FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Senior Landon Cheviron's 30-yard field goal as time expired lifted Methodist to a 38-35 win over N.C. Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon at Monarch Stadium.
 
Cheviron's game-winning field goal capped a wild Senior Day for the Monarchs in which all five MU touchdowns were scored by seniors playing their final games. N.C. Wesleyan had rallied from a 28-7 deficit to assume a 35-28 lead in the fourth quarter before MU's seniors led a late rally.
 
Methodist raced out to the aforementioned three-score lead behind a pair of senior receivers and on the strength of E'Montie Dears. Jay Robinson opened the scoring with an 18-yard reception from Steve Keoni at the 12:19 mark of the first quarter. Dears made it 14-0 on a one-yard run at the 6:09 mark.
 
Trey Lancaster's 3-yard scoring reception early in the second quarter put the score at 14-7, before Dears ripped off a 22-yard touchdown scamper at the 9:58 mark to make it 21-7. With 1:52 left in the first half, Keoni found Dylan Cummings from three yards out as MU's lead swelled to 28-7.
 
The Battling Bishops quickly marched 67 yards in eight plays and Brandon Thompson plunged in from four yards out with six second left in the half to make it 28-14. NCWC had a chance to add to their total just before the half after recovering a fumble deep in MU territory on the ensuing kickoff, but a 43-yard field goal as time expired was no good.
 
The Bishops came roaring back in the second half, scoring the first 21 points of the period to pull ahead 35-28 by the 10:06 mark of the fourth quarter. Adrian Minondo scored on a pair of 2-yard runs, and Darian Curley added a one-yard plunge. Curley's score came after NCWC had converted a 4th-and-10 with a 23-yard completion to MU's two yard line.
 
Facing their first deficit of the contest, the Monarchs were forced to punt on their next possession before returning the favor to the Bishops.
 
Gaining possession at their own 45-yard line, the Monarchs used seven plays to cover 55 yards and tied the game a t 35-35 on Robinson's second TD reception of the game, a 19-yarder on virtually the same play as his first score, with 4:11 to play.
 
A personal foul on the Bishops following the MU touchdown allowed the Monarchs to kick off from midfield but Dupre Fields managed to gain 12 yards out to the 23-yard line following a short kickoff from Cheviron.
 
N.C. Wesleyan advanced to the MU 30-yard line, but following a Bishop timeout, Thompson's third-down pass was intercepted by Dennis Livers at the 12-yard line and following a 48-yard return MU took over at the NCWC 40-yard line with 1:33 to play. Dears carried for 24 yards on first down, and following two carries for negligible gains, Cheviron came on for the game-winner with five seconds on the clock.
 
Dears finished with an even 100 yards on 27 carries with a pair of scores. Keoni completed 19 of 31 passes for 214 yards with three touchdowns and one pick. Cummings caught 10 passes for 87 yards to lead the receiving corps, while also carrying once for 18 yards.
 
Defensively, Roderic Christian led MU with 12 total tackles, including one for loss. Gerrod Nobles, Livers, Will England and Demontre Wright all had seven tackles. England added a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery. Nathan Jones broke up three passes while chipping in four tackles.

Curley led the Bishops with 55 yards on 20 carries, while Thompson completed 19 of 32 passes for 233 yards with a touchdown. Trey Lancast hauled in seven passes for 98 yards.
 
 Antonio Jackson had 12 tackles and a sack for the Bishops' defense. Anthony Janezic added eight stops, including 1.5 for loss.