Buena Vista, VA — On a crisp night inside Knight Arena, the Southern Virginia University men's wrestling team opened its home slate against a seasoned Averett squad. The dual unfolded with a series of hard-fought bouts, but ultimately ended in a 41–6 defeat for the Knights.
From the opening whistle, Averett came out swinging. At 125, Jaton Wellington answered several early shots with escapes and counters, but Averett's pressure eventually overwhelmed him as the Cougars struck first with a technical fall. The momentum carried into 133, where Talon Whicker battled to slow the pace but was forced into another tech fall that stretched the Cougars' lead.
At 141, Porter Kinne stepped onto the mat, battling in the first period which was a tense stalemate, but Kinne broke free in the second, fought off a dangerous headlock, and powered through a takedown. When Averett pushed late, Kinne answered again with a final takedown in the closing seconds, earning an emphatic 8–2 decision.
Averett regained control with a string of tough bouts at 149, 157, 165, and 174, capitalizing on scrambles and transition points to widen the gap. Still, the Knights never stopped fighting.
The dual's second standout moment emerged at 184, where Harrison Hoopes delivered another win. After a gritty, scoreless first period, Hoopes was forced to play from behind but dug in, and powered through a three-point takedown, and clawed back into the lead. When Averett equalized late, Hoopes rose again, escaping in the final fifteen seconds to seal a 5–4 victory.
The Cougars closed out the final weights, using their depth and experience to secure back-to-back major decisions at 197 and heavyweight. Marc Richardson, the Knights' anchor at 285, fought through a physical three-period battle before falling in a tough major decision to finish the night.
The Knights continue to lay the foundation for their ODAC campaign and take a break before returning in December and turn their focus to another key conference test, hosting Shenandoah University on Wednesday, December 10th at 7:00 PM in the Knight Arena.
For the most up-to-date information on Southern Virginia University wrestling, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_wrestling on Instagram.
