Top-seeded Indian Valley held off a furious second-half rally by West Muskingum to secure a 35-28 victory in the Division IV, Region 15 quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 6. Indian Valley built a 27-7 lead late in the first half before the Tornadoes scored 21 unanswered points to briefly take the lead in the fourth quarter. However, Indian Valley answered with a decisive touchdown drive to claim the victory.
Indian Valley opened the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Ryker Williams, followed by a 52-yard touchdown run by Reese St. Clair after an interception. West Muskingum got on the board with a rushing touchdown early in the second quarter, but Williams connected with St. Clair for a 30-yard touchdown pass and added a 4-yard rushing touchdown to stretch the lead to 27-7. West Muskingum responded with a 60-yard touchdown run before halftime and a 63-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. The Tornadoes then took a 28-27 lead early in the fourth quarter when they blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown. Following a fumble recovery by the Indian Valley defense, Williams scored the game-winning 4-yard touchdown run with 6:32 remaining. Williams finished with three rushing touchdowns and one passing score.
The victory keeps unbeaten Indian Valley's postseason run intact and sets up a regional semifinal rematch against Claymont. For West Muskingum, head coach Nate Brownrigg noted that the team set a high standard for the program by earning a fourth-quarter chance in the playoff quarterfinal after a 5-5 campaign a year ago.