LACY LAKEVIEW, Texas (KXXV) — Former coach and teammates gathered to celebrate Connally High's Coach Snell's 25th year with the Cadets and presented him with a signed game ball.
The ball he was presented with was the same basketball Coach Snell, and his teammates had presented to their coach, Dale Snelling when he was recognized for his 25th year of coaching.
- Coach Quinton Snell was honored for his dedication to the school in a surprise ceremony before a basketball game.
- The celebration marks Snell's 25th year as coach of the Cadets.
- Snell's former coach and teammates from when he played at Connally High attended the event.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Connally Head Basketball Coach Quinton Snell has been in the game for nearly 3 decades. While he may not play anymore, he's still making an impact on the court.
Tuesday night— Snell was shocked to see his former coach and four of his former teammates from the Class of '88 at his game. They were there for a surprise ceremony celebrating Snell's 25th season as the coach of the Cadets.
"The game ball was given to me by the class of 1988 at the end of our season, and all my seniors signed the ball," Former Connally High Coach Dale Snelling said. "It meant a whole lot to be able to return that to Quinton tonight. He's well deserving of it."
During Snell's time as head coach—he's won several district championships, made deep runs in the playoffs and was honored a few years ago for hitting his 500 win.
"I was asking other than myself which one almost shed a tear, and when Billy said he almost did, I felt better about that because I wasn't the only one," Snell's former teammate said. "It's just an amazing brotherhood."
A couple of his former teammates traveled across Texas to make the game.
"For the most part, we've grown up with each other, and we've had that specific connection," Snell said. "We really care about each other."
Coach Snell tells 25 News that the Class of '88 is so close because of its connection to our community.
"You cut me, and I'll be bleeding blue and grey," Snell said.
And it's not just Coach Snell bleeding blue and grey— it's his entire family. His daughter also coaches at Connally, his son and wife help him out, and even his sister manages his teams.
"Like coach G said from Lorena, it's a family business," he said. "That's how we made it, and the community has allowed us to do that."
A 'family business' and a 'brotherhood'—25 years in the making, connected by a love of sports and our community.
