Manchester High senior balances football, lifting and future work

Manchester High School senior Gage Stephens stands out in this week’s People’s Defender student-athlete profile for a mix of old-school grit and plainspoken plans for life after graduation. A varsity football player whose favorite part of high school sports is lifting and least favorite is running, Stephens represents a cohort of athletes focused on hands-on work, team routines and local roots.

Stephens, son of Ashley McDowell and Jordan Stephens, lists fishing as his favorite sport and Slipknot as his favorite musical group, a combination that underlines a blend of outdoor life and heavy-music intensity common among Adams County football families. He names Culver’s as his favorite restaurant and says his most memorable high school sports moment was the bus ride back from Hilltop, a small-town memory that captures the communal side of Friday nights and rivalries.

In the classroom Stephens favors history and spends spare time playing video games. His entertainment tastes include the film Fury and the TV show Dexter. Rather than pursuing college immediately, Stephens plans to join the workforce after graduation, a decision that reflects a wider pattern among local students who prioritize immediate employment, apprenticeships or trade pathways over four-year degrees.

The profile highlights how student-athletes balance athletic commitments with personal goals. Stephens’s enthusiasm for lifting speaks to how conditioning and weight room culture anchor many seasons, while his dislike of running reveals the trade-offs athletes accept to stay competitive. These details matter to coaches, employers and community members who follow local talent and consider how best to support young people transitioning out of high school.

For Manchester High and Adams County, profiles like Stephens’s serve as both a snapshot of one student’s life and a reminder of broader community needs: job opportunities for young workers, strong local employers, and continuing support for high school sports programs that build teamwork and work-ready habits. The bus ride story and favorite hangouts like Culver’s are small-town signifiers that keep local sports tied to community identity.

The takeaway? If you know a senior like Gage, remember that not every promising athlete plans to go to college — many are ready to join the workforce now. Support for local hiring, mentorship and connections between high schools and employers can turn those gym hours and bus rides into steady careers for the next class.