Garren Horne was the epitome of a big-play threat during his football days at Belfast High – whether as a wide receiver, a running back, a defensive back, or a kick returner.

He was one of the rare players teams would deliberately kick away from or even out of bounds in order to avoid a sudden burst of Horne’s speed coming the other way.

It was justified respect, given that Horne won the 2004 Class B state outdoor track titles in the 100 and 200 and earned top-three finishes in those events this spring.

It is that same raw speed that these days has Garren Horne dreaming big – Big 12 big, to be exact.

Horne spent this week gearing up for tonight’s 16th annual Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic in Biddeford, but it’s been just as much a chance to gear up for his next challenge – trying to walk onto the Kansas State football team.

He’s not going uninvited. Horne sent game tapes to three schools last winter – Kansas State, Massachusetts and Maine.

“I didn’t get any feedback from Maine, but UMass and K-State loved me,” said Horne. “K-State got back to me and said they really liked what I was all about and how I played, and said ‘why don’t you come out and see us.’ I went out there a few times and had a great time. They said to come to camp in the fall, and I said, ‘why not?'”

Horne first visited Kansas State in March, when he drew a second look from the Wildcats’ coaching staff by running a 4.26-second 40-yard dash.

“I think that’s what got them, because I’m not the biggest guy,” said Horne.

Indeed, a 4.26 40 catches the attention of any football coach at any level, even the highest ranks of Division I football.

And the Big 12 is the big leagues. Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Kansas State … the names of Big 12 schools are scattered across the Top 25 landscape from year to year.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to try,” said Horne of Division I football.

And if the KSU coaches thought Horne’s 4.26 clocking was a fluke, they soon learned otherwise.

“The second time I went out I ran a 4.27,” he said. “I got a little slower.”

Kansas State coaches can’t talk about Horne’s football future yet, said KSU sports information director, Garry Bowman in an e-mail, because he is a walk-on who has not yet attended a class at Kansas State and thus is still seen as a “recruitable student-athlete” in the eyes of the NCAA.

But the welcome mat seemingly is waiting for the 2005 Belfast grad, and Horne hopes to take advantage when he heads to the Manhattan, Kansas, campus in early August.

“I don’t know what they plan to do with me,” he said. “They might redshirt me, but they just said to keep working hard over the summer and then they’d see where I fit in best.”

Making the Big 12 grade will not be easy, but Belfast co-head coach Butch Richards believes Horne already has taken the first step

“Sometimes people look at these kids and say, ‘Well, they’re from Maine so they’re not as talented as kids from other places,'” said Richards. “But kids from Maine that historically have taken that step have had to put a lot of effort and initiative on themselves and then go prove themselves, and Garren going out there and saying ‘this is what I want to do’ is a big step in itself.

“Garren’s the kind of athlete who, if he wants do something, is going to work at it. He has pride in what he’s doing and his work ethic hopefully will get him to that next level.”

Ernie Clark may be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or eclark@bangordailynews.net