For all of Seth Gallman’s physical talents on the football field, it was something more intangible that made the Greenwood quarterback so successful.
“The first thing when I think about Seth and what he’s meant to our program is his leadership ability,” Woodmen coach Mike Campbell said. “Even since his sophomore year, he’s always been a guy that the coaches have trusted — but more importantly, his teammates have trusted him.”
Gallman rewarded that trust by leading Greenwood to a spot in the Class 4A semistate, earning the program’s first regional championship since 1990.
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For doing so, he is the Daily Journal’s Offensive Player of the Year for 2017.
A third-year starter, Gallman passed for 1,728 yards and 17 touchdowns against just six interceptions. He was also a threat on the ground for the 11-3 Woodmen, rushing for 843 yards and 17 more scores.
More than half of that rushing yardage (445) came in the final four games of the season, when Greenwood leaned on him even more as teams keyed on running backs Brandon Rosado and Nick Willham.
In addition to providing a dual threat under center, Gallman’s high football IQ enabled Campbell to go far deeper into the playbook this season than he has in the past.
“He’s a cerebral kid,” the coach said. “He likes to understand concepts, and we kind of turned him loose with quite a few things.”
Even though Gallman’s high school career is over, he still plans to continue studying the game. He hopes to continue playing at the next level, likely either at Wabash College or the University of Indianapolis, and he would like to get into coaching football at the high school level after he graduates.
“I just want to stay involved in sports,” Gallman said. “My coaches have had a great impact on me, and I want to give that back in the future.”
According to Campbell, Gallman has already been making an impact. He cites the quarterback’s willingness to take scout team reps in practice as evidence of the example that was being set for younger players.
Being a leader, Gallman said, is something that has just always come naturally to him, but he’s quick to point out that growing up and playing with the same group of guys for about a decade has made that easy.
“It’s more a product of what’s around me,” he said.
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Seth Gallman’s senior season by the numbers:
Passing: 127 of 197 (64.5%) for 1,728 yards and 17 TD
Rushing: 843 yards, 17 TD
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All-Mid-State Conference first team
AP honorable mention All-State
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The offense for the 2017 All-Johnson County football team:
QB Seth Gallman, Greenwood senior: Passed for 1,728 yards and 17 touchdowns in leading Woodmen to a Class 4A regional title. … An All-Mid-State Conference selection who also rushed for 843 yards and 17 scores.
RB Ryan Hammond, Whiteland senior: Class 5A Senior All-State pick rushed for 1,240 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging nearly eight yards a carry. … Also led the Warriors with 21 catches for 284 yards and five more scores.
RB Carson Steele, Center Grove freshman: A Class 6A Junior All-State selection. … Led all area players and ranked second in Class 6A statewide with 1,703 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns. … Ran for 269 yards at Avon and 238 at Carmel.
WR Isaiah Lacey, Indian Creek junior: Easily the area’s top receiver with 56 grabs for 890 yards and 10 scores. … Also led the Braves defensively with 89 tackles, earning Class 3A Junior All-State honors.
WR Riley McCann, Franklin senior: Dynamic wideout paced the Grizzly Cubs with 41 catches for 663 yards and five touchdowns. … Averaged 27.4 yards on kickoff returns, including a 98-yarder for a TD.
TE Conner Battinau, Greenwood senior: All-conference pick led the Woodmen with 39 pass receptions for 535 yards and eight touchdowns. … Honorable mention AP All-State pick also a key blocker for an offense that rushed for 3,441 yards on the season.
OL Garrett Curtis, Whiteland senior: All-Mid-State Conference center anchored an offensive line that helped the Warriors rush for 31 touchdowns overall and 277.2 yards per contest.
OL Zach Drew, Greenwood senior: A key pulling guard for the regional champion Woodmen, who put up an average of 33.6 points and reached the 40-point mark six times with a high of 59 against Mooresville.
OL Andy Pollert, Greenwood senior: An All-Mid-State Conference tackle who helped pave the way for the Woodmen to rack up more than 5,000 yards of offense on the way to a Class 4A regional crown.
OL A.J. Snow, Center Grove senior: Earned Class 6A Senior All-State recognition after anchoring a Trojan line that plowed the way to a seventh straight sectional championship.
OL Justin Tolle, Center Grove senior: Center for the Trojans’ line, keying an offense that rushed for 214 yards per contest. … A durable team leader who played through a handful of nagging injuries.
K Luke Eckert, Center Grove junior: Kicked seven field goals, including a long of 47 yards against Lawrence North, and went 32 of 35 on PATs for the Trojans. … Added 17 touchbacks on kickoffs.
Honorable mention
Dakota Balthazor, Edinburgh; Hunter Dean, Edinburgh; Lucas Doyle, Center Grove; Kenny Edwards, Indian Creek; Tyler Fromer, Franklin; Sam Hohlt, Center Grove; Dane Johnston, Franklin; Greg Jones, Whiteland; Gunner Lepper, Center Grove; Gavin Matheson, Center Grove; Ethan McClain, Greenwood; Austin Meyer, Indian Creek; Eric Nitiss, Center Grove; Jake Perry, Whiteland; Brandon Rosado, Greenwood; Tyson Sackman, Edinburgh; Dillon Simpson, Edinburgh; Taylor Voris, Indian Creek; Avery Welch, Indian Creek; Nick Willham, Greenwood
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