Lake Forest College football players Charles Courtney and Joey Valdivia were named Midwest Conference Special Teams and Offensive Player of the Week, respectively, on Monday after leading the team to a 48-46 triumph over visiting Carleton College on Saturday.
Courtney, a senior kicker, was perfect on the day, connecting on all six of his extra points and a pair of field goals. His 30-yard field goal gave the Foresters the lead late in the third quarter and his 29-yarder in the fourth provided the home team's final points of the afternoon. Courtney's 12 points on the afternoon are the most by a Forester in the kicking game since Pat Dunne had a dozen on three field goals and three extra points against Ripon College in 1999. The school record of 14 was set by Dave Fee with three field goals and five extra points against Illinois College in 1997.
Valdivia, a senior running back, accounted for half of the home team's scoring on touchdown runs of 48, 18, and 43 yards and a scoring reception of four yards. He carried the ball 27 times for 221 yards and added three catches for 31 yards in the contest. Valdivia has now scored seven touchdowns and amassed 611 all-purpose yards in two games this season. His 2,877 career rushing yards are just 45 shy of the total posted by Corey Honore, the second-leading rusher in program history, and he needs 513 more yards to surpass record-holder John Klasen.
MWC Performers of the Week are selected by the league's director of media and communication. It was the fifth time Valdivia earned the award in his career and the first for Courtney.