First Place: Wagon Wheel Victory

On a snowy and blustery November night in downtown Akron, history was made when the Kent State football team defeated the rival Zips for the first time in three years. 

KSU and Akron aggressively battled until both teams were tied at 35 at the end of regulation, before redshirt sophomore quarterback Dru DeShields found redshirt junior wide receiver Ardell Banks from 25 yards out on the first play of overtime for what ended up being the game-winning touchdown. 

“What a game. Really proud of the locker room right now, really deserving of that result,” coach Mark Carney said in the post-game press conference. “These guys flipped the switch after last week, on a short week, not a lot of rest, [they] put together a great week of prep, and I think it showed tonight.” 

The result was the one Carney and his team wanted, but the game didn’t start according to script. Both of KSU’s first two drives ended with punts, but Akron’s redshirt senior defensive back Malcom DeWalt IV muffed the second kick and gave the ball to the Flashes deep in enemy territory. Just two plays later, redshirt junior running back Gavin Garcia pushed himself into the end zone for the first touchdown of the night. 

After Akron reclaimed the lead, DeShields found the jack-of-all-tradesman that is redshirt junior Da’Realyst Clark for an 89-yard touchdown that shocked the home crowd of InfoCision Stadium. 

DeShields had the greatest game of his 2025 campaign when it mattered the most. His performance of 317 passing yards and five passing touchdowns led him to be honored as the Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Week, as well as being named to the Davey O’Brien ‘Great 8,’ which honors the top quarterback performances across the country each week. 

“Unbelievably proud of him,” Carney said of DeShields. “In his hometown, against his brother, special.” 

A stretch of three touchdowns in four drives gave KSU a seemingly insurmountable lead of 35-17 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. However, Akron came back kicking and screaming. The Zips scored a touchdown and a field goal before a KSU fumble set them up for a game-tying 13-yard passing touchdown from redshirt senior quarterback Ben Finley. 

After DeShields’ dazzling fifth and final passing touchdown stole all the air out of the Akron Student Section, the Zips couldn’t convert on fourth down and gave the Flashes the victory. Immediately after the game was over, KSU stormed the field in jubilation. 

Second Place: Football’s Home Opener Win

The setting of the football team’s home opening win against FCS opponent Merrimack was a completely different picture than that of the first place selection. Not only was it the Flashes’ first win in over 700 days at Dix Stadium, it was also amidst a hot and sunny August day. 

Against the Warriors, redshirt senior quarterback CJ Montes led the charge on offense for KSU in what ended up being his only home start as a member of the Flashes. The Fordham transfer put up a good game, tossing six passes for 119 yards and one touchdown. 

“Credit to these guys and the rest of the players in that locker room. Hungry group out there,” Carney said. “[We] saw some adversity, kept believing in one another and got the job done. Good to see them ring the bell after so many days.”

The star of the day was redshirt freshman wide receiver Cade Wolford, who burst onto the scene with two catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns. In what became a breakout year for Wolford, the home opener served as a sign for what was to come for both him and his team.

“Something I’ve been told my whole life is opportunity favors the prepared,” Wolford said in the post game press conference. “It was a blessing to get out there today, and I got the opportunity to go make my mark on the game.” 

With just 5:40 left on the clock, the Warriors took a 17-14 lead on a 45-yard field goal. It seemed like the Flashes were the same team that was winless and dropped its home opener to an FCS opponent in 2024, but a hero came to save the day and take all the pain away. 

With his back to the end zone, Da’Realyst Clark scattered and muscled his way through the Merrimack special teams unit en route to a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown. There may not be a single play throughout this decade of KSU athletics that will be remembered as much as Clark’s go-ahead score. 

“This kid is special,” Carney said. “Da’Realyst Clark is a special, special player,” 

Third Place: Miami vs. Kent State Men’s Basketball

In Portage County, it’s hard to top the Wagon Wheel Rivalry. However, January’s contest between the Kent State men’s basketball team and the undefeated Miami RedHawks was one of the most hyped up sporting events this campus has seen in a long time. 

Heading into this home contest between the Flashes and the team that sent them home packing in the 2025 MAC Tournament, coach Rob Senderoff announced a very special promotion. 

“I’m buying the first 500 beers for students that are of age, that are allowed,” Senderoff said. “If you’re over 21, that’ll be on me.” 

Miami came in and immediately lit up the Flashes, holding a 48-34 lead heading into halftime. Powered by graduate student center Rob Whaley Jr., KSU came roaring back and eventually took the lead on a dunk by redshirt sophomore forward Rayvon Griffith. Whaley Jr. had a brilliant performance this night, dropping a team-high 27 points and 14 rebounds. 

In another showcase of their regular season dominance, the RedHawks came back from the brink of extinction after junior guard Cian Medley missed two key free throws that would’ve sealed the win for the Flashes. On Miami’s last play of regulation, sophomore guard Luke Skaljac tied the game at 92-92 on a layup. 

As is the case in college basketball, one team tends to come up just short in overtime after putting in so much effort in regulation. Unfortunately for Senderoff, that team was the Flashes. KSU ultimately lost 107-101. 

Gage Wellman is the sports editor. Contact him at [email protected].