Out for much more
August 6, 2008
By Ryan Piersol
After standout junior season, Mount Si’s Sean Snead hopes to really make people notice in 2008
The video shows Sean Snead plow through the line of scrimmage, bounce to the outside with a bolt and simply outrun two defensive backs on his way to the end zone.He makes it look easy.
And if that run – which has been on the Mount Si football Web site all summer – isn’t enough to get Wildcat fans excited, there was also June 14. That’s when, against two-time defending state 4A runner-up Bothell, Snead took Mount Si’s first offensive play 40 yards for a touchdown.
Size, speed, experience and, yes, big-play ability. What’s not to like about the Wildcats’ senior running back?
“He’s been in our weight room every single day this summer,” Mount Si head coach Charlie Kinnune said.”And there has been a significant difference in him between his junior year and his junior spring. He’s gotten a lot more confident.”
Not that Snead was that shoddy before. Last season, he filled a huge void at running back with the departure of star Brandon Yakaboski to the University of Washington. Snead rushed for eight touchdowns and 761 yards, which was good enough for fourth overall in KingCo 3A.
What made that feat even more impressive is that Snead gained all those yards in his first season as a starting running back. Throughout middle school and early in his high-school career, he was used primarily as a linebacker. On that side of the ball, as a weakside middle linebacker, Snead managed 62 tackles last season, good enough for fifth overall in KingCo 3A.
“I felt a little unsure of my ability (at running back) last year, because I hadn’t really played the position before,” Snead said. “Just the basic stuff, like knowing how to read a block, I feel as if I have a whole lot more vision for this year.
“It’s just going to be a whole lot easier this season, especially not being so nervous before games.”
Only four of the top-10 rushers in the league from last season are back this fall. Snead, of course, is one of them. And his goals for the 2008 season seem to grow by the day.
Not only does he want to finish as the league’s top rusher, he’s hoping to top the 1,000-yard rushing mark. With a big and experienced offensive line, as well as an I-formation that seems to fit his style, that magical number actually seems realistic.
“He’s big, fast and powerful. And we use a power offense, so there’s not a lot of misdirection. And that fits him,” Kinnune said. “He’s a big back, about 6-foot-2, and he’s tough to bring down.”
It hasn’t been too difficult, however, for Snead to bring others down. In fact, he’s almost certain he’ll play linebacker on the next level.
Snead is currently being recruited by more than 20 Division 1-A schools, most notably Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon State, Penn State, Oregon and Stanford. Originally from northern California, Snead said education and environment are the top factors in choosing a school.
“I know that I certainly want to be a linebacker, though,” he said. “I just think I can excel at that position more.”
For this fall, though, teams may take more notice of Snead at running back. That’s simply because he will factor in so largely in the Wildcats’ offensive attack.
There will be no shortage of teams capable of posing a threat to Mount Si’s rushing attack either. The big one will come against Bellevue, who not only is considered a contender in the league alongside the Wildcats, but gave up just two rushing touchdowns in all of 2007.
That matchup is scheduled for Sept. 26 in Bellevue. Snead is ready now.
“Bellevue always has an excellent defense,” he said. “And we haven’t beaten them in a couple of years now, so that’s going to be a huge game, just trying to break that losing streak. It’ll be big.”
Reach editor Ryan Piersol at editor@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.
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