DAVIDSON, N.C. – In a bid to clinch what would have been a three-match winning streak across dual competition, the Presbyterian College men's wrestling team's plans were thwarted by the Wildcats of Davidson on Friday night in the Tar Heel State, ending up on the losing end of a 26-7 result in the 2022-23 Southern Conference opener. The home side published their fourth straight win in the series just two hours after a 42-4 blowout against Queens, claiming back-to-back W's at the Baker Sports Complex while dropping PC to an even 2-2 in head-to-head action.

Despite the defeat, a pair of blossoming Blue Hose grapplers continued their upward surge in the 125 and 184-pound groups, as the junior tandem of Dominic Chavez and Cordel Duhart were the responsible parties to Presbyterian's seven-point evening. However, a six-match streak by either decision or MD during the match's first half granted the Wildcats the 19-point triumph after posting three SoCon victories a year ago.

Seven of the night's 10 standard bouts wrapped up with the winning side earning that claim via decision, as Davidson turned a Chavez-gained 3-0 deficit into a 17-point cushion to circle the W. Chavez, a third-year 125-pounder, has grabbed two personal wins in a row dating back to PC's 41-0 blowout over Truett McConnell in their last showing, effectively bouncing back from an injury at the Princeton Open during the season's first event.

Duhart, meanwhile, continues to impress throughout the fall portion of his debut year donning the blue and white. The Kansas native stayed perfect at 3-0 after an insertion to the lineup nearly one month ago, besting Davidson's Cameo Blankenship by MD, 18-6.

Prior to the official beginning of the conference curtain jerker, second-year 184-pounder David Bertrand earned an exhibition victory against Anthony Spera, another MD result. Trenton Donahue would follow suit with a pinfall win of his own in extra time, the fifth instance having his hand raised on the semester thus far.

Presbyterian's overall win total now sits at 57 (with 26 of those coming in dual play), although still unable to grasp a coveted team win against their northern foe since the program's start in 2019. The full list of results from Friday's affair can be found below:
 
RESULTS
125 – Dominic Chavez (PC) def. Hale Robinson (Davidson) by Dec., 5-2, 3-0 PC
133 – Jackson Sichelstiel (Davidson) def. Jacob Brasseur (PC) by Dec., 5-1, 3-3 Tie
141 – Joshua Viarengo (Davidson) def. Trenton Donahue (PC) by Dec., 5-3, 6-3 Davidson
149 – Noah Frack (Davidson) def. Khalid Brinkley (PC) by Dec., 8-2, 9-3 Davidson
157 – Marc Koch (Davidson) def. Michael Ramirez (PC) by MD, 9-1, 13-3 Davidson
165 – Bryce Sanderlin (Davidson) def. Tyler Chittum (PC) by MD, 14-3, 17-3 Davidson
174 – Jaden Hardrick (Davidson) def. Zach Wells (PC) by Dec., 3-2, 20-3 Davidson
184 – Cordel Duhart (PC) def. Cameo Blankenship (Davidson) by MD, 18-6, 20-7 Davidson
197 – Gavin Henry (Davidson) def. Malcolm Wiley (PC) by Dec., 4-1, 23-7 Davidson
285 – Jake Fernicola (Davidson) def. Morvens Saint Jean (PC) by Dec., 5-0, 26-7 Davidson
 
EXHIBITION
Trenton Donahue (PC) def. Matthew McLaughlin (Davidson) by Fall, 5:00
David Bertrand (PC) def. Anthony Spera (Davidson) by MD, 15-5
Noah Burstein (Davidson) def. Trenton Dominguez (PC) by Fall, 2:44
Daniel Yetsick (Davidson) def. Joshua Williams (PC) by Fall, 2:52
 
UP NEXT
Hoping to regroup from the SoCon starter with a high-profile tri-meet on tap next week, the Blue Hose will take a quick nonconference detour on December 21 which will serve as the long-awaited Templeton Center debut for the 2022-23 squad after six straight dates away from home. Director Mark Cody's unit will take on both the Duke Blue Devils and George Mason Patriots in Clinton one after the other, starting at approximately 2:00.

The Blue Hose will battle both clubs for the first time ever from their own backyard in what will be the final contest of the calendar year and second-to-last dual before it's all SoCon territory the rest of the way. PC's two visitors next Wednesday currently hold a combined record of 7-3, with GMU looking to improve to 6-0 by facing American University in 48 hours.