Brevard continues to assert itself as the top Division III football team in the Old North State.
The Tornados won for the fourth time in a row Saturday, rolling past Methodist 52-20. Coach Bill Khayat’s team sits alongside Belhaven (Miss.) at the top of the USA South Conference standings. Both have 4-0 league records.
Brevard has averaged 43 points per game against conference foes, reaching a season high with its effort Saturday.
Quarterback Ethan Beamish had one his cleanest games of the season, completing 22 of 34 passes for 259 yards and four touchdowns. He had no interceptions. For the season, Beamish has thrown for 1,861 yards and 17 touchdowns (against only six interceptions), averaging 266 yards per contest.
Zachary Orr has been one of Beamish’s favorite targets. Orr had four catches for a team-high 99 yards against Methodist. Adam Douglas hauled in two short-yardage TD passes. Jordan Rowell (30 yards) and DJ Taylor (21 yards) had the other touchdown receptions.
When Brevard keeps the ball on the ground, Chancellor Lee-Parker gets a bulk of the carries. Lee-Parker rushed for two scores Saturday and now has 734 rushing yards and nine TDs on the season. Devonte Murray and Triston Winn also shared 19 attempts Saturday, as the Tornados mustered 145 rushing yards.
Methodist likes to throw, but Brevard defenders kept stepping in front of Monarchs’ passes. Quintrell Bowman picked off two, while Ben Ellis and Baylee Ramey had one apiece. Toby Naylor and James Woods led the Tornados in tackles with six each. Woods and Bowman each forced fumbles, with Kameron Moore pouncing on both.
Hugo Taylor scored 10 of Brevard’s points, kicking a 26-yard field goal and booting all seven of his PAT attempts.
Brevard will take a break from game action this Saturday, then will visit winless LaGrange on Saturday, Oct. 28. The conference title will be on the line in the final two weeks against Huntingdon (5-2, 3-1) and Belhaven (6-0, 4-0) on Nov. 11. Belhaven received votes in the latest D3Football.com and Division III coaches rankings.
Sorting the rest of our statewide D3 power rankings isn’t as clear cut. North Carolina Wesleyan and Guilford have identical 2-4 records. Both beat Greensboro and both lost big to nationally ranked Randolph-Macon.
We’ll give NC Wesleyan the edge for the No. 2 spot based on the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately factor. The Battling Bishops have won their last two games, including Saturday’s 34-28 homecoming triumph over Greensboro. Guilford has lost its last four.
Anthony Byrd had a busy night in the win over Methodist, rushing 28 times for 162 yards. His 10-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave the Bishops a 20-14 edge, fully erasing a 14-3 deficit. Byrd has gained 414 yards and found the end zone four times over the past two games.
NC Wesleyan sealed the win, though, with its fourth-quarter passing game and defense. Greensboro, which had picked off five Bishops throws, scored twice in the fourth quarter to take a 28-20 advantage. But NC Wesleyan brought in Zachary Marquis to play quarterback, the third signal caller of the game, and he completed TD throws to Desmond Lee (17 yards) and Javarion Smith (27 yards) to return the lead to the home team.
The Bishops got a sack from Eric Cooper on Greensboro’s final play near midfield to seal the victory.
Guilford, the third-place team in our power rankings, plays in a different league, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, than the state’s other four D3 teams. The Quakers are still looking for their first ODAC win, falling to visiting Shenandoah 31-20 on Saturday.
Guilford led 13-0 in the opening quarter after a 70-yard run from quarterback Bailey Baker and a 32-yard TD pass from Baker to Messiah Ramseur. But Shenandoah scored twice in the second quarter to grab a 14-13 lead.
Baker’s second TD throw, a 36-yarder to Jay Daniels, put the lead back into Guilford’s corner but the Hornets pulled away with two fourth-quarter scores.
Baker finished with 233 passing yards and led the Quakers in rushing as well with 66 yards on the ground.
Methodist sits in fourth in our statewide power rankings. Quarterback Brandon Bullins had two touchdown passes to Wade Thomas III against Brevard. Keyshaun Pete scored a rushing touchdown.
The Monarchs will visit Belhaven this Saturday and then will host NC Wesleyan.
Greensboro remains winless but has not been a pushover by any stretch. The Pride has held leads in multiple games, including against Brevard a few weeks ago and Saturday against NC Wesleyan.
Ja’Shawn Harris had one of the longest plays of the season in the state, returning a NC Wesleyan kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. That score put the Pride up 14-3 with 1:35 left in the first quarter. Harris also found the end zone on a 67-yard carry, putting Greensboro ahead 28-20. But the Pride couldn’t hold the lead.
Max Steele recorded 11 tackles. Ben Mangungu had nine stops and one of the team’s five interceptions. William Paithorpe picked off two throws, while DeWayne Smith and Larry Jones also stepped in front of Bishops’ passes.
