After watching K.J. Snerr play last Friday, it's hard to believe anyone would have had any doubts about the junior's prospects this season.

But some may have been given reason to pause when Snerr missed significant time last year after suffering a devastating shoulder injury on the first play of Marian's season-opener against Lehighton.A year later and fully healed, Snerr showed what he was capable of in the Colts' 18-7 win over Williams Valley, totaling 163 yards rushing and two touchdowns on just 15 carries to go along with a critical 37-yard reception late in the first half that set up a score on the next play.The performance helped Snerr earn Times News Football Player of the Week honors for the first week of the 2014 season.The accomplishment is one the junior takes great pride in, especially when considering where he was at this point a year ago."It was very emotional," Snerr said of last week's game against the Vikings. "I guess there were a lot of people that doubted me and wondered if I would come back from this (shoulder injury). But I did, and I worked my hardest and did what I had to do."Snerr put in countless hours of rehab to strengthen his shoulder, which helped give him the confidence he needed to get back on the field."Mentally, I just needed to get myself re-focused," he said of his mindset. "Once I started therapy, that helped me get back."While Snerr trusted that his hard work would allow him to come back and play at a high level, he admitted he was apprehensive about how he would do until he got on the field."I was definitely anxious," said Snerr. "I was just waiting for that first hit to get all the jitters out and after that I just kind of settled down and tried to do what I normally do."Starting as a quarterback in 2013, Snerr certainly showed flashes of his potential when he was on the field, highlighted by 162 yards rushing and two touchdowns in a 27-26 win over Anthracite Football League foe North Schuylkill.Despite seeing limited action a year ago, Marian head coach Stan Dakosty wasn't shy about his expectations for Snerr coming into this season."I thought he would be a main cog in our football team. If he's healthy, he's one of our main cogs, there's no question about it," the coach said. "He's talented and he's an intense worker that's very focused when he's playing the game."And he's a real good teammate as well; he works really well with everyone. That's what we saw Friday night and that's what we're hoping he's capable of this season."The results against a tough Williams Valley front were the product of a team effort by the Colts, especially the offensive line, which helped Marian pile up 388 yards of total offense against the Vikings, something that's not lost on Snerr or Dakosty."They have come a long way and they're all pretty much experienced," Dakosty said of the group. "Joe Damiano, Josh Ambruch, Chris Miller, A.J. Wolk, Ryan Malarkey and Peter Dubravski. Those are the guys that set the tone, and I thought that was really positive for us."Snerr was equally complementary of the unit."I honestly think that I have the best line in the entire AFL," he said. "They've worked their butts off from January through the summer. They've worked harder than I've ever seen them work and I think it's definitely going to pay off this year."For Dakosty, seeing a player such as Snerr succeed is what it's all about."He really worked hard in the offseason and persevered," the coach said. "It's satisfying to see a player that works like that get rewarded in that way."