Shands earns NCAC Athlete of the Week honors

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Kenyon’s Darryl Shands was selected as the football defensive Athlete of the Week by the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) after helping the Owls to a comeback victory.

The senior linebacker shut down Oberlin College in the fourth quarter on two occasions to preserve a 28-21 win, boosting Kenyon’s record to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the NCAC.

With the Owls trailing 21-20 with under 10 minutes to play, Shands came up with a big quarterback sack that led to an Oberlin punt and gave the Kenyon offense the ball to produce the game-winning drive. On Oberlin’s ensuing possession, in an attempt to regain the lead, Shands came up with an interception, giving Kenyon the ball back with just 1:26 left on the clock. 

The Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania, native had five tackles, two sacks, and the game-sealing interception against Oberlin. For the season, the senior ranks fourth on the team with 29 total tackles (18 solo and 11 assists). Shands also has two tackles for loss and two sacks; the interception was the second of his career.

Up next, the Owls host the College of Wooster (2-3, 1-3 NCAC) on Saturday, Oct. 15, on McBride Field during Kenyon’s Parent’s Weekend. The contest is set to kick off at noon and is tabbed as the team’s Breast Cancer Awareness game.