>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

LOCAL IMPACT: Powder Valley graduate Michael Stephens (top left) pulls down a running back. Observer photo/PAUL HARDER

He looked like a kid who belonged here. A natural. A perfect mold. Those shoulder pads and helmet? They looked like they stayed on his body, even in Stage Four sleep.

“I just noticed him right (away),” East All-Star coach Bob Macauley said. “Up comes this kid, and you just go, ‘well, that kid plays every day of his life.’”

This Joseph graduate — who will attempt to walk on the University of Idaho football team this fall — caught the eye of his all-star head coach on that first day of practice, even before exploding out of that three-point stance to smack an oncoming linebacker.

And by the end of the week, Garnett had Macauley raving not only about his football skills, but his impressive characteristics as a young human being, too.

Football skills? Garnett certainly did it all Saturday, from booting touchbacks as a placekicker to wrapping up ball carriers as a linebacker to clearing lanes as a fullback.

Impressive characteristics? He’s easy going. Happy. A great teammate. A joy to be around.

“What an awesome kid,” Macauley said. “In the dorms he was popular, just because of the kid that he is, the person he is. How good does it get? He was special.

“Clark Kent in the dorms, Superman on the field.”

Superman ditched the red cape and blue suit Saturday in exchange for a No. 9 East jersey, making an impact on both sides of the ball.

Here was Garnett, crouching in his linebacking position and eyeing the offense, hands dangling, fingers flickering, readying for the snap of the ball. 

“Set, Hut.”

Here came West running back Kale Forrester, charging through the hole, then ... smack! Stood up by Garnett. No gain on the play.

Here was Garnett on offense, gaining five yards on a full back dive, in between setting blocks for his running backs.

And, oh, those instincts.

Even when the game looked complete Saturday, as the East defense needed a stop on 4th-and-1 with 27.8 seconds left in the fourth quarter, here was Garnett, smacking into West quarterback Brody Wilkins, jarring the ball loose, then hopping on it like a kid finding a $5 bill at recess.

Superman came to the rescue.

Again. 

“He’s fun to watch,” Macauley said. “I said, ‘You remind of a kid that gets up in the morning every summer, puts on his shoulder pads and helmet, and goes and waits in the park in case a game breaks out.’

“I think the guy was born to play the game.”

Dorm-room pranks

Mischevious Michael? Hey. He wasn’t alone.

It was the wee hours of Friday morning, as members of the West All-Star team were sound asleep inside the EOU dorms, resting for an upcoming two-a-day practice session.

Meanwhile, Michael Stephens and 15-20 members of his East squad were still awake, planning a practical joke.

“We thought we would have some fun,” Stephens said. So they snuck upstairs, into the rooms of these West players, took out their furniture, and left it in the hallway.

It gets better ...

Stephens and his teammates also sprayed a nasty odor throughout the West dorm rooms that was so bad, “it smelled like Dinosaur crap.” And one poor kid happened to wake up during the sabotage. 

 “We poured a whole bottle on one guy,” the Powder Valley graduate said. “He was laying on the couch, and we couldn’t move the couch, so we poured the bottle on him.”

Pee-yew!

How about the East and West coaches?  Did they find out about this playful mischief? About these jokers being up at 2 a.m., moving couches, stinking up the rooms, disturbing sleep?

They found out, alright. Want revenge, West team? Go ahead, but then you will be out of the game Saturday, said the coaches.

Chalk one up for the East. 

“They couldn’t do anything back,” Stephens said. “So it worked out pretty good.”

A special visit

Two all-star players leaned on crutches, readying to take off at the so-called starting line.

Ready, set, go ...

The race began, down to the IV stand, around it, and then back toward the finish line, as young kids with disabilities watched high school graduates make fools of themselves.

That was the scene Friday at The Shrine Hospital, as East and West all-star players made a special visit, taking pictures, signing footballs, giving young kids a reason to smile.

“The experience was second-to none,” Union graduate Kaden Titus said. “It’s just amazing to see those kids.

“It was fun.”

 He and his fellow all-stars created some memories for these disabled kids, by goofing around in crutch races and tossing water-filled surgery gloves through uprights and into a garbage can.

Fun stuff. And a nice gesture by these high school graduates, as they put the “star” in all-stars by helping kids with disabilities ranging from cleft lips to no legs.

It begs the question: Is it better to make a kid’s day, or to tackle a running back?

Simple answer, says Titus.

 “I mean, the game was great, yeah, but the hospital was really an eye opener,” he said. “Helping the kids is what it’s all about.”