Belton High School has risen to new heights in recent years, and the 4-0 start to this season indicates that the best may be yet to come.
It’s been some time since the Tigers have seen such success, and part of that could be attributed to the influence of coach Brett Sniffin, who came over from Ridge Point a few years ago.
Sniffin opened Ridge Point in 2010. However, something about Belton appealed to him.
“When I was at Ridge Point, it initially had that small-town feel before it grew to the point it is now,” he said. “I missed that aspect, since I’m not much of a big-city-type-of-guy, so that’s what kind of drew me to Belton. I’m sure other coaches share that same mindset and are drawn to that feeling, because it is definitely an event on Friday nights when we’re playing at home.”
That sentiment runs even deeper.
“Belton is its own unique area and our school pretty much is Belton,” Sniffin said. “It’s unique to have that small-town feel. There aren’t too many chain restaurants, it’s mostly mom-and-pop type stuff. There’s a nice home-town feel, and the more you win, the more the season ticket holders come in and fill up the stands. That support has been overwhelming.”
Since Sniffin and his staff took over the reins of the program four years ago, Belton has gradually re-established itself as a true contender in the Class 5A-II race.
“We like to say we’re doing things here that haven’t been done in a long time,” said Sniffin. “Last year, we had the first outright district title since 1998. Now, we want to win 10 games for the first time since 2009. They’ve never won three playoff games so that’s something we want to do. Those are our long-term goals, but obviously the first one is to win tonight, and we want to start off district on the right foot.”
Senior QB Reese Rumfield has been the star of the show, while Belton’s RB Shaun Snapp, Wyatt Butler (Sr. LB) and Dante Martinez (Sr. LB) have been among the key contributors to the program’s fast start.
They’ll be essential to coach Sniffin’s keys to their district opener against Pflugerville this evening.
“We want to be able to drive the ball and consume some clock against their (Pflugerville’s) big defensive front,” he said. “Defensively, we want to shore up the pass-defense and put some pressure on the quarterback. Lastly, special teams has been a strong point for us, and that’s what’s helped us get over the hump.”
Don’t sleep on the Tigers. They might have a small-town feel, but they have big-time aspirations.