As a junior, Geneva’s Bennett Konkey became an expert on the subject of speed. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound wide receiver learned his lessons, which resulted in a slew of accomplishments.
Despite a lingering hamstring injury in the fall, Konkey caught 41 passes for 739 yards and nine touchdowns. Fully healthy for track, he sprinted to Class 3A state titles in the 100 and 200 meters.
It led to 16 football scholarship offers, culminating with his commitment in mid-June to Illinois.
Where does that speed come from?
“I’ve been asked that a hundred times and I’m not sure,” Konkey said, smiling as he added that his parents, Kurt and Emily, have discussed the topic. “My mom says it’s her. My dad says it’s him.
“They still argue about it.”
Who would win a race between them?
“Probably my mom,” said Bennett, who has learned some diplomacy as well.
In the spring, Konkey surprised himself as Geneva’s first boy to win an individual state track title.
“I kind of tweaked the hamstring a little bit sophomore year in indoor track,” Konkey said. “Then every day it got a little bit worse and a little bit worse and never got better.”
Having time off made the difference.
He ran only one indoor meet in track, setting Batavia’s field house record in the 55 meters, then ran the state’s fastest times in the 100 and 200 in his first outdoor meet.
“When I saw where they ranked, I was like, ‘Damn, that’s a good time. I didn’t know I had it in me,’” Konkey said. “It showed how fast I was healthy.”
He confirmed there’s a difference between track or straight-line speed and football speed, requiring change of direction.
“I’m working every day to get more football speed,” Konkey said.
“It’s really nice to see him healthy,” said Boone Thorgesen, Geneva’s football and track coach.
As a sophomore, Konkey was the third option on a team that took second in state and featured 1,000-yard receivers in Georgia recruit Talyn Taylor and fellow senior Finnegan Weppner.
Konkey finished with 29 receptions for 548 yards and six TDs.
“Bennett learned from great, went on a roll and started getting it,” Thorgesen said. “We knew he was fast. We could isolate or backside him and a lot of attention was going to go to the front side.”
Injuries took a toll last season on Geneva, which ended up 4-5.
“When we made it to the state final, we started all 22 guys every game,” Thorgesen said. “That’s how the football gods kinda get you.”
Konkey pointed out that Taylor was a big influence.
“I learned about route running from Talyn,” Konkey said. “I try to play like him. He taught me a lot.”
He also credited work with BOOM Midwest for 7-on-7 position training.
“It’s helped me with little details and also there’s the competition,” Konkey said. “You’re playing four-star and five-star DBs — like playing at a college level in high school.”
Thorgesen has big plans for Konkey, who will graduate early and miss his senior year of track.
“He’s the real deal, obviously with elite speed, but his route running is very polished and he has great hands,” Thorgesen said. “He’s gonna be a really hard matchup for defenders.”
It’s why the coach plans to use Konkey at every receiver position, much like he did Taylor.
“It’s just about matchups,” Thorgesen said. “It’s hard to double or game plan when you don’t know where he’s gonna line up.”
It should open things up for other targets, according to Konkey, who is expecting even bigger things from his connection with senior quarterback Ben Peterson, an Eastern Michigan recruit.
Konkey and Peterson have been neighborhood buddies since grade school, but last year was their first season together playing football in high school.
“We had very high expectations,” Konkey said. “I don’t think we met those, but we could do some damage this year in the playoffs.”
