Example to follow: Raiders’ Kasparie provides blueprint for teammates on how to become playmaker

QUINCY — Ben Kasparie has been in every younger teammate’s shoes.

It’s why he is cognizant of how his actions are perceived.

“There’s a lot more pressure on me,” said Kasparie, the Quincy Notre Dame senior running back/linebacker who is a four-year starter and a mentor for players like Ben Schwartz, a sophomore starting on the offensive line. “I have a lot of younger guys looking at me. I know I looked at the older guys and wanted to act like them. So I think the pressure is definitely on as a senior.”

His ability to handle such pressure, show leadership and perform at a high level is why he has been a mainstay in the lineup in the Raiders’ ascent from a 3-6 record his freshman year to one victory away from qualifying for the playoffs this season.

“Do your job. It’s as simple as that,” Kasparie said. “If you see someone doing their job, then you want to do your own job. Then the younger guys want to do their job. If everybody does their job, even if you’re on the sideline or serving as the waterboy, the game goes amazing. If you have people cheering for you on the sideline, it makes you want to play harder and faster.”

Kasparie has done nothing but play hard, fast and aggressive since being inserted into the lineup in Week 2 his freshman season.

More snaps than any QND football player

Heading into his 35th career game this week when the Raiders play host to Granite City at 7 p.m. Friday night in the final regular-season game at Advance Physical Therapy Field, Kasparie is believed to have played more snaps than any player in program history.

“I’ve played a lot of games,” Kasparie said.

Yet, the effort has been the same time after time.

“He’s the type of kid that gives maximum effort every time he steps on the field,” QND coach Jack Cornell said. “He shows up ready to work.”

That’s a mirror image of his coach.

“He and I have gone through it together,” Kasparie said of Cornell. “It’s amazing to see the growth. Our freshman year, we had 46 guys. We have 80 now. That’s on the coach, but it’s also on the players. If they see guys playing and having fun, they want to join. They see the fun we’re having and they want to have fun.”

Making big plays is fun.

“Everybody wants to make plays,” Kasparie said.

He seems to do it at critical junctures in all facets. In the Week 1 victory at Quincy High School, Kasparie returned the opening kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown. In the Week 2 dismantling of Rock Island Alleman, he scored four first-half rushing touchdowns. In the Week 3 victory over Marceline (Mo.), he intercepted two passes in the first quarter and returned one for a touchdown.

The reaction to each of those plays along the QND sideline makes him want to chase another big play the next snap he takes.

“It’s all the excitement I get from my boys,” Kasparie said. “Everybody hypes everybody up. Once you make that play, you’re getting up to see everybody cheer for you. You want to shake everybody’s hand and get fist bumps.”

Thrust into lineup as a freshman

Kasparie has been making plays since the day he stepped on the field, and his first start is a memorable one. He was inserted at linebacker in Week 2 of the 2018 season at Rock Island Alleman.

“The week before at practice was definitely exciting, getting put in for the first time,” Kasparie said. “I’m part of the gang with all the seniors and juniors and I’m just this little freshman. It’s definitely exciting. Nobody gets to experience that except for a couple few people.”

He tried his best to act the part of a seasoned veteran.

“I definitely was nervous,” Kasparie said. “But I saw the older guys and how they acted, and I just followed along.”

More than how they acted, those older players taught Kasparie about on-field responsibility and the importance of doing your job. If you try to do too much, you hurt the team.

“It’s really easy if you think about it simply,” Kasparie said. “If you try to do too much, it becomes easy to do too much and it messes up everything.”

The reason success and high expectations have become the norm at QND is the Raiders stick to what they know.

“We all work together,” Kasparie said. “There is no one person trying to do it all. If everybody plays their position and does their job, we all get it done.

“Every year is the same — you try your hardest to get better. The work follows after that.”

Although his hard work and persistence has allowed him to play offense, defense and special teams, Kasparie knows he cannot give a Herculean effort and try to stay on the field for every play of the game.

“I don’t want to come off the field, but I have it,” Kasparie said. “My body forces me to. I wouldn’t want to come off the field if I didn’t have to, but sometimes I have to.”