LaGrange, GA - The North Carolina Wesleyan football team fell 41–24 at LaGrange on Saturday afternoon at Callaway Stadium in a USA South matchup. The Panthers (3–1, 1–0) turned an early takeaway into points and used a strong ground game to hold off a fourth-quarter Bishops rally, dropping NCWU to 2–2 overall and 0–1 in league play.

LaGrange struck just eighteen seconds in after a fumble on the kickoff set up a 16-yard touchdown pass for a 7–0 lead. Braxtyn Green answered with a 21-yard field goal, but a late first-quarter kick put the Panthers up 10–3 and another field goal with twelve seconds left in the half made it 13–10 at the break. The hosts capitalized on a third-quarter fumble at the NCWU 30, punching in a 12-yard score to go up 20–10.

Wesleyan surged early in the fourth. Javier Rice hit Marti McKnight from three yards out (13:11) and, after LaGrange answered on the ground, connected with Michael Pannell for a 63-yard strike (9:58) to pull within 27–24. The Panthers responded with a nine-play, 65-yard march capped by a 9-yard keeper at 4:58, then added a 3-yard TD with 26 seconds left to seal it.

Rice finished 16-of-24 for 166 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Pannell posted seven receptions for 122 yards and a score, and Nahir Seagraves logged 29 carries for 88 yards and a 1-yard TD that capped a 20-play, 75-yard second-quarter drive. Green hit a 21-yard field goal and went 3-for-3 on PATs, adding two punts at a 42.5 average and three touchbacks on kickoffs.

Defensively, Andrew Brown and Maliki Clark shared the team lead with eight total tackles apiece, Solomon Young snagged a fourth-quarter interception and returned it nineteen yards, and Aarmon Randolph recorded a 6-yard sack. The Bishops were 7-for-13 on third down and 2-for-3 on fourth but were hurt by penalties (92 yards) and three lost fumbles.

LaGrange totaled 375 yards (207 rushing), led by Tacaris Bozeman's two rushing scores and quarterback Henry Brodnax, who threw for two TDs and ran for another. The Panthers were 7-for-13 on third down and 5-for-8 in the red zone.

Up Next:
Wesleyan continues USA South play next week against Belhaven back at Vernon T. Bradley, Jr. Stadium for a 12:00 PM kickoff.