State-ranked Raiders showcase multiple weapons in rout of Marceline, Mo.

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Quincy Notre Dame running back Ben Kasparie attempts to avoid three tacklers from Marceline during Friday night's game at Advance Physical Therapy Field. Pattie Paxton

QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame football team is developing an offense that can attack opponents in all sorts of ways.

Calvin Lavery threw for 182 yards and two touchdowns, Elliott Maas and Ben Kasparie combined for 104 yards rushing and two touchdowns, Jackson Stratton caught five passes and two touchdowns, and six other receivers caught passes during Friday night’s 49-7 victory over Marceline, Mo., at Advance Physical Therapy Field.

The Raiders, ranked No. 4 in the Illinois Class 4A poll, are 3-0 for the first time since 2010 when they opened with victories over Hannibal (Mo.), Macomb and Jefferson City (Mo.) Helias. 

Kasparie made several big plays in the first quarter. He intercepted a pass by Jacob Stallo deep in Quincy Notre Dame territory, returning it to the Marceline 20-yard line. He then followed with a 5-yard touchdown run with 4:05 left to play in the first quarter.

After Stallo threw two incomplete passes on Marceline’s next possession, Kasparie picked off another pass and returned it 27 yards for another touchdown just 27 seconds after his previous score.

The next drive for the Tigers (2-1) ended with an interception by the Raiders’ Zach Friedersdorf in the end zone. QND then drove 80 yards for its next score, a 40-yard pass from Calvin Lavery to Jack Gilliland with 10:37 left in the second quarter to go ahead 21-0.

The Raiders then finished the half with a 60-yard drive in the final two minutes. Lavery found Jackson Stratton streaking across the back of the end zone from 19 yards out with four seconds left before halftime.

Marceline tried to change its fortunes with a successful onside kick to open the third quarter, but it couldn’t gain even one first down on its next possession. The Raiders struck quickly, scoring with 9:12 left on the third quarter clock on a 24-yard touchdown strike from Lavery to Stratton.

Hunter Nelson prevented the shutout with a 17-yard touchdown run for the Tigers in the third quarter. The Raiders added a 3-yard touchdown run by Maas and a 5-yard score from Drew McDonald to wrap up the scoring. 

The Raiders limited the Tigers to 44 yards rushing. Diallo completed just 12 of 35 passes for 127 yards, and he was picked off three times.

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