BY KEVIN WOODRUFF

Montrose Area graduate Chris Snee, a right guard for the New York Giants, is riding high from the team’s NFC Championship victory over theSan Francisco49ers, and is looking forward to taking on the New England Patriots in Sunday’s Super Bowl.

Snee, 30, a 1999 Montrose graduate and formerBostonCollegestandout, said the team will use the same philosophy it uses every week when they take on the 15-3 Patriots.

“Our philosophy is always the same,” Snee said. “We will play hard. And we have to give Ely (Manning) enough time to get off good passes.”

New York(12-7) has had a few bumps in the road this season, but Snee thinks it’s no surprise they made it as far as they have.

“I think every team’s expectation is to go to the Super Bowl,” Snee said. “We had some bumps along the road, but things came together.”

The Giants earned the berth to Super Bowl XLVI with a 20-17 overtime victory over theSan Francisco49ers on Jan. 22.

The Giants used a 31-yard field goal from kicker Lawrence Tynes in overtime to break a 17-17 tie withSan Francisco.

Snee said that after losing to the 49ers, 27-20 on Nov. 13, the team had a feeling they may see them again.

“It was echoed in the locker room after we lost to them the first time that we would see them again,” Snee said. “The team knew that if we were to get where we wanted to go, we’d have to face them again first.”

After the win over the 49ers, Snee and the Giants have been practicing in East Rutherford, N.J., but on Monday flew out toIndianapoliswhere they will hold practices throughout the week.

“We fly out on Monday, and after the circus that is media day on Tuesday we will start practices,” Snee said. “We try to get into a normal practice schedule leading up to the game.”

This is Snee’s second time in the Super Bowl in the past four years, and his second time taking on the New England Patriots.

In 2008, the Giants were victorious in Super Bowl XLII against the Patriots with a 17-14 win.

And Snee is hoping to help make the Giants two-for-two.

“New Englandwill do what they always do, and we just have to play solid football,” Snee said. “We have to be strong in every phase of the game.”

Given thatSan Franciscoheld down the Giant running back Ahmad Bradshaw and applied pressure to quarterback Eli Manning in the NFC Championship, Snee feels that the Patriots will likely do the same.

“We play in a copycat league,” Snee said. “If something another team does works, then the next team will do the same. And if it works, they’d be foolish not to.”

Offensively, the Giants have many weapons they can use againstNew England.

Snee said the Giants are lucky to have as many playmakers on the field as they do, and commended wide receiver Victor Cruz on his performance in the NFC Championship.

“It’s nice to have as many playmakers as we do,” Snee said. “Cruz had a heck of a game. And it’s very exciting to see what he’ll do for the team in the future.”

Only time will tell what the outcome of Sunday’s game will be, but Snee is enjoying the ride.

And his sons Dylan, 8, Cooper 5, and Walker, 2, will be watching from the stands with his wife Kate, along with two of Snee’s brothers.

Super Bowl XLVI takes place Sunday, Feb. 5, at6:20 p.m.at Lucas Oil Stadium inIndianapolis,Ind.It will air on NBC.