Schuckman: Staff’s commitment to QND basketball creates memories he will have ‘just forever’

QUINCY — The jersey slipped on perfectly. It was trim and tight where it needed to be so Mike Staff had the sleek look of a basketball player, but it was loose enough for him to be able to twist, turn and attack without feeling constricted.

He only wished he could do those things, but there is no need to dwell on things he can’t change.

Staff simply relished the feel of that jersey and the opportunity to wear No. 24 one final time.

“I missed that a lot,” Staff said. “But it felt weird because I haven’t worn it in so long.”

Not once this season, in fact. Not until the final home game when the three seniors on the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team were honored.

A season-ending knee injury suffered during the preseason robbed Staff of contributing on the floor during his final go-around at The Pit, but the senior guard stayed engaged as the team’s social media guru, a member of the bench brigade and a never-ending source of support.

So when he was introduced as a starter against Keokuk on the final Friday night of the regular season, Staff lived out a boyhood dream of hearing his name reverberate through The Pit.

“It was special because I got to be with all of my teammates,” Staff said. “Even though I didn’t get to play, I was still a starter in some way.”

He could have played, at least for a play of two. Raiders coach Kevin Meyer approached Staff with the idea of consulting with Keokuk coach Zach Summers and orchestrating the opportunity for Staff to take a shot off the opening tip.

Staff wanted no part of being in such a spotlight.

“He was like, ‘No, it’s about the team,’” Meyer said. “There again tells you what he’s made of. … That’s a man of high character.”

Instead of an honorary bucket, Staff may have gotten something more meaningful.

He had the last word in the huddle before the opening tip.

“He said, ‘Hey, let’s go win this ballgame,’” Meyer said. “The guys were like, ‘Yeah, let’s go do it.’ They were rallying around him. That’s special to see.”

Staff’s decision to be ever-present turned out to be special, too.

During the first scrimmage of the preseason, Staff was running down the floor when he slipped and his knee reacted awkwardly. He knew it wasn’t good. It wasn’t long before trainers and doctors confirmed that reality.

He had torn the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his right knee.

“I heard a pop when I went down,” Staff said. “I waited through the weekend, but when I went to the doctor, he could tell immediately.”

The injury required surgery and rehabilitation, something he continues to this day. The surgery was an unqualified success and Staff is on track to be back on his feet doing whatever he wants within a six- to eight-month window.

“I never had surgery before, so it was nerve-racking,” Staff admitted.

Necessary, but nerve-racking.

“It went just fine,” Staff said with a smile.

The post-surgery visits to a physical therapist sometimes interfered with the Raiders’ practice schedule, but those were the only days he missed. Staff attended practices, sat on the bench during games and was every bit a part of the process as those on the floor.

“I never would have thought I’d go through something like this,” Staff said. “When it happened, I took a positive mindset. It’s been pretty fun sitting on the bench, cheering on the teammates and watching them play. It’s been great to be a part of it.”

He even found a different niche to help the team. Staff creates and updates the Gameday graphics and score graphics used on the team’s social media accounts. That fits well with his future, since he plans to study graphic design in college, although he hasn’t picked a destination among his three top schools — the University of Missouri, the University of Iowa and the University of Illinois.

That decision can wait. There are more pressing issues at hand. The Raiders face Illini West in Wednesday’s Class 2A Beardstown Regional semifinal, and Staff and his teammates want the postseason ride to last as long as possible.

No matter when it ends, there will be memories to last a lifetime.

“Just to be a part of Raider basketball, even though I’m not playing, is really special,” Staff said. “It’s something I’ll remember … just forever.”