Wrestling falls at Cumberlands despite pair of ranked upsets

LEBANON, Tenn. - Midway wrestlers earned a pair of wins against nationally ranked opponents, but No. 9 Cumberlands (Tenn.) ultimately had too much depth as the Phoenix topped the Eagles 34-9 in a dual on Thursday.

Arguably the highlight of the night for the Eagles came in the 184-pound weight class, where Noah Barclay made a major splash in his first match of the 2023-24 season, upsetting 19th-ranked Rocco Horvath 8-7.

After a scoreless first period, Barclay went on a scoring flurry to take a 6-3 lead going into the third. He held a three-point lead until Horvath executed a three-point takedown to tie the match at seven with less than a minute to go.

But Barclay was able to counter with a one-point escape, then held off an aggressive Horvath attack in the closing seconds to earn the upset.

The only match of the night to feature two ranked opponents lived up to the billing, with 16th-ranked Kyler Adams winning a 6-5 thriller over No. 8 Jared Dinh.

Adams took his first lead at 5-4 with a three-point takedown with just over a minute remaining, then countered a Dinh escape in the closing seconds to capture the win.

Midway's other ranked competitor was also victorious, as No. 18 heavyweight Byron Pierce broke a scoreless tie early in the second period and maintained control throughout the rest of his 6-0 victory over Evan Huling.

The Eagles will be back on the road Saturday when they travel to St. Louis for the Spartan Invite, hosted by Missouri Baptist. Competition begins at 9 a.m.

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