By MATT SCHUCKMAN

Herald-Whig Sports Writer

Faced with the prospect of an uncertain future on a gimpy knee, Andrew Juette tried but couldn't push his frustration aside.

"I was beyond frustrated," he said.

Juette was red-faced angry,

"I just wanted to go to an old house and just punch holes in the walls," said Juette, the senior defensive back who injured his right knee the day before the Quincy Notre Dame football team began practicing in August.

"I don't know if I've ever had that much rage built up in me. Just to know that I couldn't go through two-a-days and potentially miss part of the season, it was tearing me apart inside."

Yet, he never gave in to the rage.

"I had to be patient," Juette said.

Nor did he think this season was lost.

"It really never crossed my mind," Juette said.

Only getting back on the field did. Now, more than two months later, QND's opponents are realizing why that makes such a difference.

A lock-down cornerback with good recovery speed, Juette is finally healthy and helping make the Raiders a viable state contender. QND (9-0) plays host to Harrisburg (6-3) in today's first round of the Class 4A playoffs and will rely on a defense that has been one of the best in the state.

QND allowed just 32 points during the regular season, the second fewest among the 256 playoff teams. Just as impressive, the Raiders have intercepted seven passes and allowed opponents to connect on only 43.9 percent of pass plays.

Juette has yet to get a pick, but he's still been a presence with 29 tackles and three tackles for loss. In fact, QND coach Bill Connell said Juette was a presence even while injured.

"He was out there at practice, talking to (defensive) backs and talking to receivers," Connell said. "You take a guy like that and try to put him into an assistant coach's role for a couple of weeks to help your team. He did a good job of that."

All the while, he stay focused on getting healthy.

Juette injured the knee on a freak accident while swimming the day before practice began, resulting in a slight rip of the medial collateral ligament and damage to the meniscus.

He was put on crutches and had to wait for the bruising of the meniscus to heal before practicing.

"It wasn't an issue of going front and back," said Juette, who also has returned three kicks for 40 yards this season. "It was an issue of going side to side because of the MCL. I was icing that every night. After about 4 or 5 weeks, it started feeling more natural."

While the rehab seemed slow at times, Juette relied on the coaching staff for support.

"It's one thing to just go out there, have your coaches look at you and push you off to the side because you're one of those hurt guys," Juette said. "They have 70 some guys to worry about. It's understandable.

"But not for our coaches. We're a team. If one person is down, the whole team respects that and will do whatever it takes to help."

Ultimately, that paid off in his return to the lineup.

"Coming out here running on it every day, cutting on it every day, it's getting back to 100 percent," Juette said. "It feels great right now."

At first, he admits he was a little tentative.

"I had to play a little more conservative and give a little more cushion," Juette said.

No longer does he need to do that.

"My speed is up, my cuts are back," Juette said.

And his presence is as important now as it has ever been.

-- mschuckman@whig.com/221-3366