Wake Forest
Welcome to 4th & Forever’s Wake Forest hub — your home for all things Demon Deacons. From clutch moments on the gridiron to standout performances across every sport, we bring you the stories, highlights, and behind-the-scenes coverage that showcase the heart of Wake Forest athletics.
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Wake Forest VS Mississippi St.
Football
DURHAM, N.C. — Duke kept its ACC title hopes alive on Saturday with a 49–32 win over Wake Forest, highlighted by a milestone day from quarterback Darian Mensah. Mensah, a Tulane transfer, broke the program’s single-season passing touchdown mark during the third quarter and later added one more before the final whistle. He completed 24 of 35 throws for 268 yards and also scored his first rushing touchdown of the year. The Blue Devils (7–5, 6–2 ACC) never trailed, powered by two rushing scores apiece from Anderson Castle and Nate Sheppard. Sahmir Hagans contributed a receiving touchdown and delivered an 80-yard kickoff return that set up Duke’s early fourth-quarter points. Head coach Manny Diaz said the game mirrored the team’s season-long mentality: less about flawless football and more about steady determination. Wake Forest (8–4, 4–4) had a productive outing from Robby Ashford, who totaled two passing touchdowns, 342 yards through the air, a rushing TD, and a two-point conversion. But the Demon Deacons were hurt by four turnovers and nearly 100 penalty yards, snapping their three-game win streak. Duke continued its trend of timely trick plays, converting a fake punt in the fourth quarter that extended a drive and drained valuable minutes off the clock while leading 42–32. Mensah’s record-breaking 30-yard strike to Hagans in the third quarter set the new season benchmark at 27 touchdown passes, and he added one more in the closing minute to cap the victory.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Wake Forest continued its late-season surge on Saturday, rolling past Delaware 52–14 as Robby Ashford accounted for four total touchdowns — three through the air and one on the ground — to extend the Demon Deacons’ winning streak to three. The victory also marked a milestone for head coach Jake Dickert, who is now the winningest first-year coach in program history. Wake Forest (8–3) has taken six of its last seven matchups, a run Dickert credits to pushing his team to raise its expectations. “We reset the standard,” Dickert said. “It hasn’t been smooth the whole way, but the progress has been real.” The game doubled as a meaningful Senior Day for a roster and coaching staff that came together less than a year ago. Dickert noted how rewarding it was to see the group’s growth from start to finish. Carlos Hernandez delivered one of the afternoon’s standout performances, torching the Delaware defense for 197 receiving yards and two long touchdown grabs — one from 79 yards out and another from 93.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Carlos Hernandez delivered two of the game’s most unexpected scoring plays — one on a catch and another by scooping up a teammate’s fumble — helping Wake Forest secure a 28–12 win over North Carolina on Saturday. The Demon Deacons kept the Tar Heels out of the end zone the entire afternoon. Hernandez finished with 100 receiving yards on six grabs, while quarterback Robby Ashford added both a passing and rushing touchdown for Wake Forest (7–3, 4–3 ACC). Demond Claiborne powered the ground game with 98 yards, highlighted by a 12-yard score. The victory gave first-year head coach Jake Dickert his first win over an in-state ACC opponent, something he said came with a noticeable shift in atmosphere and emotion on the sidelines. North Carolina relied solely on the leg of Rece Verhoff, who made four field goals — one of which set a new program record — but also had two attempts blocked. The Tar Heels (4–6, 2–4) saw their two-game streak come to an end and now need to win their remaining matchups, both against in-state foes, to have a shot at bowl eligibility in Bill Belichick’s debut college season.
Basketball:
Articles by: Vickie mathis
Men's basketball
Vanderbilt took the tip o> and the momentum in the first half here in Winston Salem, starting the game with a 14-5 run in the first 4 minutes of the game that included three 3-pointers from the Commodore’s senior Forward Tyler Nickel. Juke Harris led the way for the Demon Deacons, knocking down seven shots from deep on his way to a game-high 28 points. Tre’von Spillers added 16 points, converting eight of his 13 attempts. Early in the second half, Omaha Biliew’s 3-pointer nudged Wake Forest in front, and the momentum snowballed from there. Myles Colvin sank two free throws, Harris drilled consecutive triples, and Spillers capped the surge with a dunk that stretched the advantage to 47–36. West Virginia made a push when Honor Huff connected from long range to cut the gap to 61–56 with just over five minutes left. But Nate Calmese steadied Wake Forest, scoring on a put-back and setting up two straight baskets by Spillers to rebuild a double-digit cushion. Calmese matched his season best with nine assists while also contributing four points and four steals. Wake Forest (7–3) shot 51% from the floor, hit 10 threes, and turned 17 Mountaineer turnovers into 25 points.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Wake Forest closed out Saturday night at Holiday Hoopfest with a 75–66 win over West Virginia, powered by a barrage of outside shooting and timely playmaking. Juke Harris led the way for the Demon Deacons, knocking down seven shots from deep on his way to a game-high 28 points. Tre’von Spillers added 16 points, converting eight of his 13 attempts. Early in the second half, Omaha Biliew’s 3-pointer nudged Wake Forest in front, and the momentum snowballed from there. Myles Colvin sank two free throws, Harris drilled consecutive triples, and Spillers capped the surge with a dunk that stretched the advantage to 47–36. West Virginia made a push when Honor Huff connected from long range to cut the gap to 61–56 with just over five minutes left. But Nate Calmese steadied Wake Forest, scoring on a put-back and setting up two straight baskets by Spillers to rebuild a double-digit cushion. Calmese matched his season best with nine assists while also contributing four points and four steals. Wake Forest (7–3) shot 51% from the floor, hit 10 threes, and turned 17 Mountaineer turnovers into 25 points.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Oklahoma rolled to an 86–68 victory over Wake Forest on Tuesday night in the ACC/SEC Challenge, led by Tae Davis and Mohamed Wague. Davis scored 18 points, while Wague recorded a double-double with 11 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Derrion Reid contributed 16 points, Nijel Pack added 13, and both Jadon Jones and Xzayvier Brown chipped in 11 each as the Sooners improved to 6–2 on the season. Wague’s 14 rebounds marked his second double-double of the year. The game was tight at halftime, with Oklahoma holding a 37–35 edge. The Sooners then pulled away with a 15–7 run, featuring six points from Jones and four from Davis, to build a 66–55 lead with just under eight minutes remaining. Later, a 15–3 stretch extended the lead to 84–61, and although Wake Forest (6–3) managed a late 7–0 run, it wasn’t enough to close the gap. Oklahoma shot 48% from the floor (26 of 54), while the Demon Deacons struggled at 34% (19 of 56). Wake Forest was paced by Juke Harris, who finished with 22 points, including 12 of 15 from the free-throw line, and Nate Calmese added 13 points.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Wake Forest overcame a tight first half to pull away from Northeastern, earning an 86–73 victory on Friday. Tre’Von Spillers scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Juke Harris also added 17 points for the Demon Deacons. Sebastian Akins contributed 13 points and Myles Colvin chipped in 11, with Spillers connecting on 8 of 11 shots and Harris making 10 of 11 free throws. Wake Forest improved to 6–2 on the season. Northeastern was led by Miles Newton with 22 points, Xander Alarie added 15, Xavier Abreu scored 12, and Youri Fritz contributed 10 for the Huskies (3–4). After trailing by one at halftime, Wake Forest took control in the second half, scoring 16 points off 11 Northeastern turnovers in the first 14 minutes to build a 79–65 lead. Northeastern cut the deficit to 79–70 with 4:20 remaining, but Harris hit a jumper and Colvin followed with a 3-pointer, allowing the Demon Deacons to maintain a double-digit lead for the rest of the game. Wake Forest had built an early advantage of 33–24, but a 10-point surge from Newton helped the Huskies close to 45–44 by halftime.
Women's basketball
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons fell just short against the Georgetown Hoyas, dropping a 58–56 decision. With Wake Forest trailing by one in the final seconds, Summer Davis drained a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to seal the victory for Georgetown. Grace Oliver led Wake Forest’s offense, finishing with 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including one 3-pointer, and added seven rebounds. Caitlyn Jones chipped in 12 points, while Mary Carter contributed eight. The Hoyas were led by Destiny [last name not provided], who paced Georgetown’s scoring.
WINSTON-SALEM — The Wake Forest Demon Deacons suffered their first loss of the season, falling 67–64 to William & Mary in ACC women’s basketball action. The Tribe came out red-hot, building a 25-point lead in the first half. Wake Forest mounted a strong comeback but couldn’t close the gap in the final minutes. Mary Carter led the Demon Deacons with 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds, pacing the team’s effort.
SAN JUAN — Wake Forest got off to a strong start in the final game of the Puerto Rico Shootout on Friday, building an early lead that Illinois State couldn’t overcome. The Demon Deacons held on for a 57–44 victory over the Redbirds at Coliseo Guillermo Angulo, handing Illinois State its first loss in San Juan.