NOMINEES FOR Snake Player of the Year
Chad George, Houston Heat.
When it comes to a pure snake player, Chad George has been one of the best in the sports history. He brings a style that is focused on constant pressure and movement and his ability to find openings in the opponents guard is a big reason for his longevity in the league. Throughout the 2021 season, Chad was leaned on heavily by Houston to produce, and he played the majority of points for Heat in 2021. His high survivability and production led to an event win in Philadelphia as well as one of the best preliminary records of any team during 2021.
Alex Goldman, Edmonton Impact.
'Alex Goldman is just different. He brings a level of athleticism and IQ to the snake position that is incredibly rare and he is constantly a source of focus for opposing team's best guns. At the season opener in Florida, Alex was the best player on the field and it wasn't even close. The nuanced and methodical approach he took in the snake was critical in the dismantling of the potent Infamous offense and was the reason Impact left the event with a gold medal. He is arguably one of the best snake players of all-time and his 2021 season was yet another superb effort on a great career in the snake for Goldman.
Billy Bernacchia, San Antonio XFactor.
Billy Bernacchia has been an elite snake player in the professional division for nearly two decades; the 2021 season was no different as Billy was one of the most effective snake players of the year. He uses his elite speed and athleticism to constantly pressure the opposition, and his gun-skills are among the gold standard of the NXL when it comes to attack players. Although XFactor didn't secure an event win, Billy was a central focus point on San Antonio that helped lead them to four straight Sunday appearances, two silver medals, and 4th place in the season standings for pro.
Alex Fraige, San Diego Dynasty.
Alex Fraige has been the de facto snake player for San Diego Dynasty for over 20 years; he always seems to end up in the snake. After a very quiet start to the season, Alex credited his late season eruption in the snake to an improved mental state and a renewed drive to play the sport of paintball. At the Chicago NXL event, Alex was the clear MVP and the best player on the field all weekend long from the snake. He then followed up his MVP level performance with another great event at the World Cup and helped Dynasty win two events in the 2021 season.
Dany Schonauer, Columbus LVL.
Dany used the 2021 season to establish himself as one of the best emerging snake players in the league. After a quiet start at the Sunshine State Major, he blossomed the remaining three events of the season as a legitimate top attacker for his burgeoning team, Columbus LVL. At the Windy City Major, he helped surge his team on a Cinderella run to the semi-finals and was arguably the best pure-snake player of the event. His aggressive, attack-first style goes against the grain somewhat, compared to the increasingly prevalent style of methodical movement that many other snake players in the league utilize, and is reminiscent of a young Thomas Taylor.