Snyder hopes for success at state lineman challenge

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Snyder’s offensive and defensive linemen hope hard work leads to success at the fifth annual Texas Lineman Challenge, which will be held at Hardin-Simmons University Saturday.
The competition will be divided into three divisions with Snyder competing against Class 4A Division I and II and Class 3A Division I schools. Players will participate in 10 events starting at 9 a.m.
Snyder competed at two events earlier this summer, including winning the small school division at the Lone Star Varsity meet last weekend at Lubbock Cooper High School. The group also competed at Hardin-Simmons.
Eleven players are scheduled to compete at the state meet — Isaac Perez, Cyrus Soria, Alex Jaimes, Marcus Rocha, Ali Mata, Luis Vasquez, Terry Goolsby, Aaron Rivera, Jonathan Valdez, Austin Cummings and Seth McGrew.
Jaimes, who will be one of four starters returning on the offensive line, said the lineman challenge will prepare him for preseason football practice. He was injured late last season.
“It is helping make my knee stronger with all of the events we do,” Jaimes said. “We work as one team and my buddies push me when sometimes I don’t want to push.”
Snyder expects a different result from the team’s performance this time at Hardin-Simmons.
“We didn’t do our best and finished sixth,” Jaimes said. “We made errors that can easily be fixed. I expect we will do well on Saturday.”
Jaimes said the linemen like the challenge and use it as a way to prepare for the season.
“Sometimes linemen feel left out, even though we are the hardest working group,” he said. “It’s good to have something to keep us fit and in shape. The lineman challenge is all about competing and staying in shape.”
Soria said more teammates got involved this year.
“We have shown a lot of improvement and more people are participating,” he said. “The players are learning to trust and believe in each other. It helps to build team chemistry among the linemen. We work and push together. It helps to increase my speed and develop more toughness, so I can be successful. It takes a team effort to be successful in lineman challenges. I’m confident about how we will do.”
McGrew said the atmosphere this summer is different among the linemen.
“We qualified for state again, but it was different because of new rules,” he said. “We qualified because how we performed in events, not overall. We didn’t practice much last year and came together this year. The competition helps develop more toughness.”
Mata, who did not participate last year, said the competition is fun.
“I wish I had did this last summer because you have a lot of fun,” he said. “We go out there and compete. The lineman challenges show you how mentally tough you are. The heat can get to you, but it shows you what you need to work on. We did well at the meet last weekend and I feel good about Saturday.”
Cummins, who moved to Snyder late last summer, is glad to be a part of the group.
“One of benefits is we can support each other and work on become better players,” he said. “We are getting stronger and faster. I’m excited about competing for a trophy Saturday and feel we will do well.”