Matthew Sluka

Matthew Sluka is an American football quarterback who plays for the Holy Cross Crusaders.

Matthew Sluka
Holy Cross Crusaders – No. 9
PositionQuarterback
ClassSenior
Personal information
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight216 lb (98 kg)
Career history
College
High schoolKellenberg Memorial
(Uniondale, New York)
Career highlights and awards
  • First-team All-Patriot League (2022)
  • Second-team All-Patriot League (2021)
  • Patriot League Rookie of the Year (2020)

Early life and high school

Sluka grew up in Locust Valley, New York and attended Kellenberg Memorial High School, where he played football, lacrosse, and basketball.[1] As a junior, he passed for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns while also rushing for 1,619 yards and 24 touchdowns as Kellenberg went undefeated and won the Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) state championship.[2] As a senior, Sluka led the Firebirds to a second straight undefeated season and CHSAA state championship, completing 74 of 101 pass attempts for 1,203 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushing for 1,131 yards and 22 touchdowns.[3]

Although Sluka was recruited to play college lacrosse by several high-level Division I programs, he enrolled Peddie School for a postgraduate year in hopes of being recruited to play college football.[4]

College career

Sluka was named the Crusaders' starting quarterback going into his freshman season at Holy Cross, which was postponed from the fall to the spring of 2021 due to COVID-19.[5] He was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year after passing for 187 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 268 yards and four touchdowns in four games.[6] Sluka was named second-team All-Patriot League after passing 1,512 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushing for 868 yards and 14 touchdowns during his sophomore season.[7]

Sluka was named first team All-Patriot League as a junior after he completed 153 of 266 pass attempts for 2,489 yards with 26 touchdowns and four interceptions and rushed 203 times for 1,234 yards, which was the most among FCS quarterbacks, and 11 touchdowns and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award.[8][9] He passed for 238 and three touchdowns, including one a 46-yard Hail Mary pass as time expired, and rushed for 146 yards in the Crusaders' 37-31 upset win over FBS Buffalo.[10][11] Sluka rushed for a career-high 213 yards and one touchdown and also passed for 125 yards in Holy Cross's 42-21 loss to eventual champion South Dakota State in the 2022 FCS quarterfinal.[12] He entered his senior season as a preseason All-American and on the watchlist for the Walter Payton Award.[13]

References
  1. Rubin, Roger (August 25, 2018). "Kellenberg's Sluka, elite lacrosse player, is hooked on football". Newsday. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  2. Sarra, Gregg (November 30, 2017). "Salute to the champs: Kellenberg goes from last place to title". Newsday. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  3. "Top 100 Long Island high school boys athletes of the 2010s". Newsday. January 2, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  4. Erzar, John (September 14, 2019). "Prep Football: Wyoming Seminary has no answer for Peddie School once again". Times Leader. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  5. "Holy Cross has utilized sophomore QBs Matthew Sluka and Marco Siderman to great success this season". Telegram & Gazette. November 18, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  6. "Holy Cross football, Matthew Sluka, quarterback, Bob Chesney, Football Championship Subdivision, ranked 24th". Telegram & Gazette. September 9, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  7. "Junior quarterback Matthew Sluka looks stronger than ever as Holy Cross training camp rolls along". Telegram & Gazette. August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  8. Thompson, Rich (August 10, 2023). "Holy Cross quarterback Matt Sluka leads an offensive juggernaut". Boston Herald. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  9. Toland, jennifer (August 10, 2023). "'That's my dude': Holy Cross quarterback Matthew Sluka focuses on senior season". Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  10. Bromberg, Nick (September 10, 2022). "Holy Cross beats Buffalo on wild Hail Mary as time expires". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  11. "Hail Sluka! QB hurls scoring pass on final play to as Holy Cross upsets FBS foe Buffalo". Telegram & Gazette. September 10, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  12. "Holy Cross quarterback Matthew Sluka gives South Dakota State defense all it can handle but Jackrabbits advance". Argus Leader. December 10, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  13. Pote, Jamie (September 1, 2023). "Merrimack has hands full with Sluka, Crusaders; Season opener for Warriors on Saturday". The Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
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