Shaefer Schuetz spent his first two college football seasons as a developmental quarterback. Or quarterback-in-waiting?
Whatever you may call it, Schuetz has made the most out of his time at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan.
Schuetz, a former Park Hill South standout, redshirted his freshman year before backing up who he calls a best friend in Jacob Koester for two seasons. And then in 2017, when his number was called upon, Schuetz put what he learned into the Ravens’ high-powered offense.
“Those first couple years were big,” Schuetz said Tuesday. “I was fortunate enough to play under one of my best friends in Jake Koester. I just kind of watched coaches (offensive coordinator) Fran Johnson and (head coach Larry) Wilcox. They were huge in my development. It taught me a lot of info in Xs and Os, coverages and defense.”
“College demands more out of you.”
Sarah Jo Schwinn/Benedictine College Athletics
Benedictine College quarterback Shaefer Schuetz, a Park Hill South graduate, has the Ravens playing in the NAIA semifinals this weekend.
It can bring the best out of you too, apparently.
Schuetz broke the Ravens’ single-season passing touchdown record with 27 in 2017, while ultimately leading Benedictine to a Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division title and a berth into the NAIA tournament.
“He’s been a steady player since he got here. I think he holds about every record at Park Hill South,” said Wilcox, who’s in his 40th season at the helm of the Ravens. “We knew he had skills coming in, but I think his leadership is his most outstanding attributes and utilizing the other people around him. Working within the system with what we have here, he’s done an excellent job using his personnel.”
During his first season as starting quarterback, Schuetz registered 2,169 passing yards, 180 per game, 27 passing TDs and eight interceptions in 12 games in which Benedictine went 9-3 overall.
The success and gained experience — the good being the above, and the bad being a crushing 26-21 first-round exit to then-No. 1 St. Francis in the NAIA Opening Round — led the Kansas City native to even greater heights this fall.
Schuetz, 6-foot-1, 213 pounds, led the Ravens to a 10-1 regular season, another North Division title and another shot at postseason success. This time he has made sure to make the most of that opportunity.
Schuetz passed for 275 yards and five touchdowns in a wild 48-41 NAIA Opening Round victory over the University of the Cumberlands in double overtime.
Then, Schuetz and his potent offense were even more impressive in the national quarterfinals. The Ravens led 37-0 at the half on their way to a 54-38 win over Concordia University, clinching Benedictine’s first NAIA semifinal appearance since 2001.
The coaching staff has used some motivation tactics to urge the team forward this postseason.
“That loss against St. Francis was hard for us (last season). We had that final score written on the whiteboard a couple weeks ago,” Schuetz said.
Schuetz connected on 13 of his 15 pass attempts for 273 yards and three touchdowns in just more than 2 quarters of action of the quarterfinal game.
“He’s accumulated a lot of those statistics by not necessarily playing the whole game,” Wilcox said. “Even this last week, in a national playoff game, he only played 2 ½ quarters. There’s been a lot of games like that.”
Schuetz believes last season’s playoff loss played a factor in the Ravens’ success this time around.
“I was fortunate to play in a playoff game last year, which was big,” he said. “Even getting a year under my belt was huge, especially as quarterback. I’m more prepared.”
He even helped senior wide receiver Aaron Jackson reach Benedictine’s single-season touchdown record this season. The 6-2, 187-pound pass catcher has 16 touchdowns on 58 catches for 1,067 receiving yards.
Jackson, a Western Kentucky transfer in his second year in Atchison, Kan., has drawn interest from 15 NFL scouts, according to Wilcox.
“That’s a pretty potent combination there,” Wilcox said of the Schuetz-to-Jackson duo. “When you got a big-play guy like that with the other excellent receivers we have, it’s difficult to cover all of them.”
While Schuetz says he enjoys breaking records — and helping others do the same — the main goal of winning a national title takes precedence.
“It’s a blast to achieve those, but what makes our team special is what we’re trying to achieve and what we’re here for. Those are fun and we enjoy those things, but at the end of the day we’re focused on the team’s success.”
Schuetz will have an opportunity to better his season’s output when No. 7-ranked Benedictine travels to No. 6 Kansas Wesleyan on Saturday, Dec. 1, with a trip to the national championship game — to be played Dec. 15 in Daytona Beach, Florida — on the line.
Regardless of Saturday’s result, Schuetz is set to complete his fourth year in the classroom this spring. When asked of his plans for his final year of athletic eligibility next season, Schuetz didn’t hesitate to provide an answer.
“Oh, I’ll be back,” he said. “A lot of that just stems from me not wanting to leave Benedictine College and not wanting to hang the cleats up yet.”
Schuetz also remembers where he came from.
“Park Hill South, more than anything, taught me a work ethic and an ability to fight and never give up,” he said. “That’s a characteristic of our team this year. That fends from me and my time at Park Hill South. Coach Cramer, he was big in always pushing me. Coach Carr, Sharp, Simcock and Mozee, who’s now the head coach at Lee’s Summit North.
“They all did a great job of developing me and giving me that sense of a strong work ethic.”