Dylan Rosado and John Gallman began playing football for similar reasons. They were inspired by their little brothers.
Both remember being stirred to action when their younger siblings began getting rave reviews for playing in bantam league games.
“I thought that was actually pretty cool,” Rosado said. “So I thought it would be pretty cool if I started playing, too.”
Gallman thought the same thing when his little brother, Seth, started playing in third grade. A year later, John signed up for bantam league, too.
“(John) wasn’t going to play,” Seth recalled. “But he saw me come home one day with my pads on, so he decided he wanted to play after that.”
Today, the Gallmans are teammates.
So are the Rosados.
All four are varsity starters for the Greenwood Community High School football team. All four have played significant roles in the Woodmen’s success.
And all four stand out in the backfield, where Seth is the quarterback, John and Dylan are tailbacks, and Brandon is a fullback.
“There have been plays where we’ve had two Gallmans in the backfield, and there have been other plays where we’ve had both Rosados in the backfield together with Seth Gallman,” Woodmen coach Mike Campbell said. “So truly it’s a brother thing in our backfield right now.”
It’s also a potent mix, which is a major reason why the Woodmen (4-3) are in contention for the Mid-State Conference championship.
John Gallman is a senior and a three-year starter. One of the area’s top rushers throughout his career, he has rushed for team-leading totals of 643 yards and six touchdowns heading into tonight’s game at county and conference rival Franklin.
He also has 10 catches for 31 yards and a touchdown. Most of the throws have come from Seth, who became the starting quarterback in Week 3.
A first-year starter, Seth is a sophomore who hasn’t performed like a shy underclassman. Already a team leader, he has completed 33 of 66 passes for 668 yards and seven touchdowns. He has thrown only two interceptions and has a quarterback rating of 102.3.
As impressive as the Gallmans’ numbers are (their dad is Greenwood running backs coach Jason Gallman), they don’t tell the whole story of what the brothers bring to the team.
“Seth is more of a vocal leader. Even though he’s a sophomore, he has become one of our leaders, especially on offense,” Campbell said. “He’s a good guy, and people gravitate towards him. Some kids have that leadership trait, and Seth is certainly been blessed with that. He’s much more vocal than John.
“John has some more physical talents. He’s a little stronger, a little faster, and a couple of years older. John is kind of the quiet leader, and Seth has been a great vocal leader for us. Those two guys play off each other very well.”
So do the Rosados.
Dylan, a junior, is a two-year starter and three-year letter rwinner who plays defensive back full time and running back part time. Offensively, he has rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns and caught six passes for 78 yards and one score.
Defensively, Dylan has 43 tackles, including 27 solos, and one interception.
Brandon, a sophomore, is a first-year starter and full-time fullback. A punishing blocker and runner, he has rushed for 234 yards and two touchdowns and is, along with his brother, a popular teammate on and off the field.
“They’re both high-energy guys. On the field, they’re workhorses,” Campbell said. “They do well with the film study and preparing themselves, but when they get in the locker room, they are fantastic guys. They play off each other. They’re funny to be around, because they have very similar personalities. There’s not a rivalry between them. They really support each other.
“They’re really neat to see in the locker room. They’re entertaining. They bring a lot energy on and off the field.”
Thanks in no small measure to the contributions of the Rosados and Gallmans, the Woodmen are positioned for their first winning season and still have a shot at the Mid-State title. They are 3-1 in the conference with two league games remaining.
Although Greenwood is on a two-game skid, players are confident rebounding as the regular season winds down.
“We’re definitely getting better each week,” said John Gallman, who is also a defensive back. “We practice with a better mindset. We’re more motivated, and we’re just trying to get better each week.
“I think we’re doing that.”
For his part, John also enjoys having his little brother in the backfield. He applauds the job Seth has done and only imparts words of wisdom on occasion.
“He’s a quarterback, and the quarterback kind of needs to be the leader for the offense to be successful,” John said. “I just tell him to make sure that you don’t ever show that you’re not confident, even if you’re nervous.
“Just be confident all the time. Let your teammates know that your confident.”
Similarly, the Rosados have a rapport on the field and embrace being teammates.
“We really work well together. We don’t really fight out there. We kind of pick each other up,” Dylan said. “We look up to each other. I don’t ever look down on him, and he never looks down on me. We’re helping each other. We’re figuring out what we’re supposed to do.
“At home, we work on things together that we need to work on. I think it’s a really good thing to be working with your little brother in football.”
Similarly, Brandon thinks it’s a really good thing to have your big brother for a teammate.
“It’s been great. Having my brother in the backfield with me is amazing,” Brandon said. “I get to block for him and watch him get first downs and touchdowns.
“It’s great to be a part of that.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Gallman/Rosado files” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Name: John Gallman
Year: Senior
Positions: Running back/defensive back
Size: 5-foot-8, 181 pounds
Experience: Three-year starter
Name: Seth Gallman
Year: Sophomore
Positions: Quarterback/defensive back
Size: 6-foot, 165 pounds
Experience: First-year starter
Name: Dylan Rosado
Year: Junior
Positions: Running back/defensive back
Size: 5-foot-10, 168 pounds
Experience: Two-year starter
Name: Brandon Rosado
Year: Sophomore
Positions: Fullback/linebacker
Experience: Fist-year starter
[sc:pullout-text-end]
