Rocky Mount, NC. — North Carolina Wesleyan Football showed plenty of fight in front of its Homecoming crowd Saturday afternoon, battling back from an early deficit before falling 41-31 to LaGrange at Vernon T. Bradley Stadium. The Battling Bishops continued to answer throughout the afternoon, scoring 31 points and finishing with 391 yards of total offense in their USA South opener.
After LaGrange jumped out to a 21-0 advantage in the opening quarter, Wesleyan responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive to get on the board. Braden Selvage connected with Jimmie West III for a 28-yard touchdown with 3:56 remaining in the first, giving the Homecoming crowd something to rally behind and cutting the deficit to 21-7.
The Bishops continued to battle in the second quarter. After LaGrange extended its lead, Wesleyan answered with an 88-yard scoring drive highlighted by a 70-yard connection between Selvage and Tyson Resper. Selvage finished the possession with a four-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Fay, bringing the Bishops within 28-14.
Wesleyan found the end zone again before halftime. Selvage moved the Bishops 75 yards on eight plays before finding Damarion Lee for a 10-yard touchdown with 2:57 remaining in the second quarter. The score marked Wesleyan's third touchdown drive of at least 75 yards in the first half and sent the Bishops into the break trailing 38-21.
North Carolina Wesleyan continued to chip away after halftime. The Bishops put together a 13-play, 73-yard drive that consumed more than six minutes, with Jorge Hernandez-Lara converting a 27-yard field goal to make it 38-24 midway through the third quarter.
The Bishops kept fighting into the fourth quarter. Wesleyan marched 75 yards on 10 plays, and Selvage connected with Resper for a 25-yard touchdown with 13:20 remaining. Hernandez-Lara added the extra point to bring Wesleyan within 10 at 41-31.
Selvage put together a strong afternoon through the air, completing 21 of 37 passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns. Resper delivered a standout performance, hauling in 12 receptions for 238 yards and a touchdown, including a 70-yard reception. West III, Lee and Fay also each caught touchdown passes as the Bishops produced four passing scores on the day.
Karlen McEntyre led Wesleyan's rushing attack with 58 yards on 20 carries, while Robert Wayne Trip III added 25 yards on two attempts. The Bishops finished with 318 passing yards and 391 yards of total offense while holding a 31:02 to 28:58 advantage in time of possession.
Defensively, Tyquan Richardson-Battle and Daviaus Johnson led North Carolina Wesleyan with eight tackles apiece, while Justin Thompson added six. Cedric Somme finished with five tackles and a pass breakup as the Bishops continued to battle throughout the afternoon.
Despite facing an early three-score deficit, North Carolina Wesleyan never went away on Homecoming, responding with four touchdown drives and a field goal while continuing to battle into the fourth quarter in front of the home crowd.
