By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
EDON – On the wall in Edon’s Don Walton Gymnasium, there is a banner listing all of the former boys basketball standouts who had scored 1,000 points throughout their careers, and on Saturday, January 3, against Archbold, they welcomed its newest member to the club in senior Briggs Gallehue
The 6-4, 215-pound standout became just the seventh player in program history to score over 1,000 points in his career. He reached the milestone with a free throw in the third quarter as the Bombers handed Archbold its first setback of the season in a 58-55 overtime victory.
“Coming into high school, one of my goals was to be on the 1,000-point board with some of my family members up there, like my brother, who is up there as well as my uncle and cousin, who are also up there,” said Gallehue.
What makes this quite special for Gallehue is that he joined his older brother, Drew Gallehue, who recently graduated from Ohio Dominican University. He was also the last Edon player to score over 1,000 points in his career. Drew Gallehue totaled 1,175 points from 2019-2022.
“That was one of my own motivations just to get up there with him (Drew) and maybe even surpass him hopefully,” Gallehue admitted.
“Growing up watching him play every game that he’s played, it just has helped me throughout my career, just knowing what to do and watching what he did during his high school career and learning from him helped me to become the best player I can be.”
Edon boys’ basketball coach Matt Ripke had the opportunity to coach Gallehue’s older brother in his first season at the school.
“They’re similar in some ways, but very different in other ways,” said Ripke, referring to the Gallehue brothers. “Ability-wise, they’re very similar, but I would say Briggs is maybe a little tougher, willing to go down the post and bang a little bit more than what Drew was.
“You talk about 1,000-point scorers; he’s the tenth (boys and girls) in school history to do it, and it’s also something that runs in his bloodline.”
Gallehue, who is currently averaging 23.4 points, 10.7 rebounds, and two blocks per game, has already totaled 1,029 points in his career as of January 5. He should easily surpass his older brother on the list this season.
“He’s developed into a tremendous leader for our program,” said Ripke. “He’s kind of a quiet leader, but when he needs to say something, it certainly makes it more effective when he does and has led by example for the first three years.
“A lot of times, he’s the first one in the gym and the last one to leave the gym. He puts in a lot of extra time, and it’s paying off for him, especially this season.”
In addition to his older brother, his uncle Justin Best, who is the school’s all-time career scoring leader with 1,647 points from 1996-99, is also on the list, as his cousin Jeremy Best, who tallied 1,442 points from 1989-92.
Jeremy Best is currently the head boys’ basketball coach at Van Wert and guided Convoy Crestview High School to a Division IV state championship in 2019.
“Getting my 1,000th point meant everything to me,” said Gallehue. “Just knowing that I had all of those people in the community by my side and with me throughout the whole way. To be there for that game was special to me. It was a great overall win for the whole town.”
Also on the milestone list is Jim Bauer, who tallied 1,500 career points from 1983-86. Mark Smith, who had 1,139 points from 2001-04, and Jim Adams, with 1,136 points from 1982-85.
Gallehue has been a mainstay in the Bombers’ basketball program for the past four years, the last three years under Ripke, who also pointed out that he is the first ever player he’s coached in his successful coaching career to reach 1,000 points.
“Coach Ripke always preaches about doing things with your best ability all the time,” said Gallehue. “I think overall he’s just helped me to improve my game in every aspect and just becoming a better athlete and a person overall.”
Being among the area’s top basketball players this season, Gallehue has also drawn a lot of attention from opposing teams trying to limit him each game with various defensive schemes.
“He (Ripke) has always taught me to keep my composure under control because teams are going to keep me from scoring,” said Gallehue.
“I think that every team is going to try to key on me no matter what. One of my goals is to stay composed in every game and to play my game and score the best to my ability.”
When Ripke took over the Bombers’ cage fortunes in 2021, the fifth-year head coach knew there was something special when Gallehue, who had been playing basketball since the first grade, entered the program with plenty of potential as a freshman.
“One of the traits that stuck out about him was his size, especially in junior high, where he continued to grow,” commented Ripke.
“His ability to not only handle the basketball and shoot from the perimeter but also take guys down in the post.
“That’s certainly what made his career here, especially in the last two years in being a dominant post player for us, and that has helped our program tremendously.” Not only is he a standout in basketball, but in football and track as well.
As a junior, he helped lead the Bombers to a share of the Buckeye Border Conference basketball title with Montpelier and Pettisville while earning first-team all-conference and District 7 honors as well as Division 7 All-Ohio honorable mention.
In football, he played a huge role in the Bombers’ 9-3 squad that reached the second round of the Division VII state football playoffs last fall.
He earned Toledo Area Athletic Association first team honors as a defensive back and second team honors at quarterback while earning Division 7 All-Ohio honorable mention honors. In track, he currently holds the school record in the discus throw with a toss of 150 feet set last spring.
Last fall, Gallehue was thrust into the starting quarterback position for the Bombers following the graduation of first-team All-Ohioan Kyler Sapp in the season opener at Edgerton.
It was one of those games Gallehue will never forget, and despite a 41-14 opening night loss to the Bulldogs, Gallehue and the rest of his teammates picked themselves up to put together a 9-3 season, which also included a hard-fought 28-21 victory over Edgerton in the first round of the playoffs.
“Look at the growth that he made in football this fall and having never played quarterback before, but you talk about the leadership fact that he got thrown into that role,” said Ripke.
“Because he’s a leader and that’s what his team needed, he was willing to do that and improved throughout the course of the season.”
“It’s been the same for him in basketball as well with his willingness to learn,” said the Edon coach. “He’s probably one of the most coachable players that I’ve ever had because he asks questions and wants to know why, which is big. And he’s become a big student of the game.”
The son of John Gallehue and Chandra Lyman, Gallehue, who carries an impressive 3.70 grade point average in the classroom, is also involved in the National Honor Society. He is a member of the high school choir and participates in school musicals.
“They (my parents) mean everything to me,” pointed out Gallehue. “Having them by my side and providing encouragement and helping me through rough times when things get tough,” said Gallehue. “And they helped me to become a better player and person.”
Edon is currently 7-4 on the season. Gallehue is hoping the Bombers not only can capture the BBC title but also make a deep tournament run.
Last year, the Bombers had reached the Division VII district finals only to fall to Edgerton, 47-37. The senior standout is hoping to lead Edon into its first regional appearance since 1974.
“I thought about that a lot, and I hope my teammates learned from that experience last year from that game (district final) and just move on and learn from it and to help us to get where we want to be this year,” admitted Gallehue.
“This year we need to execute better in the tournament and just focus and lock in more and come out better and play our game of basketball.”
His future plans are to attend college and major in forensic science or sports management, and he is hoping to continue his basketball career.
“Everyone here at Edon has taught me to become a better person and just know everything, and they helped me throughout my high school career,” said Gallehue. “Learn new things and just never give up, study hard, and always practice basketball fundamentals.”
