Mendenhall Named GLVC Player of the Week

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (October 8, 2012) – Urbana University junior quarterback D.J. Mendenhall and McKendree University senior defensive lineman Sherrod Stancil and senior punter/kicker Matt Kendall have been named Great Lakes Valley Conference Players of the Week, it was announced by the league office Monday. Mendenhall was selected as the GLVC Offensive Player of the Week, Stancil earned Defensive Player of the Week honors, while Kendall was picked as Special Teams Player of the Week.

Mendenhall earned the first GLVC weekly honor of his career after leading the Blue Knights to an impressive 74-0 road win at Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday. The 74 points along with 684 total yards of offense were both school records for Urbana. The West Jefferson, Ohio, native was 21-of-33 passing for a career-high 344 passing yards and five touchdowns, while also rushing nine times for 57 yards and a score. His six total touchdowns tied his career high, while his passing totals moved him into first all-time in Urbana history for career passing yards, having thrown for 5,178 markers in less than three years. His performance Saturday also added to school records currently held by Mendenhall. The junior slinger now boasts 53 career passing TDs, 28 career rushing TDs, and 180 career points. The is the first offensive weekly honor for the Blue Knights this year, but the fourth accolade overall as Perry Jenkins (Sept. 3) and Roy Harvison (Sept. 24) earned the league’s defensive award, and punter Clay Lust (Sept. 10) was recognized for his special-teams effort earlier this year.

Sherrod had a career day in McKendree’s 35-20 Homecoming win over William Jewell College on Saturday. The Naperville, Ill., native paced the team with 10 tackles, including seven solo hits. Four of his stops went for loss, as he had three of the Bearcats’ four quarterback sacks in the victory. As a team, the Bearcats, who have the GLVC’s best rushing defense (73.2 ypg), limited the Cardinals to just 19 yards on the ground. In its last two games, both of which were victories, the McKendree defense has registered 13 sacks and forced six turnovers. This is the first career weekly award for Sherrod and the second for McKendree this year. Jamison Wilson was honored as the league’s Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 10.

On special teams, Kendall booted a pair of second-quarter field goals in the Bearcats’ 35-20 win over William Jewell, which included a season-best 36-yarder on the final play of the first half. In addition, the O’Fallon, Ill., native averaged 35.5 yards on four punts and registered one punt that sailed out of bounds at the Cardinals’ 2-yard line late in the first half that changed field position in favor of the Bearcats. This is Kendall’s first career weekly conference award.