Kansas Pregame 8-Man Top 8: Isaac Mendez

Kansas Pregame polled 8-Man coaches earlier this month who voted for the top four seniors they coached against this season. Kansas Pregame staffers then used those votes to develop a Top 8 list of seniors for each division. Kansas Pregame will provide features for each of the 16 Top 8 selections. Check out the 10th of those profiles below:

Isaac Mendez, RB/LB, 5-10, 190, Wheatland/Grinnell, 8-Man Division II

Wheatland/Grinnell’s Isaac Mendez was one of the best two-way players in 8-Man during the  2021 season. Utilizing his speed and quickness, he left backfields in ruin on defense and racked up yards on offense.

The versatile senior played a major role throughout the Thunderhawks 11-2 season that saw them make it all the way to the state title game before losing to a young and talented Axtell squad. The Eagles also handed Mendez and company their only other loss of the season in Week 1, but in-between the Thunderhawks piled up 11 straight wins.

“The biggest key to our success is hitting the weight room in the offseason and not just preseason, and just our ability to be able to bond and our chemistry,” Mendez said. “All of us on the team knew each other well.”

Mendez rushed for 1,671 yards and 37 touchdowns on 201 carries, giving him an 8.3 yards per carry average on the year, and he complemented that with 25 receptions for 398 yards and four more scores. 

Mendez’s big play ability was always a threat to defenses and at no point was that on display more than the Regional playoff round against Bucklin, when the senior carried the ball 20 times for 246 yards and caught four passes for 93 yards for a total of six touchdowns on the day. The Thunderhawks took that game 53-22.

For how good Mendez is on offense, he’s arguably better at defense.

From his linebacker position, he racked up 161 tackles, 15 tackles-for-loss, 12 sacks, seven QB hurries, two interceptions, four pass deflections, two fumble recoveries, and four forced fumbles. Both interceptions and one of his fumble recoveries were returned for touchdowns.

“The tackling did come naturally for him,” head coach Jesse Vincent said. “From his first game in pads for me in junior high til the state championship game this year he has just gotten better at it. He loves to hit.” 

Mendez was also the team’s field goal kicker and occasionally dabbled as a kick returner. Of the five kicks he returned on the year, two of them were returned for scores.

“My greatest strength, in my opinion, is just being able to do what a coach needs me to do,” Mendez said. “I’m not stuck to one position.”

While Mendez isn’t the most outward leader on Wheatland/Grinnell’s roster, he makes up for that in other ways.

“Isaac wasn't an incredibly vocal guy, but guys gravitated towards his playmaking ability,” coach Vincent said. “Emotionally, he is actually a pretty funny dude. He always has an easy going smile.”

Mendez is currently undecided on his plans post-graduation, but will make a team better if he decides to go the college football route.

“My thought looking back is the season flew,” Mendez said. “So crazy to think about not being able to play with those guys anymore. Created a family bond.”

*Editor's Note: Kansas Pregame has opted to include only seniors in our Top 8 list in an effort to reward them for their success in high school. This year, especially in Division II, there were a number of top players who were juniors. Axtell's Isaac Detweiler, Wheatland-Grinnell's Jett Vincent and Thunder Ridge's Dylan Bice are just a few of those likely among the Top 8 players in the classification. Fortunately, multiple other outlets have recognized those athletes for their contributions this season and Kansas Pregame will consider each of them for feature coverage in our 2022 Football Preview along with the many other top returning players from across the state.