GRAND MEADOW — Grand Meadow senior football player Michael Stejskal may have grown up as the youngest of three boys in a football family, but as the first to play quarterback in his family, he’s going to leave his mark with the Superlarks. Stejskal was a wide receiver on GM’s first state championship team in 2013 and he moved to quarterback last season.

He was a reserve player on the GM team, that featured his brother Perry, that took second in state in 2012.

“I thought that was one our only opportunities we were going to have to win a state championship,” Stejskal said. “We had a lot of seniors and I was heartbroken when we lost that game.”

Little did Stejskal know when he was a heartbroken freshman that he would be the quarterback of a GM team that has a chance to win three straight state titles. When the Superlarks and Underwood kick off 10 a.m. Friday at TCF Bank Stadium, Stejskal will be looking to finish his high school football career with an exclamation point.

“I think my parents have been talking about me being the baby and they don’t want me to leave or graduate,” Stejskal said. “If I bring this home, they’re going to be very proud of me. With my dad and uncle coaching me, it’s crazy and I have so much support with my family.”

Stejskal said Friday’s game will likely be the last football game of his life as he has no plans of playing college football. Over the years, he’s excelled on both sides of the ball for GM. This season, he’s thrown for 1,111 yards, 17 touchdowns and four interception, he’s run for 529 yards (6.2 per carry) and 13 touchdowns, and he’s racked up 103 tackles, three interceptions, three fumbles recovered, one sack and one blocked kick.

GM head coach Gary Sloan said Stejskal, who rarely comes out of the game during the playoffs, is the best tackler on the team.

“Mike has become a complete football player. He can run the ball, he’s elusive and when he plays quarterback, he makes good decisions,” Sloan said. “He’s grown up with football and he’s very smart with football. We have four captains, but he’s become our leader and he’s the most vocal. He’s the one that they look to.”

Stejskal said he basically plays every play of the game, so he tries to get his rest between plays. It can be tough to balance playing quarterback and making tackles, but it’s a challenge Stejskal has learned to embrace.

“I like defense more than offense. I like hitting people and I like contact,” he said.

Stejskal also isn’t one to let the pressure get to him. As he takes the field on Friday, he’ll have a lot on his mind, but it’s not going to slow him down as he looks to lead GM to victory.

“I don’t like to take pressure badly, I like to take it as a motivation and keep that drive going for every game,” Stejskal said.