FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Anticipating season number five of the program's existence, the Presbyterian College men's wrestling program will enact a fresh start and open the door to a new slate on Wednesday evening. Part of the "Battle at Fort Liberty" – a neutral site event that also involves Campbell and Army – the Blue How will go head-to-head with NC State at 7:00 PM.
A never-before-seen-dual with the Wolfpack, tomorrow's contest will be streamed live via UFC Fight Pass. Shane Sparks and David Taylor will have the call as PC looks to begin their pre-SoCon schedule with a bang versus an Atlantic Coast Conference representative.
Accepting the unique invitational, Presbyterian will uncork a new season underneath a lavish setting at Pope Field Hangar. The Battle at Fort Liberty is promoted by Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) in partnership with the U.S. Army on an active military installation.
Responsible for building the men's wrestling roster from the ground up in 2019, head coach
Mark Cody will return 17 athletes this season out of a group of 23. Of those returners, 99 wins were acquired over the course of the previous year, positioning the Blue Hose for a surge up the league ladder over the next four months.
GAMEDAY INFO – WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1
Presbyterian (0-0) vs NC State (0-0)
WHERE: Pope Field Hangar at Fort Liberty (Fayetteville, NC)
WHEN: 7:00 PM
WATCH: UFC Fight Pass
LIVE STATS: Track Wrestling
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
- It will be a mountainous task for Cody's crew in the first of three November dates, facing off against an NC State opponent that accumulated a record of 14-1 last season. Winning their first 10 duals, the Wolfpack averaged 29 points per meet altogether while claiming a W in their final four next to 131 added points.
- On eight different occasions in 2022-23, NC State's adversary was unable to muster double-digits in the overall score. Three separate ranked schools fell to the Wolfpack in the previous campaign, while head coach Pat Popolizio's group posted a 7-0 mark when competing at a neutral venue.
- Boasting a .933 win percentage after notching a similar record of 13-1 in the prior season, NC State has collected 27 total victories in a one-on-one atmosphere over the past couple years. 48 hours after locking horns with the Blue Hose, the Wolfpack will face another SoCon foe in a Friday clash with Appalachian State.
2022-23 RECAP
- Presbyterian closed last season on a high note, achieving their inaugural league victory against Gardner-Webb at Templeton Gymnasium (Feb. 12). Following that result, 125-pounder
Dominic Chavez progressed to a runner-up placement at the SoCon Championships, a mere one match shy of admission to the National Championship bracket.
- Based on that strong finish that went along with a 5-1 conference resume, Chavez was chosen as one of 10 individuals to land a preseason all-league honor, claiming seven dual W's last year overall.
- In the 197-lb. class, junior
Malcolm Wiley rolls into a new year as PC's team-leader in victories from last time out (17), aided by a 10-1 start to the campaign and eight triumphs in a dual backdrop. He garnered a first-place prize at the Citadel Open 12 months ago, going unbeaten at 4-0 in that particular tourney.
