When it comes to size, LaGondric Snell is not a guy who typically turns heads. Nonetheless, the Bacon County Middle School student has become one of the area’s premiere scene stealers while starring on multiple sports fronts. Snell, the son of Gonny Snell, Jr. and Shirrell Green, displays rare desire and work ethic for his age, according to his inner circle. “I’m afraid the lack of size runs on my side of the family,” laughs grandfather Gonny Snell, Sr. “But I have told him, ‘You can win without actually winning. You [go] out there and give it your best shot. Whether the score reflects the score or not, you are a winner.’”
Taking his grandfather’s advice to heart, LaGondric Snell’s intensity in the competitive arena belies his 5’3”, 110-pound frame. “He plays out of his numbers – his height and weight – it’s all heart,” says Steve Owens, who coaches Snell in football and track at BCMS. “LaGondric just makes plays everywhere and you don’t know how. He runs the 40-yard dash in about 5.2 seconds and for a middle school kid, that’s not too bad. I think the biggest thing with him is the vocal leadership and energy he brings to the game. He keeps everyone accountable and doesn’t accept poor effort from his teammates.”
A cornerback and running back, Snell helped lead the Raiders to a 3-3 regular season mark on the gridiron this past season. Offensively, he helped split the rushing load and reached paydirt as a receiver as well as on the ground. He also played on all special teams. However, Snell’s primary contributions came on defense. He was among the team’s leaders there with three interceptions and more than two dozen tackles (including several sacks). “I remember when I caught my first interception,” he says. “It was against Irwin County in a game we won. I had to run and dive for it and scoop it and I just had enough time to get to it.”
Owens says the aforementioned play ranks as his favorite among Snell’s highlights. “It was a perimeter play, a jet sweep going to the right side and he was on the far side of the field. LaGondric came all the way across the field and tackled the kid for only a 5-yard gain. It was an incredible hustle play and it was the key to us winning that day.”
Snell is also a proven winner on the basketball court, having helped the BCMS boys to a 4-3 mark this past winter. He occasionally plugs in as a shooting guard, but prefers manning the point guard position. “I like point because you touch the ball more,” Snell says. “There was a really good game I had when we started the season at home against ATCO. I scored 12 out of the 15 points we had. I made two free throws and scored the rest from the field, but we lost by five in overtime. I also made a three-pointer against Echols County and we won that game.”
This spring Snell will once again contribute his athleticism to the BCMS track team. His long legs make for an exceptional stride length, which make him a top hurdler. He also participates in the 4 x 100 relay and long jump. “My first time doing long jump, I jumped 16’5” and came in second,” he says.
Last season as a seventh-grader, Snell received the team’s prestigious Raider Pride Award. “He’s explosive for a middle school kid, but the one thing that makes him such a good hurdler is his courage,” says Owens. “That’s the number one thing a hurdler has to have because if he doesn’t have it, the physical doesn’t matter.”
“We always tell him if you want something, you’ve got to earn it,” says Snell’s father. “People underestimate LaGondric by his size, but his heart weighs 200 pounds. He says things like, ‘Mama and Daddy, when I get older I’m going to take care of you,’ and that makes me proud.’”
Family and friends are important to the rising star, who is among four generations living locally. His favorite pursuits also include watching the Atlanta Braves on TV with his grandfather and fishing with his uncle Terry Snell. Quality time with younger siblings is also a must. “LaGondric is really humble and always wants to give a hand without asking,” says his mother. “If I have to work late, he helps look out for his little brothers, making sure they do their homework and that they get to bed. He is a good big brother.”
Pick-up basketball games at home often include pals Shawn Morgan, Jesus Brown, Anthony Madison, Jeremy Roberson and Arrington “Shady” Moore. It’s not always just fun and games at the Snell household, which also includes an older sister who is a cheerleader and two younger brothers who also play sports year round. “We make sure they do well in school or they don’t play,” says Snell’s father. “We don’t really accept B’s, but they might slip one in now and then.”
LaGondric Snell attends tutoring sessions twice a week to ensure he stays on top of things in the classroom, where his favorite subject is social studies. He dreams of travelling to Gettysburg one day and he enjoys studying Abraham Lincoln, whom he admires for helping end slavery. “Social studies is an easy subject to understand because it’s not like math where it’s a bunch of numbers,” Snell says. “I like learning about the wars and battles that went on a long time ago. I did a PowerPoint on World War I in my tech class. I can remember that war because it’s when airplanes and submarines were first introduced into a battle or war.”
Snell himself is a former 4H class president as well as a Student of the Month honoree. He has previously been named to the Principal’s Honor Roll and has received academic certificates of recognition from First African Baptist Church in Alma, where he attends services with his family. As his middle school career winds down, Snell casts an eye toward becoming a fixture in the high school weight room and ultimately on the gridiron itself with the big boys.
“The weight room is something he will have to work on,” says Owens. “I think he can play corner, regardless if it’s cover-3 or cover-2 because he has such a knack. He reacts so well, plays the flats well, and gets a good break on the ball. He will have to work on nutrition, the weight room, and speed training and most likely will need a JV program. But he’s not a sideline guy. There’s got to be a role for him somewhere. LaGondric is passionate about winning and competing. Every little thing matters to him.”
LaGondric’s Favorites
Car – Lamborghini
Actor – Paul Walker
TV Show – Duck Dynasty
Food – Collard Greens
College team – FSU, Alabama
Pro team – Seattle Seahawks
Athletes – Marshawn Lynch, Golden Tate
SE-RS-2.14-LaGondricSnell
Rising Star/Southeast/February, 2014
LaGondric Snell
Bacon County Middle School
Alma, Georgia
Story by John DuPont
Photography by Bo Carter
Facing the Giants
