SIGNATURE WIN: There is a lot to unpack in the 48-34 win against Huntingdon on September 29. With the Monarchs running away with the victory, this win might have been one of the most memorable games in program history. At the very least, it was historic and record-breaking. In the game, Vontre Howard started his USA South Offensive Player of the Year campaign, rushing for a Methodist single-game record of 248 yards. His performance earned him not only the USA South's Offensive Player of the Week award, but also a nod by D3football.com, which named Howard to its national team of the week. His 95-yard touchdown gallop on Methodist's initial third-quarter possession was game-defining and electric, and later showcased by the USA South as one of its top football plays of the week. As a team, the Monarchs broke the single-game rushing record with 471 yards. The record Howard broke had been in place for 19 years, and the team record had stood even longer, at 24 years. To make the win even sweeter, Methodist managed to do all of this against three-time defending conference champion Huntingdon, which had been 20-1 in conference play over the previous three seasons.

SEASON NOTES: After breaking the program's record for most rushing yards in a game, Howard went on to break the program's record for rushing yards in a season: 1,335 yards. He led the conference in rushing yards, finishing 14th nationally, and was second in the league in rushing touchdowns with 10. His 148.1 yards per game was eighth best amongst his Division III peers … Howard's running-mate, Nick Baker, finished third in the conference in rushing touchdowns with eight … Methodist's average of 232.8 rushing yards per game was 30th in the nation … Through the air, quarterback Steve Keoni excelled, finishing third in the conference in passing yards per game with 167.4. He had 12 touchdowns to 10 interceptions and his favorite target, Josh Carter, had 54 receptions for 641 yards, and eight total touchdowns (six receiving touchdowns). All those receiver numbers were good for third in the conference. On defense, the Monarchs were led by Nate Jones. Jones had a team-high 73 tackles and two interceptions with seven pass breakups.

POST-SEASON AWARDS:

• USA South Offensive Player of the Year: Vontre Howard
• USA South All-Conference: Howard, DJ Twitty (first team); Josh Carter, Traven Johnson, Nate Jones (second team)
• USA South All-Sportsmanship Team: John Strahl

LOOKING AHEAD: While head coach Keven Williams will surely be lamenting the losses of top offensive linemen Twitty and Johnson, as well as two players on the defensive front seven -- Teddy Wilkerson and Nick Wade -- there is still a lot to be cheerful for looking forward. Howard returns to build on his historic junior season. And Keoni will enter the season with the possibility of having an even better receiving corps with a healthy Xzavier McNeil and the trio of Vic Woods, Kobe Praylow, and Troy Chavis who saw a lot of time on the field down the stretch. The freshman defensive duo of Julian Cupo and Justin Santiago should become even more fearsome when paired with the return of sophomores Nate Jones and Khalil Khatib. This was a very young team that saw freshmen contribute everywhere from the offensive line through to the defensive backfield and another year of experience should do wonders.