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Trophy first awarded in 1946 will roll to the victor
By Tom Gaffney
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Friday, Oct 03, 2008
University of Akron senior tackle Chris Kemme might have trouble distinguishing between ownership and possession, but he is clearer about his last participation at Kent State's Dix Stadium.
It was Sept. 30, 2006, and Kemme was a sophomore starter in a game thoroughly dominated by the Golden Flashes. With the 37-15 victory, KSU reclaimed the Wagon Wheel Trophy awarded annually to the winner of the game between the neighboring rivals.
In 2007, Kemme was happier when the Zips did the reclaiming in a 27-20 triumph. The Wagon Wheel — first awarded in 1946 — once again is up for the taking at noon Saturday when UA and host KSU meet for the 51st time.
In no way does Kemme want
a repeat of his 2006 visit to the Flashes' home field.
''A couple of years ago, when we went there, it was not a pretty sight when they came running over to our sideline and stole the Wagon Wheel from us, so I would definitely like to go out on top,'' said the 6-foot-6, 310-pound Kemme, a second-team All-Mid-American Conference selection as a sophomore and junior. ''We have to play well and keep the thing here.''
Semantics aside — Kent State would prefer to say it earned the trophy, not stole it — the Zips want the Wagon Wheel back in the school's football office, where it has been for the past year.
''Every day, when you walk into the office, the Wagon Wheel is the first thing you see, so it's constantly on your mind,'' said senior linebacker Kevin Grant, who was third-team All-MAC in 2007. ''You see the Wagon Wheel, the first thing you think of is Kent.''
The Wagon Wheel might provide tangible evidence of the rivalry, but it is only part of why it is the most coveted victory of the season for the teams.
The schools are 14 miles apart, and vie for attention from area sports fans and the media. The players are familiar with each other. The coaches know each other. The coaches recruit from the same general pool of prospects.
The Wagon Wheel is nice, but the players would take a stick of gum if it meant a victory.
A loss in the game ''stays with you throughout the year,'' UA coach J.D. Brookhart said.
Grant learned about the ferocity of the KSU-UA rivalry early in his career. It was 2004, when he was being redshirted, and the Zips were hours away from playing a game at Dix Stadium that would result in a 24-19 victory.
''In the pregame, I think it was Chase Blackburn who flipped over the table in the dining room,'' Grant said about the linebacker now with the New York Giants. ''At that point, I realized the scope of the rivalry.''
Kemme's first exposure to the game came in 2005 when he started as a freshman at home in a 35-3 Zips victory.
''I didn't really know until I actually stepped onto the field and saw how much they hated us and how much they wanted to win,'' said Kemme, a graduate of Upper Arlington High School in suburban Columbus.
The Zips (2-3, 0-1) might have begun formal preparations for the Golden Flashes (1-4, 0-1) soon after their frustrating 17-15 loss last Saturday at the Rubber Bowl to the University of Cincinnati, but informal ones have been ongoing.
''It's something that is extremely important to this football team and to this community,'' Brookhart said about the rivalry and the Wagon Wheel. ''We make a point of it all year long. It's not something we talk about just this week.
''It's something that we talk about and do things about in the spring. We address it in the summer, do extra things for Kent. It's a constant reminder around here and always will be.''
UA holds a 28-20-2 edge in the series, including a 9-2 mark since 1997. In the 37 games in which the Wagon Wheel has been at stake, KSU has a 19-17-1 edge.
Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.
University of Akron senior tackle Chris Kemme might have trouble distinguishing between ownership and possession, but he is clearer about his last participation at Kent State's Dix Stadium.
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