‘I’ll be grateful forever’: QND seniors relish opportunity to be part of football program

QUINCY — While there is a miniscule chance it could sneak into the Illinois high school playoffs with a 4-5 record by beating John Burroughs at home Friday night, the Quincy Notre Dame football team is treating the game as if it will be the last.

“We’re all aware it could be our last game and the last game for some seniors who aren’t playing in college,” wide receiver/defensive back Aiden Klauser said. “Obviously, we’re looking for a good game and a win. We’re staying locked in if we get the call (for the playoffs), but we’re just trying to have fun, too.”

Fellow senior, center Ben Schwartz, echoed those sentiments.

“We’re treating it like it’s our last because you gotta cherish those moments,” he said. “And if it’s not, then, you know, thank God that we can keep playing.

“But if it is, we’re just gonna go out there and try not to worry about it too much. Just have some fun and play football because that’s what we do — that’s what we like to do.”

The Raiders entered the season harboring playoff aspirations, only to drop their opening three games against a gauntlet of opponents that boast a combined 22-2 record after eight weeks. Two of those, undefeated Quincy High School and once-beaten Mahomet-Seymour, meet Friday night.

However, it was excruciating losses to Southern Boone and Columbia (Mo.) Father Tolton that diminished QND’s postseason chances. The Raiders rallied to lead Southern Boone by six points with 1:12 remaining and were up by 12 in the second half against Father Tolton, only to drop both contests.

“I look back a lot and I feel like almost every game could have gone a different way,” Klauser said. “But at the end of the day, it came down to us and how we played. So, it’s our fault. We’ve got to deal with it.”

Klauser has been a mainstay on offense and defense the past two seasons after getting some valuable playing time as a sophomore.

At 6-foot-4 and 175 pounds, he has been an inviting target at wide receiver. He caught a team-leading 25 passes for 431 yards and three touchdowns last season and has 28 catches for 379 yards and four TDs this fall. He had two touchdown catches in a victory against Lift for Life Academy and eight receptions for 116 yards and a score against Southern Boone.

Klauser also has returned two kickoffs for scores, including a 75-yarder to open the second half last week against St. Louis Soldan.

“He’s football fast and plays the game with good speed and a lot of intensity, and he can jump out of the gym,” QND coach Jack Cornell said. “He creates mismatches, and when Aiden’s number is called, he usually comes down with the ball.”

His biggest contribution, however, may be on defense as a lockdown cornerback. Opposing quarterbacks have generally shied away from testing him this season after he collected four interceptions as a junior.

“When you look at prototypical cornerbacks, they have long and lean bodies, and he certainly fits that mold,” Cornell said. “He can run with anybody down the field and has a knack for the football. Not a lot of corners like to tackle, but he’s not afraid of contact.

“He provides a lot in all three phases. He doesn’t come off the field much, and that doesn’t happen by accident.”

Klauser shrugs off those compliments.

“I’ve been playing football since fourth grade,” he said. “I feel like you have to be willing to tackle someone. That’s the name of the game. You have to have that mentality and that physicality and not be scared of anyone and not back down.”

Schwartz, meanwhile, has anchored the offensive line since the beginning of his sophomore season. Friday night will be his 29th career start.

“Center is the most important position on the field,” Cornell said. “Everything starts with him. We have a unique tradition of smaller, compact centers, and Ben is the latest. He’s a voice of reason on offense. He’s smart, so when he speaks, people listen.

“We’re asking guys like Ben to run and reach to cover up linebackers. He can get to the second level quickly and hold it. He’s a strong guy and is built in such a way that he has natural leverage against people.”

After a slow start, the QND offense has been clicking the last five weeks largely behind an improved running game. The Raiders have scored 192 points during that stretch, including back-to-back 55-point efforts, although the defense and special teams have contributed greatly.

“The guys getting it done up front have been crucial to that formula,” Cornell said.

Schwartz, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 210 pounds, realizes the importance of his position and the performance of the entire offensive line.

“I’m more of a smaller, scrappier kind of guy who will play through the whistle and the echo of the whistle,” said Schwartz, who hopes to get an appointment to West Point. “I like to think I’m the brains of the operation, directing traffic upfront and telling guys what to do.

“It comes with having experience and studying the game and playbook as much as possible. I pride myself on knowing what I’m doing and what the other guys are doing.”

The Raiders punched their playoff ticket a year ago by beating John Burroughs in the regular-season finale. The Bombers enter this game with a 4-4 record after beating Roosevelt last week and have yet to win two games in a row.

“Anytime you’re playing your last game at home, you want to send these seniors out with a win,” Cornell said. “We want to enjoy our last moments together and to build some momentum going into the offseason.”

If it is his final game, Schwartz will walk away with no regrets.

“We let a couple of games slip out of our grasps, and it stinks if we do go out like this, but you can’t dwell on the past now that it’s almost over,” he said.

“I’m so grateful to be here all four years, all the memories and things I’ve done here and the things that Quincy Notre Dame has done for my life. I’ll be grateful forever.”