Steubenville Edges Dover 21-14 to Advance in Division III Regional Semifinal

Dover’s hopes for a regional semi-final comeback ended in the closing minutes on Friday as a late interception secured a 21-14 victory for Steubenville at Harding Stadium.

The loss concludes a 9-3 campaign for the Crimson Tornadoes, a season defined by a five-win improvement under second-year coach Matt Rees.

The game appeared to be slipping away from Dover early. Steubenville’s Colton Henderson extended his team’s lead to 21-0 with a 65-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter.

Despite the three-score deficit, Dover rallied, cutting the lead to a single touchdown by the fourth quarter. Dover had the ball with 4:04 remaining, looking to force a tie, when senior safety Braidyn Edwards intercepted a deep pass from Dieter Weber to effectively seal the game.

For a team that had built its identity on late-game heroics—including regular-season comeback wins against West Holmes and New Philadelphia—the final result was a departure from their established narrative. “As I’ve said before, when you look at this team, they continue to grow, and they continued to fight throughout the course of the game,” coach Matt Rees said.

“Like I said at halftime, ‘we’ve been here before.’ We fought through those games. This time the outcome wasn’t in our favor.”

Dover vs. Steubenville – 2026 OHSAA High School Football Regional Semifinals — Varsity Sports Live Streaming

The stakes of this Division III, Region 11 matchup were high, with a spot in the regional finals on the line. Steubenville, now holding a 10-2 record, has maintained momentum since a Week 7 loss to Youngstown Ursuline.

The team’s performance was anchored by the play of quarterback Santino Haney, who completed 17 of 22 passes for 211 yards. Henderson, a physical presence in the backfield, carried the ball 28 times for 164 yards and added 42 receiving yards, accounting for nearly half of the team’s total offense.

Dover’s offense struggled to find rhythm against the Big Red front seven for much of the night. The Tornadoes were held to just 33 rushing yards, and it was not until the second half that the connection between quarterback Dieter Weber and receiver Dante Clark began to force the issue.

Clark scored on a 49-yard screen pass and a 14-yard touchdown reception, keeping the Tornadoes within striking distance until the final interception.

High School Football: OHSAA Playoffs — Dover vs Steubenville 11.13.26 — WTRF

“It’s not our goal—that’s a state championship,” Dante Clark said after the game. “But from going 4-6 last year to making it all the way to the regional semifinals, and competing with the team that we lost to, 44-14, it’s a great improvement. I couldn’t be prouder of our team.”

The victory advances Steubenville to face No. 3 seed Columbus East on November 20 at 7 p.m. at a location still to be determined. The Tigers scored 22 unanswered points in the second half to shock unbeaten Licking Valley, 36-33, in their semifinal. For Steubenville coach Reno Saccoccia, the focus remains on the consistency his squad showed in high-pressure moments.

“I don’t care if the score is 21-0 or 21-14, you have to win and rise to the occasion, and we did both,” Saccoccia said. “I respect Dover. They have tough kids and a great program. I respect the heck out of our kids. We had a tough week, and I thought we played a really good first half and good fourth quarter.”

The game shows how volatile postseason football can be, where a single defensive play can erase momentum. While Dover’s season ends in the regional semi-final, the program has improved steadily over the last two years. The result shows how resilient both rosters were, with Steubenville now turning its attention toward the regional title game.