After an incredible game against Knox College on Saturday, October 29, Joey Valdivia ’17 and Alex Pasiewicz ’17 were named Midwest Conference Offensive and Special Teams Performers of the Week—and this is not the first time. Combined, Valdivia and Pasiewicz have earned awards seven times for their incredible athleticism on the field.
As of press time, Valdivia led the nation with 28 total touchdowns and 1,422 rushing yards this year, while Pasiewicz led the nation with three kickoff return touchdowns. Pasiewicz also ranked sixth among NCAA Division III players with 31.3 yards per kickoff return and 39th with 10.0 yards per return on punts. Against Knox, he achieved three kickoffs for a total of 79 yards and led all players in the contest with eight catches, 144 receiving yards, and 271 all-purpose yards.
Valdivia, on the other hand, carried the ball a total of 14 times but rushed for 203 yards and six touchdowns that day. Additionally, he caught two passes for 21 yards and scored on runs of 45, 33, and 21 yards in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Valdivia scored on one run from 14 yards out. He added an eight-yard run in the third quarter before sitting out the game’s final 20 minutes.
There were several other noteworthy plays that game. Quarterback Jagan Cleary ’19 hit 19 of 24 pass attempts for 274 yards in the game. This season alone, Cleary has racked up 2,093 passing yards to earn the fifth rank in team history, his 79.2 completion percentage on the day reaching a new program record.
Safety R.J. Pompey ’18 led the Lake Forest defense with nine tackles while linebacker Riley Buncic ’20 responded next with a career-high eight. Linebacker John Laponte ’20 finished with seven stops, as did linebacker Joe Nitti ’17. Tailback Charlie Quinn ’17 earned the Foresters final points on a five-yard touchdown run with eight minutes on the clock. Quinn carried the ball 12 times for 56 yards in the contest and surpassed 2,000 rushing yards for his career. Lake Forest improved to 7-2 overall this season and 5-2 in Midwest Conference play. The Foresters closed out the 2016 season at Grinnell College on Saturday, November 5.
