It's what sports are about – having a chance to play for a championship.
And after the No. 17-ranked Ashland University football team topped Walsh, 23-16, on Saturday (Nov. 1) afternoon at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field, the Eagles have just that chance in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
Ashland is 8-1 overall and 7-0 in the Great Midwest following a seventh consecutive victory. Saturday's win was the Eagles' fourth in 2025 by eight points or less.
"I'm proud of the kids. They showed a lot of fight," said Ashland head coach
Doug Geiser. "When I addressed the team, I said you're becoming battle-tested, because you've gone through some things. You're putting those lessons to task.
"It's a fun team to coach. They show a lot of grit."
The Cavaliers are 6-3, 5-2.
Walsh struck first, taking the game's initial drive and going ahead 7-0 at the 11:24 mark on a four-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cole Norris to running back Jake Gill.
On the Eagles' first possession, redshirt freshman kicker
Manaki Watanabe hit a 39-yard field goal to cut the early deficit to 7-3.
Going to the second quarter, Ashland took a 10-7 lead with 7:44 left until halftime when freshman tailback
Chris Maloney scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 39-yard jaunt. Walsh tied the game at 10 with 1:43 to go until halftime when kicker Jarrad Kerekes hit his own 39-yard field goal.
But as time expired in the second quarter, Watanabe snuck a school-record 59-yard field goal in for a 13-10 halftime advantage. The field goal broke the school record by seven yards (52 yards by
Gary Kester in 1969).
"When you graduate a three-time all-conference kicker in
A.J. Rhodes, who had a great career here, you kind of hold your breath," Geiser said. "Manaki's done a great job stepping in. That was a key play for us at the end of the half. Really proud of the kid."
"I can't even explain it," said Watanabe. "At first, when I kicked it, I didn't think it was going to go in, to be honest. It wasn't the greatest kick. The Lord was with me. I didn't even see it go in."
Watanabe's 19-yard field goal lifted Ashland to a 16-10 lead following the first drive of the second half, which took 6:59 off the clock. However, following a Cavaliers interception giving them a short field, Kerekes made a 20-yard field goal to cut the Eagle lead to 16-13 with 2:58 to go in the third quarter.
Maloney scored his second rushing touchdown of the afternoon, from a yard out, with 12:01 to go in regulation to lift the Eagles to a 23-13 lead.
Kerekes' third field goal of the game, another 20-yarder, pushed Walsh closer at 23-16 with 1:31 left. Then, the Cavaliers recovered the ensuing onside kick, but Ashland effectively ended the game with three straight sacks on second, third and fourth down.
BIG DEFENSE AT THE END
- Three of AU's four sacks on Saturday came on the last three defensive plays.
- Maloney became the Eagles' first 100-yard rusher of 2025, finishing with 114 yards and two TDs on 20 carries.
- "There's a reason we recruited Chris Maloney. He's a really good football player," Geiser said. "We knew he was good. Because of injury, he had to step up. He came in like a champ. We're excited for his future."
- Said Maloney, "This is amazing. I've just been waiting on my opportunity. I knew my time was up. I was just getting out there, ready to go, ready to play hard."
- Shimek racked up 10 total tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. With 13½ sacks this season, Shimek is No. 6 on the program's all-time single-season list.
- Freshman wide receiver D.J. Harvey ended with seven catches for 87 yards.
- Ashland is 10-1 all-time vs. Walsh.
NEXT UP
The two teams tied for first place in the Great Midwest – Ashland and No. 11 Findlay (9-0, 7-0) – playing at AU for first place and at least a share of the league title at 1 p.m. on Nov. 8. The game will be Ashland's Military and First Responder Appreciation Day and reunion for the 2015 team.
"It's the Battle of Ohio. It's our second-oldest rivalry," said Geiser. "They're a good football team. The records of both teams are good, and I get that, but this is a throw-the-records-out game."
