FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist football team fell to Brevard, 41-17, on Saturday afternoon at Monarch Stadium.
 
O'Shay Carter threw for 193 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Tornados (3-4), while the Brevard defense limited MU to 318 yards of total offense and sacked Methodist (1-5) quarterback Steve Keoni seven times. Despite the seven sacks, Keoni threw for 197 yards on 22 of 38 passing for 197 yards. E'Montie Dears picked up 91 yards on the ground on 19 carries for the Monarchs.
 
Brevard scored the first 14 points of the contest to take a two-score lead after the first quarter. Tyler Gregory, a tight end, lined up as quarterback in a Wildcat formation and scored on a four-yard run for the first score, and Bubba Craven hauled in a 16-yard pass from Carter to make it 14-0.
 
Landon Cheviron capped a 16-play, 66-yard drive with a 31-yard field goal on the first possession of the third quarter to make it 14-3. On the Tornados ensuing drive, Brevard advanced to the MU 30 yard line before Carter was picked off by Carlos McCracken at the seven to thwart the drive. The Monarchs took 13 plays to get all the way to the Brevard 32 yard line before BC's Samuel Brown picked off Keoni at the five. Brown returned the interception 95 yards for a would-be touchdown, but an illegal block penalty on the Tornados brought the ball all the way back to their own 23.
 
Brevard used up the final 2:01 of the first half to advance the ball 64 yards and close out the half with a 30-yard field goal by Joseph Calhoun.
 
The Tornados capped a four-play, 77-yard drive with a Carter-to-Craven connection of 58 yards to make it 24-3 in favor of the visitors.
 
A marathon 12-play, 91-yard drive by the Monarchs that spanned the third and fourth quarters resulted in a 26-yard touchdown reception by Dylan Cummings that made it 24-10 with 12:30 to play.
 
However, Xavier Brown returned the ensuing kickoff 76 yards to make it 31-10 and restore a three-score lead for Brevard.
 
Keoni found Josh Carter for a 25-yard scoring play on MU's next drive to make it 31-17, but the Tornados answered once more, capping a 68-yard drive with a 27-yard scoring run by Nazayah Brown for a 38-17 lead with 5:30 left to play. Calhoun ended the day's scoring with a 25-yard field goal at the 1:45 mark.
 
As a team, Brevard totaled 447 yards of offense, including 254 on the ground, and was 6 of 12 on third down. The Monarchs were 4 of 4 on fourth down.
 
Cummings led the MU receiving corps, setting a new career high in receiving yards, for the second time in as many weeks, with 105 yards on nine grabs. Defensively, the Monarchs were led by McCracken's six tackles and an interception. Devonte White added six tackles, while EJ White chipped in four stops and a pick as well.
 
Jarkevius Hopkins led BC with 96 yards rushing on 13 carries. Brown added 71 yards on six carries with a touchdown. Craven had 117 yards receiving on six catches with a pair of scores.
 
Jinsly Jhon totaled eight tackles to lead the Tornados. Jonathan Tucker had seven stops with a sack, and Wesley Ross added six stops with a sack. Eddie Slye posted two sacks, and Axel Easter added 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
 
Methodist is at Maryville next week beginning at 2 pm.