Brotherhood Meets MACtion: Former Eagles Set for Ohio-Kent State Matchup

St. Edward High School will have connections on both sidelines when Ohio University (2-2) visits Kent State (2-2) on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Dix Stadium in Kent, Ohio. Former Eagle Thomas ’98 leads THE FLASHES as head coach, with former Eagles Thomas Aden and Brandon White playing for Kent State and Zach Hackleman beginning a college career at Ohio. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., with streaming coverage on ESPN+. The matchup brings together four members of the St. Edward Brotherhood at different stages of their football journeys.

Carney is working to sustain a turnaround at Kent State, which finished 0-12 in 2024. In Carney’s first season in 2025, THE FLASHES went 5-7 overall and 4-4 in Mid-American Conference play, a five-win improvement that ranked among the largest single-season turnarounds in program history. Kent State opened its 2026 conference schedule with a 26-13 victory over Ball State and enters Saturday at 1-0 in the MAC. Carney’s Northeast Ohio roots remain part of that rebuild, with a veteran defensive lineman and a freshman running back carrying their St. Edward experience into the program.

Aden, a 6-foot-1, 275-pound redshirt senior defensive lineman, has become an important part of THE FLASHES’ defensive front. After appearing in all 12 games last season, Aden finished with 24 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. That production earned first-team preseason All-MAC recognition from Phil Steele and Pro Football Network entering this fall. Aden started against Ball State last week and recorded a quarterback hurry in Kent State’s conference-opening win, continuing to contribute during a final collegiate season.

WHITE ALREADY contributing In Kent State backfield after a standout senior season for the Eagles. The freshman running back rushed 234 times for 1,822 yards and 23 touchdowns at St. Edward, averaging 140.2 rushing yards per game, posting 10 games with at least 100 rushing yards and totaling 2,348 all-purpose yards. Earlier this season against Ohio State, White led Kent State with 21 rushing yards on five carries, an average of 4.2 yards per attempt. In the win over Ball State, White added 26 yards on 10 carries and caught three passes for 11 yards, including a touchdown. The 37-yard performance marked White’s first MAC game.

Across the field, Hackleman is beginning a college career as a freshman wide receiver for the Bobcats. A 40-game starter for the Eagles, Hackleman finished high school with 141 receptions, 2,319 receiving yards and 39 total touchdowns, setting St. Edward career records for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Hackleman also holds the program’s longest kickoff return at 99 yards and longest punt return at 92 yards, and tied the school record with three receiving touchdowns in a game. A senior captain and Division I District Co-Offensive MVP, Hackleman recorded a 15-yard reception last week in Ohio’s 35-7 victory over Stonehill.

Saturday will be the 77th meeting between the programs, with Ohio holding a 47-27-2 series advantage and victories in the past two matchups, including a 41-0 win in 2024. The Bobcats, who captured the 2024 MAC championship, enter their conference opener against a Kent State team seeking to remain unbeaten in league play. For the St. Edward community, the game also connects a coach rebuilding a program, a senior anchoring a defensive front and two freshmen establishing themselves in Division I football. They will represent different universities, but share THE EAGLES foundation.