Rocky Mount, NC - The North Carolina Wesleyan football team came up short in its Homecoming matchup on Saturday afternoon, falling 19–10 to Southern Virginia at Vernon T. Bradley Stadium. Despite outgaining the Knights in total offense (340–318) and holding the ball for nearly 38 minutes, turnovers and missed opportunities proved costly for the Bishops.

The Bishops (3–4, 1–3 USA South) opened the scoring late in the first quarter when Braxtyn Green drilled a 40-yard field goal to cap a five-play, 23-yard drive. The Knights (6–1, 3–1 USA South) answered just 31 seconds later, connecting on a 37-yard touchdown pass to take a 7–3 lead — one they would hold the rest of the way.

After a scoreless second quarter, the Knights struck quickly in the third, scoring on a 54-yard touchdown pass. The Bishops responded with an impressive three-play, 65-yard drive highlighted by a 33-yard touchdown pass from Javier Rice to Michael Pannell, trimming the deficit to 13–10. Southern Virginia, however, answered immediately with another long strike — an 82-yard touchdown — to extend the margin to 19–10 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Bishops' defense turned in a resilient effort led by Andrew Brown with nine tackles and Mathias Winston with six tackles and a fumble recovery. Offensively, Trae Sechrest paced the ground game with 194 yards on 31 carries, while Pannell hauled in six receptions for 70 yards and a score.

Green was again a standout on special teams, averaging 51.2 yards per punt with five kicks pinned inside the 20-yard line.

Up Next:
The Bishops will travel to Methodist to take on the Monarchs next Saturday in Fayetteville as USA South play rolls on.