RODNEY GALLAGHER

LAUREL HIGHLANDS FRESHMAN 6-0 • GUARD

The scoop: First freshman to make Fab 5 since the PostGazette started picking the team 40 years ago. Point guard made a gigantic impact this season, helping Laurel Highlands win its first WPIAL championship since 1968. In the title game against Mars, Gallagher scored 24 points and made two free throws with 4.8 seconds left to give the Mustangs a 52-51 win. For the season, averaged 22.7 points, 3.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds. Shot 44% from the field and 78% from the free-throw line. Scored 591 points. College talk: Pitt offered Gallagher a scholarship a few weeks ago. Illinois and Rhode Island also had offered. West Virginia, Arizona, Dayton and Xavier are among other schools to show interest. Most memorable moment this season: The WPIAL championship for sure, and the free throws I made at the end. Favorite player of all time: LeBron James. Favorite person to follow on Twitter: LeBron again. Toughest opponent: Elijah Fisher, a (freshman) player from Canada. People might be surprised to know: I like to bowl. Person who has influenced you the most, other than a parent: I’ll say Kobe Bryant. You can’t be an athlete or a coach in the future, you’d be: A business owner. Are you surprised to make the Fab 5: Yeah, just because of how young I am. When I found out I made it, I got this huge smile on my face and my family was really proud of me. Funniest moment from this season: Probably me missing a left-handed layup against Penn Hills when I was wide open. When we watched it on film, I died laughing. With no school because of the coronavirus, anything you’ve done differently to pass the time: Just spending more time with my family and doing things we’ve never done much, like playing games, watching movies and talking more.