Region 15 final on Friday, November 20, at a site the OHSAA announces on Sunday, November 15. The winner advances to the state semifinals on November 27.
Photo: Roseohioresident, CC BY-SA