Freehold, N.J., junior cornerback leads dominant Skyhawks defense that quiets NE-10's top offense in 26-14 win at Merrimack to clinch share of NE-10 regular season title
EASTON, Mass. (November 12, 2013) – Stonehill College junior cornerback Sterry Codrington (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Boro) has earned Northeast-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors by the league office.
Codrington, who earns the weekly award for the second time this season, led a Stonehill defensive effort in Saturday's 26-14 triumph at Merrimack College that quieted the Northeast-10's top offense, which entered the game averaging 42.3 points and 525.2 yards of total offense per game. The Skyhawks held the high-powered Warriors to just 14 second half points and 359 total yards, including just 62 yards in a scoreless first half and forcing four turnovers for the afternoon. Codrington posted a career-high 11 tackles (eight solo), including 1.0 for a loss of two yards, a forced fumble, interception and pass breakup.
Codrington was part of a Stonehill defensive backfield that frustrated Merrimack senior quarterback Joe Clancy and held him in check on 33-of-56 passing for a season-low 251 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions, while being sacked four times. Clancy entered the game ranked second in Division II with 400.6 yards per game and Division II leading 42 touchdown passes. Codrington's interception early in the second quarter at the Merrimack 21 yard line set up Stonehill's first touchdown of the afternoon and his forced fumble on Merrimack's first possession of the fourth quarter came after the Skyhawks had regained a two possession lead. He also returned two punts for 14 yards on the day.
Codrington is a key member of a Stonehill defense which ranks second in the NE-10 for scoring defense (24.0) and is third for passing defense, yielding 251.2 yards per game through the air, and leads the Conference with 28 forced turnovers, including 16 interceptions (2nd) and 12 fumble recoveries (2nd). He is second on the team with 75 tackles (52 solo), including a team-high 8.5 for a loss of 39 yards, with a sack for a loss of 12, three interceptions, a team-best seven pass breakups, fumble recoveries and team-high two forced fumbles with a pair of blocked kicks. He ranks second in the NE-10 for forced fumbles and fumble recoveries, fourth for interceptions, seventh in tackles, fifth for solo tackles, seventh for pass breakups and 12th for tackles for loss.
Codrington became the first player in program history to block two kicks in a single game when he got a hand to a field goal and extra point in a 29-26 comeback win at the University of New Haven on October 19. He has also returned five punts this season for 22 yards. Codrington also earned NE-10 Defensive Player of the Week accolades after the New Haven game on October 21, finishing the win with a then career-best ten stops (seven solo), a sack for a loss of 12 yards and a pass breakup.
Codrington has played 28 games over his three year career and has posted 113 tackles (77 solo), including 9.5 for a loss of 48 yards, with 2.0 sacks for a loss of 21, four interceptions, 12 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and the two blocked kicks.
Stonehill (8-2, 8-1 NE-10) is among teams receiving votes in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II poll for the fifth-straight week, ranked eighth in the NCAA Division II Super Region 1 rankings and fifth in this week's Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC)/Lambert Meadowlands Division II poll. The Skyhawks will make their first appearance in the Northeast-10 Championship Game in program history on Saturday when it takes on fellow NE-10 regular season champions American International College (8-2, 8-1 NE-10) in Springfield, Mass., at 2 p.m. Stonehill has won five straight games for the first time since 1996 when it finished 8-2 and is just one win shy of the program record for victories in a season with nine in 1995.
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