Lake Forest College football player Joey Valdivia was named Midwest Conference Offensive Performer of the Week and to the D3football.com Team of the Week on Tuesday for his performance in the Foresters' 34-20 victory over visiting Beloit College on Saturday.
Valdivia, a senior running back, carried the ball 23 times for 224 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the contest. He also caught three passes for 23 yards and another score. The rushing yardage total is the fourth-highest in team history and Valdivia surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for his career. He now ranks eighth in program history with 1,050 yards on the ground and tied-for-ninth with 11 rushing touchdowns. He is also the school record-holder with 7.0 yards per carry in his career.
Valdivia scored the Foresters' first points of the season on Saturday on a 15-yard run and the extra point gave the home team a 7-6 lead with two minutes to play before halftime. His 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter extended the lead to 14 points (20-6) and his 16-yard catch-and-run in the fourth quarter made the score 34-13.
MWC Performers of the Week are selected by the league's director of media and information. The D3football Team of the Week is comprised of a starting lineup on offense and defense as well as a kicker, punter, returner, and special teams player. Valdivia is the 16th Forester since 1999 to earn a spot on the list.
