by Wadsworth, Ohio – The Glenville Tarblooders, behind a strong performance from senior tailback D’Shawntae Jones, defeated Canton South, 42-21, in the Division IV state semifinal at Art Wright Stadium.
Jones, who had 265 yards on 25 carries, capped off the Tarblooders’ opening drive with a four-yard touchdown run. He would add another one, from 36 yards out, later in the quarter to increase the lead to 14-0.
Canton South responded when Mr. Ohio nominee Poochie Snyder found Tre Wilson for a 50-yard touchdown reception to cut the Wildcat deficit to 14-7.
After an interception from Ma’Taeaun Frazier, the Tarblooder defense held their end of the bargain, preventing a possible game tying score. Senior signal caller Ruel Tomlinson called his own number, rushing for a one-yard score, increasing the lead to 20-7.
Speaking of the defense, Jordon Hawkins picked off a pass late in the first half for the Tarblooders. Tomlinson would lead them down the field, and thanks to a bit of trickery, Glenville would add to their lead.
On the last play of the first half, Tomlinson threw to D’Shawntae Jones, who found Ohio State commit Damarion Witten in the end zone for a touchdown. This would push the Glenville lead to 28-7 going into the halftime break.
The Tarblooders would add to their lead as Jordon Hawkins picked off another pass from Poochie Snyder. Ruel Tomlinson found Jamari Townsend for a 15-yard score in the third quarter. The ensuing two-point try was good, and Glenville increased their lead to 36-7.
Poochie Snyder would later rush for a touchdown, as it appeared that he had been sacked at the Glenville 40 yard line. However, Snyder’s knee never touched the ground, and he popped back up and raced to the house. The Wildcats would also recover an onside kick, looking to cut further into their deficit.
Glenville came up with another turnover, as sophomore defensive back CJ Newell picked off a pass in the end zone.
D’Shawntae Jones would rumble for another touchdown, increasing the lead to 42-14 with 6:51 to play. Senior Ethan Fricke scored from a yard out with 1:10 to play for the Wildcats to cap the scoring.
Glenville advanced to their second straight title game, where they will face Kettering Alter, who defeated Steubenville, 48-0, in the other Division IV state semifinal.
Canton South finishes an outstanding season at 14-1. The Wildcats finished with a perfect regular season record, winning the PAC-7 conference title, and secured their first regional championship in school history.
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