Midway, KY – The 12th-ranked Patriots opened Mid-South Conference action in dominant fashion Friday evening, winning eight out of ten bouts to defeat Midway 33-8 inside Hunter Field House. Cumberlands tallied two falls, one tech fall, a major decision, and five decisions to move to 1-0 on the season.   

The dual began at 125, where Tristan Bryant put UC on the board with a 7-1 decision over Zach Lewis (Midway). The junior controlled the pace from the start, scoring a first-period takedown and adding another 3-point takedown with an escape to earn three team points. 

Midway picked up its only win of the night at 133, as Logan Brown earned a tech fall over Drew Waldon. However, UC quickly responded at 141, where #12 Eli Peyton notched the Patriots first bonus-point win of the dual with a first-period fall over Rowdy Benner (Midway) at the 1:25 mark to give UC a 9-5 lead. 

Yaveion Freeman followed at 149 with a 6-5 decision over Nolan Jones (Midway). Freeman scored all of his points in the third period with a 3-point takedown, a 2-point reversal, and an escape to extend the Patriots lead. 

At 157, Nathan Marquez delivered a dominant performance with an 18-3 tech fall over Chris Begley (Midway), ending the match in 5:57. 

#7 Malachia Harris added to the tally at 165, earning an 8-4 decision over Aidan Karpinski (Midway). Harris scored two 3-point takedowns and two on penalties to keep full control throughout the match. 

The Pats extended their lead further at 174 as #12 Weston Melvin wasted no time, pinning Michael Colligan (Midway) in just 1:09. Melvin's fall gave Cumberlands a commanding 26-5 edge. 

Midway's final points came at 184, where Sebastian Hutchinson edged Jackson Shramek in a 4-1 decision. From there, the Patriots closed the door with two more wins. 

Greyson Stevens earned a 5-0 decision at 197 over Ernst Lavaud Jr. (Midway), scoring a 3-point takedown, escape, and riding time point to control the bout. 

Heavyweight #9 Austin Silva capped the night with a 17-8 major decision over #24 Aaron Garcia (Midway). Silva racked up five 3-point takedowns, an escape, and riding time to close out the dual with four more team points. 

The Patriots return to the mat Saturday, November 15th, as they head to Des Moines, IA for the Grand View Open. Matches are set to begin at 10 a.m. ET.  

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