‘It’s one big position’: QND leaning on offensive linemen to pave way deep into postseason

QUINCY — Each member of the Quincy Notre Dame football team’s offensive line has unique individual strengths, but the individuality ends there.

“It’s not five different positions,” senior left guard Ryan Darnell said. “It’s one big position.”

With one big goal in mind.

The Raiders want to plow the road.

Heading into the Class 2A first-round matchup with Flora at 2 p.m. Saturday at Advance Physical Therapy Field, third-seeded QND has benefited greatly from the physical play of its front five. The Raiders are 8-1, riding an eight-game win streak and enjoy the versatility to exploit defenses with either the run game or an aerial attack.

But the bread-and-butter of the offense is running downhill between the tackles.

“The line is led by guys who understand the assignment,” QND coach Jack Cornell said. “We try to hang our hat on being a physical, violent offensive line. These are a bunch of guys who relish that opportunity.”

They embrace the idea of creating that standard together.

“We could see that back in the summer,” Cornell said. “They were going to camps with each other. They were working after practice and before practice with each other. They were asking questions, good questions, and trying to do everything they can.

“One of the things that makes this program unique is the tradition of offensive linemen. These guys are just the latest iteration of that.”

It helps to learn from two linemen who made a name for themselves at QND and beyond.

Cornell was an all-state lineman who went on to play at the University of Illinois and in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders. Offensive line coach Brent Fischer was a three-year starter at Eastern Illinois University and a first-team All-Gateway Conference selection.

Both are inducted into the QND Hall of Fame.

“If Cornell sees something he doesn’t like, he will correct it real quick,” Darnell said.

He isn’t alone.

“Same thing for (Fischer),” Darnell said. “If he doesn’t like it, he’ll step in right now.”

Their insistence on details and ability to teach how to make adjustments is paying off.

“If we make a mistake, we don’t make it again,” Darnell said. “We take the coaching and the learning to heart. We learn it as soon as they correct us.”

The ability to lean on each other ensures the Raiders don’t make the same mistake twice. 

“We know what our strengths and weaknesses are and we know how to talk and communicate,” senior left tackle Aidan Brunier said. “We’ve been playing together for a while. We know what to do, and we know we can trust each other.

“I already know they are going to have my back if I miss a block. And if they miss a block, I’m going to have their back. We always have each other’s backs.”

That’s especially true when practices get tough.

“Suffering together through practices and through workouts brought us together,” Darnell said. “We’re all going through the same thing together. Plays have to be repped through multiple times. A lot of yelling, a lot of missed blocks, but we get through it and get better.”

And take control.

“We have a lot of big guys, a lot of strong guys who are always in the weight room working out and throwing big weights around,” Brunier said. “We have guys who want to be physical.”

And the Raiders have experienced linemen who have been through the playoff rigors before.

“We have a lot of guys who understand how serious this is,” Brunier said.

The only way to advance to round two is to do so together.

“It’s all about how well we work together and how we move as one,” Darnell said.