November 17, 2005
Monarchs’ Roncketti selected USA South Offensive Player of the Year
18 Methodist players selected All-Conference

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Fresh off a banner season in which he helped lead the Methodist Monarchs to a share of the 2005 USA South Athletic Conference football championship, Methodist quarterback Chris Roncketti was selected as the USA South Offensive Player of the Year on Thursday. It is the second conference postseason honor for Roncketti. He was also selected Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Rookie of the Year as a freshman in 2002.

In addition, the Monarchs had a total of 18 players on the 2005 All-USA South team. It’s the best representation yet for Methodist on the All-Conference team.

Joining Roncketti on the first team was offensive tackle Billy Delapp, noseguard John Northern and place-kicker Patrick Larkin. Tailback Mike Hill headlines the Monarchs on the second team, and he is joined by offensive guards Rhyan Breen and Max Dinges, linebackers Daryl Lawrence, Max Pope and defensive backs Chris Gauntlett, Antwin Shuford and Mitchell Collier.

Selected honorable mention for the Monarchs included wide receivers George Sands, Jonathan Mularski and Patrick Doleman, center Jonathan Willis and defensive linemen Brandon Hayden and Sean Merritt. Sands was also a multi-selection, garnering honorable mention honors as a return specialist.

Roncketti, a senior from Hope Mills, N.C., finished his brilliant Methodist career in a flourish. He led the USA South in passing, completing 141-for-241 passes for 2,234 yards and 15 touchdown passes, while also rushing for 480 yards on 82 careers and 14 rushing touchdowns.

He became the first Methodist quarterback ever to eclipse 2,000 yards passing in a season, and also set Methodist single-season records for completions and attempts and Methodist single-game records for completions and yards. Never one to panic in tough situations, Roncketti spearheaded three fourth-quarter comebacks this season for the Monarchs.

Roncketti wasn’t alone on the powerful Monarch offense. Hill, a sophomore from Lillington, N.C., finished second in the USA South in rushing with 1,054 yards on 194 carries with 11 touchdowns. Hill also set the Methodist single-season rushing record and became the first Monarch to ever eclipse 1,000 yards rushing in a season.

The “triple-threat” receiving combination of Sands, Mularski and Doleman made Roncketti’s job a lot easier this season. Sands, a sophomore from Homestead, Fla., led the Monarchs in receiving with 602 yards on 30 receptions and two touchdowns, while Mularski, a sophomore form Greenville, N.C., had 500 yards on 29 receptions, and Doleman, a sophomore from Salisbury, N.C., had 24 receptions for 458 yards and seven touchdown receptions.

In addition to his receiving honors, Sands also had 428 yards on 16 kickoff returns to rank 20th in the nation.

Larkin, a junior from Swansboro, N.C., converted a whopping 38-for-40 in point-after attempts and 7-for-13 in field goal attempts. He scored 59 points on the season, and led the USA South in field goals. His longest field goal on the season was 42 yards.

Up front, Delapp (Sr. – Greensboro, N.C.), Willis (Sr. – Enka, N.C.), Breen (Jr. – Wilson, N.C.) and Dinges (So. – Lexington, N.C.) anchored a Methodist offensive line that allowed only five sacks the entire season and accounted for over 4,000 yards of total offense.

Defensively, Northern, Hayden and Merritt developed into a quality defensive line for the Monarchs.

Northern, a junior from Wilmington, N.C., recorded 23 tackles, including eight tackles for a loss and a team-leading 3.5 quarterback sacks. Hayden, a sophomore from Saluda, N.C., broke into the starting lineup in the third game of season and never relinquished his spot. He recorded 16 tackles, including three tackles for a loss and one quarterback sack. Merritt, a sophomore from Chiefland, Fla., showed tremendous progress through season with 11 tackles, including three tackles for a loss and one quarterback sack.

Pope and Lawrence were the anchors of the Methodist defense at linebacker. Pope, a senior from Clinton, N.C., recorded 85 tackles to rank sixth in the USA South. That included nine tackles for a loss and 2.5 quarterback sacks. A sophomore from Jacksonville, N.C., Lawrence led the Monarchs in tackles with 86 to rank fifth in the conference. He also had eight tackles for a loss, one quarterback sack and two forced fumbles.

One of the more improved areas on defense for the Monarchs was the defensive backfield where Gauntlett, Shuford and Collier patrolled. Gauntlett, a junior from Tavares, Fla., recorded 68 tackles with one interception and fumble recovery and four pass breakups, while Shuford, a freshman from Fayetteville, N.C., recorded 52 tackles with one interception and nine pass breakups. Collier, a freshman from Tallahassee, Fla., recorded 33 tackles and led the squad in interceptions with two.