Aiden Gallen enjoys homecoming, helps Mifflin complete perfect run
By Jason Guarente — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent
The only time it felt strange to be on this field, the one Aiden Gallen used to call home, was during warmups. He felt like he was on the wrong side.
Gov. Mifflin’s 5-10, 185-pound fullback traded in Berks Catholic’s black and gold for maroon and gold prior to this season. When he returned to Forino Sports Complex in an opposing jersey, he ran wild.
“The whole time I was running against my old team,” Gallen said. “There were no friends while the game was on. At the same time I still have that connection with them. So there was no bad blood. It was really great.”
At least for Mifflin’s side.
Gallen rushed for 212 yards and two touchdowns and Mifflin stopped Berks Catholic 42-13 in Berks Football League Section 1 play to complete their second straight undefeated regular season Friday night.
This performance seemed to come out of nowhere. Gallen only had 13 carries for 127 yards in the previous seven weeks combined. Despite what those numbers said, his teammates saw his potential. He just needed an opportunity.
“He got a big dose tonight,” quarterback Eden Johnson said. “They were showing us a lot of give reads. I was just giving it to him and he was doing his job. He’s a really strong kid. He puts up good numbers in the weight room. He runs really hard.”
Circumstances fell in Gallen’s favor. Starting fullback Trey Rock was banged up in the first quarter and only played defense the rest of the way.
That put Gallen in the backfield for every offensive snap. He rushed 19 times and barreled through the players who used to line up alongside him.
“I was in the zone; I was feeling it,” Gallen said. “The coaches noticed and they kept me going. They kept feeding me.”
Mifflin (3-0, 8-0) continued its dominant march through the schedule. The Mustangs outscored Berks Catholic 13-0 in the first quarter and still haven’t allowed a point in the opening 12 minutes all season.
Nick Singleton, the Penn State recruit, was the focus of Berks Catholic’s defense. Although the senior carried 15 times for 99 yards and three touchdowns, he was prevented from getting his typical breakaway runs. By Singleton’s standards, he was contained.
That meant more room for Gallen and Johnson between the tackles.
“It’s just what our offense is,” Mifflin coach Jeff Lang said. “We run that Triple Option. They took away Nick on the edge outside. They had kids running with him on every play. It opens up stuff inside between the quarterback and Aiden.”
Mifflin was ahead 28-0 after three quarters. Christian Cacchione and Luke Hughes provided touchdown runs in the fourth for Berks Catholic (3-2, 6-4). Josiah Jordan collected 118 yards rushing for the Saints.
The Mustangs will go into the District 3 Class 5A Tournament as the No. 1 seed and earn a first-round bye. The Saints will likely be the No. 3 seed in 4A.
It turns out Mifflin’s Triple Option has a fourth option. Gallen, whose parents went to Holy Name, has a lot of personal history at Forino.
“To me this field feels like home,” he said. “At the same time it’s a rival team now. So I’ve just got to come out here, compete and do my best.”
Gallen chatted with some of his ex-teammates before jogging across the turf to join a happy postgame huddle. Everyone on Mifflin’s side was offering congratulations and hugs.
Then Gallen, who said he attended Mifflin before going to Berks Catholic and coming back to Shillington, stood with his teammates and sang the alma mater. He admitted he doesn’t know all the words.
“I’m kind of rusty,” he said with a smile.
There’s still time to learn. Mifflin plans to keep playing through November. The Mustangs began the season with lofty goals. Winning Section 1 was the first. People can guess the other two.
“We’ve got three boxes,” Lang said. “We’ve got the first one checked.”
By the time the game was over, no part of the field felt strange to Gallen. He ran all over it.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Gov. Mifflin | 13 | 0 | 15 | 14 | 42 |
| Berks Catholic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Gov. Mifflin | Singleton, 5 run (Schools kick) | 4:16 |
| 1 | Gov. Mifflin | Singleton, 14 run (run failed) | 0:03 |
| 3 | Gov. Mifflin | Gallen, 21 run (Schools kick) | 10:52 |
| 3 | Gov. Mifflin | Singleton, 8 run (D. McNeil run) | 3:44 |
| 4 | Berks Catholic | Hughes, 1 run (Givens kick) | 10:53 |
| 4 | Gov. Mifflin | Gallen, 13 run (Schools kick) | 8:36 |
| 4 | Berks Catholic | Cacchione, 4 run (pass failed) | 4:44 |
| 4 | Gov. Mifflin | D. McNeil, 44 run (Schools kick) | 3:55 |
Team statistics
| Gov. Mifflin | Berks Catholic | |
| First downs | 21 | 10 |
| Rushes-yards | 50-449 | 33-219 |
| Passing yards | 0 | 15 |
| Total yards | 449 | 234 |
| Passes | 0-0-0 | 2-6-0 |
| Fumbles-lost | 2-2 | 3-2 |
| Punts-average | 0-0 | 4-36.3 |
| Penalties-yards | 3-25 | 3-25 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Gov. Mifflin: Gallen 19-212, Singleton 15-99, Johnson 8-74, D. McNeil 3-44, Rock 4-24, Martin 1-(-4).
Berks Catholic: Jordan 11-118, Cacchione 11-78, Hughes 9-36, Gatz 2-(-13).
PASSING
Berks Catholic: Gatz 2-6-0–15.
RECEIVING
Berks Catholic: Cacchione 2-15.
