The University of Chattanooga at Tennessee's wrestling team will conclude its home slate this weekend. The Blue and Gold host VMI and Presbyterian on Sunday, Feb. 13. The Keydets and the Mocs will compete at 1 p.m. and the Presbyterian dual is slated for 3 p.m. UTC will recognize the six members of its senior class in between the matches. 

Chattanooga is 5-10 overall and 3-2 in the Southern Conference this season. The Mocs are coming off of a 29-11 victory over The Citadel and a narrow 18-16 setback to league-leading Appalachian State. 

VMI is 3-8 overall this season with two of its wins coming in SoCon duals... they are 2-3 in league matches. Recently they defeated Bellarmine (29-10) and Presbyterian (28-18) before falling to Campbell (40-0) last weekend. Last night, VMI lost its final home dual of the season, 23-12 to Davidson. 

Presbyterian is 1-5 this season in five duals and is 1-3 in conference competition after suffering a narrow 19-18 defeat to Bellarmine last night. The Blue Hose's lone victory of the year came on Dec. 8 with a 37-7 win over Truett McConnell. Presbyterian have suffered losses to Duke (30-7), VMI (28-18) and Campbell (33-3). 

SERIES HISTORY
UTC is 1-0 against Presbyterian in program history. In the only dual between the two teams (Jan. 31, 2021) Chattanooga won 43- (-1). The Blue Hose were given a misconduct penalty causing the negative point. 

The Mocs are 31-6 all-time against VMI. Last year, on Jan. 23, the Mocs defeated the Keydets 36-3. Chattanooga has won the last 18 duals dating back to Feb. 22, 2003. 

UTC'S PROBABLE LINEUP
125: No. 22 Fabian Gutierrez 
133: No. 19 Brayden Palmer
141: Franco Valdes
149: Noah Castillo/Grant Lundy
157: Weston Wichman/Lincoln Heck
165: Drew Nicholson
174: Carial Tarter
184: Thomas Sell
197: Matthew Waddell
285: Matthias Ervin/Grayson Walthall

*Rankings are Intermat - Feb. 7

SCOUTING THE MOCS
Chattanooga is 3-2 in league action with two and a half weeks left in the regular season. The Mocs will conclude SoCon competition next Friday at Bellarmine before traveling to Indiana for the regular season finale on Feb. 20. 

Last weekend, five Mocs picked up wins against both The Citadel and Appalachian State. Fabian Gutierrez kept his No. 22 ranking (Intermat) with a pin against the Bulldogs and followed that up with a 5-3 decision over App State's No. 24 Caleb Smith. Brayden Palmer moved up three spots in the rankings with two narrow decisions. The biggest came with five seconds remaining as the 133-pounder logged a takedown with five seconds left in the third period to defeat No. 28 Codi Russell.

Drew Nicholson (165) was the other Moc to record a ranked win. He recorded a major decision against The Citadel and followed that up with a 4-2 sudden victory decision over No. 20 William Formato.
Thomas Sell (184) and Matthew Waddell (197) rounded out the handful of Mocs to record two victories last weekend. Waddell was dominant at 197, posting a major decision and a pin. 

CELEBRATE THE SENIORS!
In between Sunday's two matches, Chattanooga will honor six seniors: George Coleman, Gutierrez, Colton Landers, Valdes, Waddell and Grayson Walthall. 

NICHOLSON NAMED SOCON WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Drew Nicholson's 2-0 weekend earned him SoCon Wrestler of the Week honors. The 165-pounder began the weekend handing Porter his first loss in a league dual this season and his first loss in a dual since Dec. 19. Nicholson continued the weekend with a ranked win over Formato... his first ranked win of the season. It was Formato's first loss in dual competition this season and his first loss since losing in the third-place match at the Southern Scuffle on Jan. 2. Nicholson's decision over Formato is Formato's first setback in the SoCon regular season since Feb. 13, 2020. 

Nicholson became the second Moc in as many weeks to take home the honor after Gutierrez won the award last week. 

SOCON PRESEASON POLL
Chattanooga was picked to finish third in the Southern Conference race with 50 points. The Mocs went 6-2 in the conference last year, finishing with an 8-4 record overall. Appalachian State received six first-place votes and 61 points to top the 2020-21 preseason poll. Campbell was second with 59 votes.  Gardner-Webb (39), The Citadel (38), VMI (27), Davidson (24), Bellarmine (13) and Presbyterian (12) rounded out the listings.

VMI'S PROBABLES
125 Chicella (0-11)
133 Maglathlin (1-2)
141 Junko (7-15)
149 Hart (4-16)
157 Fillers (3-6)
165 Showers (5-5) or Carroll (0-7)
174 Hoover (6-15)
184 Gourley (4-6)
197 Mousaw (10-6) or Dolph (5-11)
285 Evans (3-14)

LAST TIME VS. VMI - Jan. 23, 2021 
UTC 36, VMI 3 
125: No. 21 Fabian Gutierrez (UTC) fall over Cliff Conway (VMI), 4:33
133: Colton Landers (UTC) tech. fall over Luke Fegley (VMI), 17-0, (5:16)
141: Franco Valdes (UTC) maj. dec. over Freddy Junko (VMI), 12-3
149: Aidan Murphy (UTC) dec. over Job Chisko (VMI), 4-0
157: Weston Wichman (UTC) dec. over Seth Fillers (VMI), 4-0
165: Drew Nicholson (UTC) maj. dec. over Jon Hoover (VMI), 8-0
174: Carial Tarter (UTC) dec. over Joel Diaz (VMI), 6-2
184: Matthew Waddell (UTC) dec. over Chase Mielnik (VMI), 14-7
197: Tyler Mousaw (VMI) dec. over Logan Andrew (UTC), 3-2
285: Grayson Walthall (UTC) fall over Soloman Harris (VMI), 3:56

HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS
141: Valdes is 2-0 vs. Junko. One DEC and one MD
157: Wichman is 1-0 vs. Fillers. W, 4-0 DEC on Jan. 23, 2021

PRESBYTERIAN PROBABLES
125: Gomez: 1-1 or Brasseur: 4-6
133: Chavez: 9-7
141: Brinkley: 2-8
149 :Ramirez: 2-5
157: Spell: 9-8
165: Phillips: 1-2
174: Goering: 0-4
184: Bertrand: 13-7
197: Wiley: 1-6
285: Pontoon: 6-6

LAST TIME VS. PERSYTERIAN
UTC 43, PC (-1) - JAN 31, 2021
125: Fabian Gutierrez (UTC) over Benny Gomez (PC) (Dec 4-3)
133: Colton Landers (UTC) over Dominic Chavez (PC) (MD 13-4)
141: Franco Valdes (UTC) over Jacob Brasseur (PC) (Dec 6-3)
149: Aidan Murphy (UTC) over Reid Stewart (PC) (Dec 3-2)
157: Weston Wichman (UTC) over Zachary Phillips (PC) (Dec 7-3)
165: Andrew Nicholson (UTC) over Bryton Goering (PC) (TF 21-5 6:53)
174: Carial Tarter (UTC) over Victor tello (PC) (Fall 6:27)
184: Matthew Waddell (UTC) over (PC) (For.)
197: Logan Andrew (UTC) over (PC) (For.)
285: Grayson Walthall (UTC) over Will Pontoon (PC) (MD 13-1)
(PC Misconduct at 125 -1.0)

HEAD TO HEAD RESULTS
285: Walthall is 1-0 vs. Pontoon. W - MD, 13-1 on Jan. 31, 2021