Many students at Saint Stephen’s would describe Junior Matthew Konkol as a soft-spoken kid. Known by many as one of SSES’ most exceptional students, he takes challenging classes and maintains a near-perfect GPA, all while playing three sports.

Still, he’s often quiet and keeps to himself. But his performance in last Friday’s playoff football game against cross-town rival Bradenton Christian School was anything but quiet.

Konkol recorded six solo sacks for the Falcons in a commanding 51- 20 win in the Sunshine State Athletic Conference (SSAC) playoff quarterfinals. Those sacks brought Konkol’s total sack count to 12.5 sacks on the season – the most in school history. He also recorded an extra point block, as well as a fumble recovery.

Konkol attributes his success on Friday to his meticulous preparation in the days before.

“We all worked hard, just like we normally do. But I watched a lot of film last week and studied my matchup. Knowing more about the players I was matched up with helped to take the guesswork out of the game and gave me an edge because I knew what to expect.”

After Friday’s win, the Falcons move on to the semifinals against The Master’s Academy out of Oneco. The Eagles boast a talented roster including a strong passing attack and a very talented running back.

Konkol is confident that the Falcons have what it takes to move on to the state championship.

“We need to watch a lot of film and stay focused for a good week of practice. It’s a big game for us. Everything we’ve done this season has led us here.”

The Falcons host the Eagles this Saturday, November 9 at 7:00 pm at the Moore Athletic Complex. Come out and support the football team in their last home game of the season as they look to move on to states next weekend.