Local News

Former Clinton High School Football Star Passes Away

The Clinton Community recently lost a great athlete and by all accounts, and even better person.

 width=Ontario Sneed past away Tuesday afternoon at the Dr. John Warner Hospital. Sneed was a standout football player at Clinton High School and went on and had a tremendous college career at Central Michigan. Superintendent of Clinton Schools Dr. Jeff Holmes recalls being in the beginning stages of his tenure in the district but Ontario was a not only a stand out athlete, but a person who was very like-able and a great student in the school.

[audio:81712ontariosneed1.mp3] [/audio]

Athletic Director of Clinton High School, Karl Parrish, like Dr. Holmes remembers Ontario as a person the students enjoyed having around, and says the faculty of the school found him very like-able as well. One thing Parrish noticed about him was the way he approached his athletics. He says Ontario took football and all the sports he participated in very seriously.

[audio:81712ontariosneed2.mp3] [/audio]

Parrish says he knew Ontario possessed great speed, but being able to coach him in track, it quickly became apparent that he had the ability to take his skill to the next level in division one college football.

[audio:81712ontariosneed3.mp3] [/audio]

At Clinton High School, Ontario rushed for a total of 3408 yards, a total of 49 touchdowns, and a career total of 4587 total yards. He was recruited by current Notre Dame football coach, Brian Kelly, who left halfway through Sneed's Central Michigan career for Cincinnati. At Central Michigan, as a freshman, Ontario ran for over 1000 yards (1065) and eight touchdowns, along with over 400 receiving yards (433) and three touchdowns. While he never matched the yardage total, but his senior year he again rushed for eight touchdowns, and his sophomore year he caught seven touchdown passes. His longest run came as a sophomore, where he scampered 96 long yards for a score in the MAC championship game at Ford Field in Detroit. Sneed was named a second team Freshman All-American.

Ontario is 9th on the all-time Central Michigan rushing list, he's also 8th in all time rushing touchdowns, and is 6th in passes caught. Current Pittsburgh Steelers wideout, Antonio Brown, is number one. Ontario is also fourth in Central Michigan history in total touchdowns.

Services for Sneed will be at 11 AM Monday at the Calvert Funeral Home in Clinton with Franklin R. Dotson officiating. The visitation is Sunday from 2-4 pm at Calvert Funeral Home. Memorials can be made to the Ontario D. Sneed Memorial Fund. Ontario's father is Michael Sneed, and his mother is Sherry Mooney. Ontario has four brothers, Lantavius, Kieron and Kadarius Sneed, and Oscar Garcia, all of Clinton.

Ontario was 25 years old.

Townhall Top of the Hour News

Local Weather - Sponsored By:

CLINTON WEATHER

Local News

DeWittDN on Facebook