Monumental upsets are often attributed to biblical grandeur — the story of David and Goliath is used to describe teams that face impossible odds against insuperable opponents. In this case, the metaphorical David dons his singlet, rather than taking up his sling.
Friday night, Virginia wrestling hopes to upend No. 7 Virginia Tech in dual action, an upset that would immediately take on a revered place in Virginia wrestling history. The dual is the final home meet of the season, and the second under the lights at John Paul Jones Arena.
To begin ACC competition, the Cavaliers (9-6, 1-3 ACC) fell at home to then-No. 13 North Carolina 10-25 and then-No. 24 Stanford 9-31. These scores appear disappointing at first glance. However, according to Coach Steve Garland, the team was just a few corrected scoring opportunities from more competitive outcomes.
Garland said he has been working on creating match-specific gameplans and techniques based on film and previous meets. Some of those changes came to fruition last week, when Virginia notched its first ACC win on the road against Duke 28-9.
“These guys have to start making the connections,” Garland said after the Stanford dual. “But again, it was right there … That’s kind of the way the dual went, close but no cigar. We gotta find a way to win those close ones and tighten up our technique.”
The Hokies (8-2, 3-0 ACC) sit at No. 1 in the ACC standings. With six dual wins over ranked teams — including a pair of wins over No. 9 NC State — Virginia Tech has proven its pedigree. The Hokies have not lost since mid-November, when they dropped their first-round and fifth-place duals against No. 9 Minnesota at the National Duals Invitational.
In terms of individual matchups, Virginia Tech is the first team Virginia will face this season with a wrestler ranked in all 10 weight classes. Five of those wrestlers are ranked within the top 15 of their respective weight class — presenting a major challenge for an inconsistent Cavalier squad.
At 174 pounds, No. 27 senior Nick Hamilton is the only Cavalier with a higher ranking than his prospective opponent. Hamilton comes in four spots above Hokie junior Sergio Desiante. Desiante’s win total of 15 more than doubles Hamilton’s seven, though Hamilton’s win percentage remains higher, at 63 percent compared to Desiante’s 60.
At 149 pounds, the Hokies’ senior Caleb Henson — a three-time All-American, two-time ACC Champion and NCAA Champion — has opted to utilize his redshirt and not compete this year. His replacement, true freshman Collin Gaj, has not missed a beat. With a 17-7 record, Gaj is ranked sixth in the nation. Virginia junior Wynton Denkins, a 2025 NCAA qualifier, will look to pull the upset. Denkins previously finished his sophomore season as the No. 30 149-pounder in the NCAA Coaches Rankings.
Virginia’s highest-ranked wrestler is No. 25 senior Keyveon Roller, competing at 125 pounds. Roller is 13-4 on the season, including seven victories in dual action. Similarly, Virginia Tech’s highest-ranked wrestler also comes at the 125-pound weight class in No. 3 senior Eddie Ventresca — a two-time NCAA All-American and ACC Champion. Roller placed third at that same ACC championship meet, featuring a pair of wins over ranked opponents.
Other recent Cavalier standouts looking to try their momentum against the Hokies include sophomore Gable Porter, redshirt freshman Brenan Morgan and graduate student Colton Washleski. Porter and Washleski both notched their 18th wins of the season in last week's dual with Duke, and Morgan’s match at heavyweight was the highlight of the Stanford meet, where he scored his fifth pin of the season over Cardinal junior Luke Duthie.
With wrestling alumni set to return to JPJ to honor former Virginia wrestling coach George Edwards before the meet, there may be enough energy in the building to fuel an upset for the history books. The Cavaliers hold a 5.5-1.5 lead in the Commonwealth Clash across all sports this academic year — the wrestling team hopes to add another magical moment to the rivalry Friday.
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