Football: Galasso shows his mettle in Haverford School’s win

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HAVERFORD – Sam Gerber was mid-sentence when the need for an updated example hit him.

The Haverford School senior wide receiver was extolling the toughness of his classmate Mike Galasso, about his ability to bounce back, even as he’s shared snaps all season with fellow senior quarterback Michael Benincasa. “We’ll have a third-and-13,” Gerber said, “and he goes into every play thinking we’re going to convert.”

Saturday afternoon, that mindset paid dividends in even more extreme conditions.

Galasso hit Gerber for a 52-yard touchdown on fourth-and-15 with the Fords trailing in the final minute, fueling a 21-16 Fords’ win over Penn Charter.

Galasso also slung a four-yard touchdown pass to Matt Brosko in the fourth as the teams went back and forth after three frames of atrocious offensive football. Penn Charter struck back in between those scores, Colin Schumm finding Davin Barnett for a 16-yard TD. But the Quakers’ final series fell well short with a Hail Mary, a second straight week Penn Charter (2-5, 0-3 Inter-Ac) has surrendered a fourth-quarter lead.

The play that decided the game came with 38 seconds left. Galasso was sacked on the previous play to set up fourth-and-long. He steeled himself in the pocket on the do-or-die down and delivered a strike to Gerber up the seam. Gerber caught the pass, made a move around Schumm and dashed for paydirt with no one near him.

“We’ve had a lot of games this year where we’ve been down early and have had to come back,” Gerber said. “… A play like that is not just me. That’s the o-line giving our quarterback time, and the quarterback giving me a beautiful throw.”

It’s a testament to the poise of Gerber and Galasso that it could overshadow a three-quarter offensive horror show. Penn Charter and Haverford School (4-3, 2-1) combined for 17 first downs … and 18 punts. Schumm punted 10 times for 36.1 yards. Haverford’s Ivan Harlamov, who hit a first-quarter 49-yard field goal, booted eight times for 28.5 average. After the eighth, he threw a punch and was ejected.

Haverford’s offensive spark came midway through the third on – what else – a fake punt. Gerber was back instead of Harlamov and threw a deep post route to an uncovered Brosko for the game’s first offensive score.

“We put that play in earlier in the season and we’ve been waiting to use it,” Gerber said. “It’s definitely something that can get the team going and confuse the defense a bit, catch them off guard and create a spark to get the team fired up.”

Penn Charter ran 18 times for six yards; Haverford School 34 times for 49. Both teams lost two fumbles, one by the Quakers’ Gerry Rullo during an interception. Before the Barnett touchdown, Penn Charter came up empty on its first 11 third-down tries. The Fords were 5-for-17 in that department, including a fumbled Galasso sneak that Liam Rowan scooped for a 31-yard return TD, the Quakers’ third straight week with a defensive score.

“It definitely helps having us score on defense,” Rowan said. “It was right before the half ended. We needed to score, we got one. We do this every week, it looks like, and it gave us a great momentum boost.”

Credit goes to the defenses. Bill Brosko clogged the middle for Haverford, with Isaiah Boyd and Dave Kearney creating havoc on the edges. Rullo, Rowan and tackle Cliff Harling were everywhere. Schumm was 14-for-33 for 178 yards. Almost all of it went to Barnett (5 for 40) and Isaiah Grimes (four for 110).

Galasso finished 14-for-28 for 226. Gerber hauled in four passes for 84 yards, Chace Knox four for 97.


Thanks to missed PATs and a field goal each, Brosko’s second touchdown put Haverford up 15-10 with 6:57 left. Schumm found Grimes for 33 yards to set up the Barnett TD with 2:36 left, up 16-15.

Knowing they lacked a kicker, it was end zone or bust for the Fords on the final series. And with their backs against the wall, the Fords responded.

“We have a resilient team,” Gerber said, “and I think that play just shows it.”

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Matthew De George

Matthew De George
Matthew De George is the Asst. Sports Editor and the lead Union writer for The Daily Times.

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