Few football players are as indispensable to their team as Dirk Snel. As Cascade’s quarterback on offense, a safety on defense and a kicker/punter on special teams, the 6-foot-2, 184-pound senior almost never leaves the game. Outside of sports, the Eagle Scout-slash-homecoming king stays as busy.
Coach’s corner Snel understands his own football responsibilities, but he also knows exactly what every teammate should do on any given play, Cascade coach Jake Huizinga said: “His knowledge of the game is outstanding.”
Iron man The only time Snel leaves the game is on kickoff returns – just a handful of plays per night. “We expect an awful lot of him,” Huizinga said, “and he never comes off (the field) because he’s tired.” Snel, also a basketball and golf standout who plans to play soccer this spring, attributed his energy to intense conditioning and a drug-free lifestyle.
Family ties Snel is the youngest of four brothers who played football at Cascade (the others are Aaron, Jason and Adam). Adam, the second-youngest brother, starred at Western Washington University after high school and was a Cascade assistant coach last season. Of continuing the family legacy, Dirk said, “It’s hard that there’s no other little brothers to keep the tradition alive, but it was fun to pick up where (Adam) left off.”
Favorite athlete Grady Sizemore, a Cascade grad and star center fielder for the Cleveland Indians. Over the summer Snel saw Sizemore play twice in Cleveland and once in Pittsburgh, at the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Scout team Snel has been a Boy Scouts of America member for years, and over the summer he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor for a Boy Scout. (Scouts must complete the rigorous requirements before age 18. About five percent of them do it, according to the Boy Scouts of America Web site.) For his final project, Snel organized a book drive. Limited to two weeks because of summer sports camps and family trips, he collected 5,000 books from donors and gave them to Everett Boys &Girls Club, Everett YWCA, Little Red Schoolhouse and Everett Public Library.
Dream job To be a TV sports reporter, hopefully covering football and basketball.
Nicknames Ri-Dirk-ulous, Fuggles and Dirkel (a takeoff on the name of TV character Steve Urkel from the former ABC comedy “Family Matters”)
Mike Cane, Herald Writer
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