Duke Sodek a Young Sharp-Shooter For Surging Flatonia Hoops Team
Fayette Co. Record’s Athlete of the Week
Flatonia basketball player Duke Sodek stands at 6’’2 as a sophomore and has been a scoring machine for the Bulldogs this season with his pure shooting stroke.
Sodek has reached doublefigures in a number of games this year and recently notched 24 points in a win vs Ganado. Sodek is also the son of Flatonia head boy’s basketball coach Chris Sodek.
“He’s one of the hardest working kids that I’ve ever coached,” said Chris Sodek. “He’s been fortunate to be around teams that had really hard workers and he saw that the hard work paid off. I’m very thankful for the opportunity he had to be able to be around some of those guys because it’s definitely paid off for him. His work ethic is what makes him valuable. He’s not going to get outworked by anybody.”
Duke Sodek has quality basketball experience and has put the time in to be the best, which brings a strong understanding of the game along with heavy production, giving him the nod for this edition’s Athlete of the Week.
Question: You’ve been shooting the ball really well this year, how are you able to have so much success in that area?
Answer: “It takes a lot of practice. It’s all about the guys who can get you the ball through passing it or setting screens for you, getting you open. It takes all five guys to shoot a basketball, not just one. I’d really like to attribute to my teammates helping me get open and having the open shot, which is really easy to make.”
Question: Have you always been one of the taller kids or did you hit a growth spurt?
Answer: “I was always an inch or two above my peers. I guess I did hit a bit of a growth spurt a year or two ago. That always helps because I’m not always the strongest or fastest guy. At least I can rely on my height and that really helps a lot.”
Question: What’s your goto meal before a game?
Answer: “I usually like to eat pop-tarts and chocolate milk before a game. That’s always my after school snack. I’m just used to it I guess.”
Question: What’s your favorite movie?
Answer: “My favorite movie has got to be Forrest Gump because nobody really believed in him. He just kept defying the odds and did whatever it took to be successful.”
Question: If you could play basketball for any college, which one would you choose?
Answer: “I’d probably like to go to (Texas) A&M because my parents have gone there and I grew up there for eight years of my life. I had a great time. I’ve always been an A&M fan. I’ve always liked their football, basketball, baseball, everything. A&M would be my dream school to go play.”
Question: What’s the best word of advice your dad has given you as a dad or a coach?
Answer: “Always work hard and it’s always going to pay off. Even though sometimes it feels like it’s not going to pay off, just keep working and eventually it’s going to get there.”
Question: Who do you have winning the Super Bowl and why?
Answer: “Well, I thought the Bills were going to win it, but that didn’t happen. Now, I guess I’m going to go with the Bengals. One, because I kind of want the Bengals to win because of Joe Burrow. Also, I think they’re kind of the underdog. They’ve been pulling off some good upsets and I think they may actually be one of the best teams ready to win.”
Question: What part of basketball do you like the most?
Answer: “Really all of it because everybody has a role in basketball. You can be a good shooter, you can be good inside, but it takes everybody. Everybody contributes to the game and you can’t win it with one person. It’s almost kind of like a statue. You have to have a good foundation. It takes a lot of parts, not just one thing to hold it up.”
Question: What are your hobbies?
Answer: “Mostly, I just come in the gym and shoot. Play other sports. Baseball, cross-country, and track. Most of the time when I have free time, I’m either doing my homework or I’m up here with my dad doing some sort of sport and getting better.”
Question: How would you describe the season for Flatonia basketball thus far?
Answer: “The season’s great and everything. We’ve done a great job and our team has really helped us come together. Everybody really contributes to each other really well. We’re able to get the ball around and score the basket. We have lost a couple games, but I like how we’re able to bounce back like water off a duck’s back. We were able to really bounce back off our adversity.”
Sodek is already blossoming early on in his career and has been a huge bright spot for Bulldogs hoops, all while getting to play for his dad.
Recent FCR’s Athlete of the Week
Dec. 3: Seth Brock, RTC basketball
Dec. 10: Aysia Grant, La Grange basketball
Dec. 17: Luke Law, Flatonia basketball
Jan. 7: Jaxon Cooper, La Grange basketball
Jan. 14: Phillip Arceneaux, La Grange soccer
Jan. 21: Jessalyn Gipson, Schulenburg basketball
* Read about the new honorees in our Friday editions and then watch their interviews on our Facebook page a few days later.