Montgomery, AL - The North Carolina Wesleyan football team earned a hard-fought 21–20 road victory over Huntingdon on Saturday afternoon at Charles Lee Field, surviving a late surge to secure its first USA South win.

The Bishops (3–3, 1–2 USA South) built a 21–7 lead through three quarters before the Hawks (3–3, 2–1 USA South) rallied in the fourth, missing a potential game-tying extra point in the final two minutes.

Senior running back Nahjiir Seagraves powered the Wesleyan offense with 154 yards and a 33-yard touchdown on 25 carries, averaging 6.2 yards per rush. Quarterback Javier Rice completed 16-of-26 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns, finding Sean Cartwright for a 39-yard strike in the second quarter and Marti McKnight for a three-yard score late in the third.

The Bishops opened with a five-play, 78-yard drive capped by Seagraves' long touchdown run to take an early 7–0 lead. Huntingdon responded with a 54-yard touchdown pass from Jake White to Tim McReynolds to tie the game, but Wesleyan controlled the middle frames with efficient drives and timely defensive stops.

Defensively, the Bishops were anchored by Eric Cooper and Mathias Winston, who each tallied seven tackles. Winston added a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry, while Savonte' McKeithan recorded a key second-quarter interception and returned it 29 yards to set up a scoring drive. Breon Thompson added a sack late in the game as the Bishops' front line held firm against the Hawks' comeback effort.

Despite being outgained 434–366 in total offense, Wesleyan made the most of its opportunities, converting 9-of-17 third downs and holding Huntingdon to just 7-of-12. Punter Ethan Fay averaged 40.8 yards on four punts, while Wilson McMinn went a perfect 3-for-3 on extra points.

Up Next:
Football returns home on Saturday at 12:00 PM for a Homecoming clash against the Knights of Southern Virginia.