FAYETTEVILLE – Braylon Knapp threw four touchdown passes and N.C. Wesleyan scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter to pull away from Methodist 48-17 at Monarch Stadium on Saturday.

The Bishops improved to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in conference play, while the Monarchs fell to 1-7 and 0-5.

Knapp completed 9 of 16 passes for 183 yards without an interception, connecting with four different receivers for scores. Michael Pannell caught two of those touchdowns and returned a punt 61 yards for another score, finishing with five receptions for 84 yards.

N.C. Wesleyan needed more than six minutes to find the end zone on its opening possession, capping a 13-play, 77-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Knapp to Tyson Resper. The Bishops added two more scores in a span of 40 seconds late in the first half. Knapp found Sean Cartwright for a 66-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0, then Pannell took a punt back for a score on the ensuing possession to extend the lead to 21-0.

Methodist responded immediately with a 40-yard touchdown run by CJ Ferguson, cutting the deficit to 21-7 with 7:26 remaining in the second quarter. The Monarchs added a 22-yard field goal from Ethan Emery before halftime to pull within 21-10.

The third quarter featured another explosive offensive stretch from N.C. Wesleyan. After Ferguson scored on a 14-yard run to make it 27-17, the Bishops answered with a five-play, 72-yard drive that took less than three minutes. Knapp connected with Pannell for a 55-yard touchdown pass to push the advantage back to 34-17.

Nahji Seagraves carried the ball 21 times for 100 yards and a touchdown for the Bishops. His 1-yard scoring run early in the fourth quarter made it 41-17. Seagraves had rushes of 25 and 13 yards during N.C. Wesleyan's ground attack.

The game's final touchdown came on defense. Savon McKeithan intercepted a Kolbe Little pass at the N.C. Wesleyan 20-yard line and returned it 80 yards for a score with 5:54 remaining to set the final margin.

Ferguson led Methodist's rushing attack with 18 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Little completed 14 of 27 passes for 147 yards with one interception. Bryson Ausby caught three passes for 30 yards and returned six kickoffs for 163 yards.

N.C. Wesleyan controlled possession for just 23:46 compared to Methodist's 36:14, but the Bishops made the most of their opportunities. They converted 5 of 9 third-down attempts and scored on all three of their red zone possessions. Methodist went 5 of 15 on third down and managed just two scores in four red zone trips.

The Bishops averaged 6.9 yards per play compared to 5.0 for the Monarchs. Knapp averaged 20.3 yards per completion, while Little averaged 10.5. N.C. Wesleyan's special teams provided a significant advantage, with Braxtyn Green averaging 45.2 yards per punt with two kicks inside the 20-yard line. Methodist's Kenneth Schoene averaged 30.0 yards per punt.

Mathias Winston led the Bishops' defense with 10 tackles, while Eric Cooper added seven tackles and forced a fumble. Lavar Williams recorded N.C. Wesleyan's only sack, a 5-yard loss in the first quarter.

Top Performers

N.C. Wesleyan:

• Braylon Knapp: 9-16 passing, 183 yards, 4 TDs
• Michael Pannell: 5 receptions, 84 yards, 2 TDs; 1 punt return TD
• Nahji Seagraves: 21 rushes, 100 yards, 1 TD
• Savon McKeithan: 80-yard interception return for TD

Methodist:

• CJ Ferguson: 18 rushes, 112 yards, 2 TDs
• Kolbe Little: 14-27 passing, 147 yards, 1 INT
• Bryson Ausby: 6 kickoff returns, 163 yards

ROCKY MOUNT – The NC Wesleyan Battling Bishops held off a late surge from the Methodist Monarchs to secure a 19-17 victory in a closely contested matchup that showcased contrasting offensive styles.

NC Wesleyan’s big-play offense proved decisive, with quarterback Chaz Hirschman connecting on touchdown passes of 65 and 27 yards to Anthony Byrd and Christian Drumgoole, respectively. Despite attempting fewer passes, Hirschman averaged 12.5 yards per attempt compared to Methodist quarterback Brennan Brucato’s 6.2, finishing with 225 passing yards on just 10 completions.

The Bishops struck quickly in their opening drive, as Hirschman found Byrd for a 65-yard touchdown pass just 62 seconds into the game. Methodist responded in the second quarter with a 23-yard field goal by Samuel Andrae, cutting the deficit to 6-3 at halftime.

The third quarter saw an explosion of scoring from both teams. Byrd, who finished with 150 rushing yards on 22 carries, extended NC Wesleyan’s lead with an 8-yard touchdown run. Methodist answered when Sajari Love scored on a 12-yard run, bringing the score to 13-10. Drumgoole’s 27-yard touchdown reception pushed the Bishops’ advantage back to nine points.

In the fourth quarter, Methodist mounted a comeback attempt. Brucato connected with Love for a 7-yard touchdown pass with 1:32 remaining, but the Bishops managed to run out the clock on their final possession.

Despite the loss, Methodist dominated time of possession, holding the ball for nearly 34 minutes compared to NC Wesleyan’s 26. The Monarchs ran 76 plays to the Bishops’ 59 but averaged less yardage per play (4.8 to 6.9).

Methodist’s balanced offensive approach resulted in 361 total yards, with Brucato completing 18 of 33 passes for 203 yards and the late touchdown. Love led the Monarchs’ ground game with 71 yards on 15 carries and added 83 receiving yards on six catches.

Drumgoole was Hirschman’s primary target, catching five passes for 92 yards. The Bishops accumulated 407 total yards, with 182 coming on the ground and 225 through the air.

Defensively, Methodist’s Omar Goodwin led all tacklers with 10, including one tackle for loss. The Monarchs recorded two sacks on Hirschman, while the Bishops brought down Brucato once.

Penalties played a significant role in the contest, with NC Wesleyan flagged 13 times for 139 yards, nearly double Methodist’s 8 penalties for 65 yards.

Both teams struggled in key situations. Methodist converted 8 of 18 third downs but failed on their lone fourth-down attempt. NC Wesleyan managed just 3 conversions on 11 third-down attempts.

In the kicking game, Methodist’s Kenneth Schoene averaged 37.6 yards on five punts, while NC Wesleyan’s Braxtyn Green averaged 28.8 yards on four attempts. Green missed an extra point attempt that could have proved costly in the close finish.

Up Next

Both teams are at home in USA South conference action as NC Wesleyan (1-4, 1-2) hosts LaGrange at Vernon T. Bradley, Jr. Stadium while Methodist (1-4, 1-2) invites Huntingdon to Monarch Stadium in Fayetteville.