Rocky Mount, NC. — North Carolina Wesleyan Football made a statement in its 2026 home opener Saturday afternoon, rolling to a dominant 42-0 victory over Apprentice School at Vernon T. Bradley Jr. Stadium. The Battling Bishops improved to 2-0 on the season while delivering a complete performance on both sides of the ball in their first game in front of the home crowd.
Wesleyan wasted little time setting the tone. Nahjir Seagraves broke free for a 47-yard touchdown run just over two minutes into the game to give the Bishops an early 7-0 advantage. Quarterback Braden Selvage then connected with Jimmie West III for a 10-yard touchdown later in the opening quarter, sending Wesleyan into the second period with a 14-0 lead.
The offense continued to control the game in the second quarter. Selvage found West III again, this time for a 31-yard touchdown on fourth down, before the quarterback used his legs for a 12-yard score with 2:32 remaining in the half. The pair of touchdowns gave North Carolina Wesleyan a commanding 28-0 advantage heading into halftime.
North Carolina Wesleyan continued to pull away in the third quarter before the defense put an exclamation point on the afternoon. With 4:19 remaining in the period, Josiah Thomas forced a fumble that Tyquan Richardson-Battle recovered and returned 16 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 42-0.
Selvage was efficient throughout the afternoon, completing 11 of 12 passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns while also adding a rushing score. Jack Pearson completed all three of his attempts for 63 yards as the Bishops finished 14-of-15 passing for 209 yards.
Seagraves led the rushing attack with 105 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, averaging 8.1 yards per attempt. West III was the top target in the passing game, hauling in six receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns, while Tyson Resper added five catches for 61 yards.
The Wesleyan defense was equally impressive, holding Apprentice to just 141 yards of total offense and keeping the Builders off the scoreboard for the entire afternoon. The Bishops forced four turnovers, intercepted two passes and recorded three sacks while limiting Apprentice to just 59 passing yards. North Carolina Wesleyan finished the game with 425 yards of total offense, including 216 on the ground.
Aarmon Randolph and Richardson-Battle led the defense with six tackles apiece. Randolph added 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack, while Richardson-Battle capped his afternoon with the defensive touchdown. Jayden Courtney and Cedric Somme each recorded an interception as Wesleyan's defense turned in a shutout performance in the home opener.
The 42-0 victory gave the Battling Bishops a memorable start to their 2026 home slate and moved North Carolina Wesleyan to 2-0.
