CORBIN, Ky. — The Montreat College men's wrestling team opened its 2026-27 season on Saturday by sending 19 of its student-athletes to Corbin, Ky. for the annual Pepsi Patriot Open. With seven Cavaliers competing in the open bracket and 12 Cavs participating in the freshman/sophomore bracket, Montreat racked up 25 individual wins and two placements.
No. 13-ranked
Boedi Kirkland delivered the Cavaliers' top finish in the open bracket, winning all three of his contested bouts en route to a sixth-place showing in the 149-pound division. After receiving a bye in the first round, Kirkland rattled off a trio of major decisions. The sophomore started with a 13-1 triumph before registering a 14-0 shutout. In the quarterfinals, Kirkland notched a 19-9 victory. The Catawba, N.C., native recorded a medical forfeit across his final three scheduled matches, officially ending the day with a 3-1 record and sixth place overall.
Jaylen Bethea picked up the most wins of any Cav on Saturday. Also earning a first-round bye, Bethea dropped an 8-3 decision to the No. 18-ranked wrestler at 141. The newcomer then triumphed in five consecutive bouts. Back-to-back tech falls, the first 19-4 and the second 19-3, started his run. Bethea pulled off a 3-2 decision victory in the fourth consolation round prior to wins via forfeit and decision. Hitting his max of six bouts, Bethea's performance concluded with a no contest and a 5-1 record.
Kane Bryson (2-2),
Sam Gosnell (1-2),
Louis Mehaffey (1-2) and
Tafari Parker (1-2) grabbed wins in the open bracket as well. Participating in the 125-pound division, No. 16-ranked Bryson balanced a pair of close decision defeats with a pin and a decision triumph of his own. Gosnell claimed his initial bout at 125 thanks to a 12-2 major decision before losing 4-1 and 7-0 in the consolation rounds. Mehaffey and Parker also seized their first matchups at 133 and 285, respectively. The former triumphed 9-6 prior to dropping a pair of tech falls. Meanwhile, the latter pinned his initial foe in advance of losing to the third-place finisher via 9-4 decision. Parker wrapped up his tournament with a 12-4 major decision defeat.
Donovan Cavender earned the best finish of the night, placing fourth at 184 in the freshman/sophomore bracket. Beginning with a bye, Cavender quickly progressed with an 18-2 tech fall in the second round and a 7-6 quarterfinal win over the No. 24-ranked wrestler. Falling in his semifinal battle, 9-2, the Gastonia, N.C., native responded with a 12-4 major decision. Cavender ultimately lost the third-place match via pin, but his 3-2 record still sealed fourth place.
Alex Lopez and
Levi Early also grabbed multiple victories in their Cavalier debuts. The former went 3-2 at 133, winning in three different fashions: pin, major decision and forfeit. The latter snagged a pair of decisions to go 2-2 in the 174-pound division.
Four Montreat wrestlers went 1-2 in the freshman/sophomore bracket.
Craig Theus recorded a 17-2 tech fall triumph at 141,
Landon Morrison won via pin at 149,
Diego Rosas-Ruiz registered a 9-2 victory at 197 and
Aiden Frank delivered a 10-3 win at 285.
"We came here with a different mission than last year," said Head Coach
Jim Connaghan. "We wanted to back up the statements and accomplishments we made last year, and we're off to a good start in that sense."
For a complete look at results from the Pepsi Patriot Open, click
here.
The Montreat College men's wrestling team hosts WVU Tech for its home and Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) opener on Thursday, Nov. 5. Bouts are set to begin at 7 p.m. inside McAlister Gymnasium in Montreat, N.C.
