Girard Playoffs Live | Indians win 53-48 to reach state finals

DOVER — 9:59 p.m.

Mark Waid takes a knee twice and Girard runs out the clock on Licking Valley. Indians win 53-48. On to the state finals next Saturday night in Canton.

9:51 p.m.

Mark Waid threw a 22-yard TD pass to Nick Malito on fourth-and-15 with 1:44 to play to give Girard a 53-48 lead. Conversion pass was incomplete.

9:40 p.m.

McCullough caps another Panthers scoring drive with a 1-yard run. LV set it up with their third trick play of the night, a direct snap to a running back as QB Chase Whisner pretended to walk to the sideline to check on a play call. The Panthers are going for two. Whisner hits McLaughlin in the right side of the end zone and LV leads, 48-47.

9:30 p.m.

There's no stopping the Indians. Waid caps another TD drive with a 5-yard for a 47-40 lead over LV. The score was set up by a 38-yard bomb to Nick Malito, who had just dropped a sure TD moments earlier. There is 8:07 left in the game.

9:22 p.m.

Licking Valley ties it up again on a scintillating TD run by Hunter McLaughlin. PAT is no good. We're tied at 40 with 10:32 to play.

9:11 p.m.

Mark Waid throws a 26-yard TD pass to Jimmy Jones and Girard is in front for the first time since it led 7-6 early. The PAT is blocked. Indians lead, 40-34.

9:01 p.m.

Girard takes advantage of a Licking Valley fumble near midfield. Mark Waid drove the Indians to the shadow of the Panthers' end zone and capped the drive with a 7-yard run. Game is tied at 34 with 6:47 to play in the third.

8:52 p.m.

Mark Waid drives the Indians down the field to open the second half and caps the march with a TD run. Girard cuts LV's lead to 34-27 with 9:45 to play in the third.

8:22 p.m.

Licking Valley takes a 34-20 lead in the halftime break.

8:19 p.m.

Chase Whisner directs a late TD drive, capping it with a 15-yard strike to Ethan Hile as LV shows it can move the ball through the air, too. The lead is back out to 34-20.

8:10 p.m.

Mark Waid caps a Girard TD drive with a 34-yard strike to Aiden Warga with 2:43 to play in the first half. LV leads 27-20.

8:04 p.m.

Chase Whisner scores on a 1-yard keeper with 4:53 to play in the first half to extend the lead to 27-13. The TD came after LV intercepted a Mark Waid pass deep in its own territory.

7:48 p.m.

The first quarter ends with Licking Valley leading 20-13. There were six personal fouls called in the first quarter, four of them on Girard.

7:30 p.m.

A long kickoff return gets LV into Girard territory, then Whisner breaks a long run and scores on a short one. PAT kick is blocked and the Panthers lead 20-13.

7:26 p.m.

Morgan Clardy's 1-yard TD run a 5:04 of the first quarter gets Girard within 14-13. PAT kick was no good. Neither team has had a defensive answer yet.

7:19 p.m.

Chase Whisner caps another Licking Valley TD drive with a nice keeper, bouncing off a Girard tackler at the line of scrimmage and darting into the end zone. Panthers throw for a two-point conversion and lead now 14-7.

Mark Waid runs up the middle for a 15-yard TD. The score was set up by Waid's deep ball to Nick Malito. PAT gives Girard a 7-6 lead at the 9:30 mark of the first quarter.

7:05 p.m.

Mitchell Ford shows quickness, taking a short pass 45 yards down the sideline for a touchdown and a 6-0 Licking Valley lead. The Panthers set it up with some effective option runs and a direct snap run.

7:02 p.m,

Licking Valley gets the ball first and we're under way at Crater Stadium.

6:10 p.m.

Brian Dzenis and Ed Puskas are on site at Crater Stadium in Dover, where they're covering tonight's Division IV state semifinal football game between Girard (12-1) and Newark Licking Valley (10-3) ...

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., less than an hour away.

Follow them on Twitter, too, at @Brian_Dzenis and @EdPuskas_Vindy.