Laurel Highlands star hits trifecta
Gallagher first-teamer for a third year
When it comes to making first-team all-state in basketball, Rodney Gallagher is batting a perfect 1.000 in his career at Laurel Highlands High School.
Gallagher is once, twice, three times a first-teamer. He made the Pennsylvania Sports Writers All-State Team for Class 5A in 2020 as a freshman. He made it as a sophomore. And now he has made it as a junior. It is highly unusual for a player to make first-team all-state for four years, but Gallagher has a chance.
This season, Gallagher helped Laurel Highlands to its second WPIAL title in three years. Before Gallagher came on the scene, Laurel Highlands hadn’t won a basketball title since 1968.
And Gallagher was clutch inboth championship games. Two years ago, he made two free throws with 4.8 seconds left to give Laurel Highlands a 52-51 victory against Mars. This season, he made two free throws with 0.3 seconds left in double overtime to give the Mustangs a 60-58 victory againstNew Castle.
Gallagher, a 6-foot point guard, has 1,444 career points. This season, he averaged 18.6 points, 4 assists and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 80% from the free throw line and 47% from the field. He also made the Post-Gazette Fabulous 5 for the third time. Two years ago, he was the first freshman to make the Fab5.
Gallagher also is an excellent football player. He had Division I scholarship offers in both sports, but decided last fall that he will play football in college. He recently narrowed his list of colleges to eight — Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Notre Dame, VirginiaTech, Oregon, Texas and Oklahoma State. Gallagher was also a first-team allstate selection in football in 2021. He plays quarterback and defensive back but is projected to be a receiver in college.
As for basketball, Gallagher
was one of two Laurel Highlandsplayers to make allstate. Junior guard Keondre DeShields was selected to the second team. DeShields averaged 20.7 points a game this season.
New Castle’s Mike Wells was the only other WPIAL player to make the Class 5A all-state this year and he was a first-team selection. Wells was a primary reason why New Castle made it to the WPIAL and PIAA title games. He averaged 21.1 points and he finished his career with 1,932 careerpoints.
Wells was a third-team allstate selection a year ago. He has signed to play football at YoungstownState.
Class 5A
First team
Justin Edwards, 6-7, Jr., Imhotep Charter
Rodney Gallagher, 6-0, Jr., Laurel Highlands
Thomas Sorber, 6- 9, Soph., Archbishop Ryan
Mike Wells, 6-4, Sr., New Castle
Ty Burton, 5-10, Soph., Lampeter-Strasburg
Rahmir Barno, 6-0, Jr., Imhotep Charter
Second team
Jalen Franklin, 6-1, Sr., Susquehannock
Ahmad Nowell, 6-0, Soph., Imhotep Charter
Keondre DeShields, 6-3, Jr., Laurel Highlands
Jackson Hicke, 6-4, Jr., Radnor
Anthony Smith, 6-7, Sr., Shippensburg Area
Elijah Hamilton, 6-4, Jr., Octorara
Third team
Trey Grube, 6-0, Jr., Manheim Central
Larenzo Jerkins, 6- 4, Soph., Chester
Jeremy Thomas, 6-4, Sr., Shippensburg Area
Colin Payne, 6-3, Sr., Exeter Township
Luke Boyd, 6-7, Sr. Archbishop Ryan
Darren Williams, 6- 4, Soph., Archbishop Ryan
Player of the year: Justin Edwards, Imhotep Charter
Coach of the year: Andre Noble, Imhotep Charter