Max Gallagher’s play, leadership can drive Union/A-C Valley football in 2025 back to District 9 playoffs
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Union/A-C Valley head coach Dan Reed talks to players during football practice on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Union/A-C Valley's Logan Skibinski runs the ball during football practice on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Union/A-C Valley's Logan Skibinski runs the ball during football practice on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Union/A-C Valley's Andrew Kifer throws the ball during football practice on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Union/A-C Valley's Andrew Kifer hands the ball off during football practice on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Union/A-C Valley's Andrew Kifer hands the ball off during football practice on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Union/A-C Valley's Nick Ielase catches the ball during football practice on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Union/A-C Valley's Logan Skibinski runs the ball during football practice on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Union/A-C Valley's Logan Skibinski runs the ball during football practice on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Union/A-C Valley's Nick Ielase catches the ball during football practice on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler EagleValley varsity football team practiced on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Union/A-C Valley varsity football team practiced on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Union/A-C Valley's Andrew Kifer hands the ball off to Logan Skibinski during football practice on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Union/A-C Valley varsity football team practiced on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Union/A-C Valley varsity football team practiced on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Union/A-C Valley varsity football team practiced on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Union/A-C Valley varsity football team practiced on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Union/A-C Valley varsity football team practiced on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Union/A-C Valley varsity football team practiced on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Union/A-C Valley varsity football team practiced on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Union/A-C Valley varsity football team practiced on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Nick Ielase catches the ball during football practice on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Union High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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From left, Union/A-C Valley's Aidan Fox, Max Gallagher and Colbin Elliott during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Union/A-C Valley's Aidan Fox during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Union/A-C Valley's Aidan Fox during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Union/A-C Valley's Colbin Elliott during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Union/A-C Valley's Colbin Elliott during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Union/A-C Valley's Max Gallagher during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Union/A-C Valley's Max Gallagher during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Roster sizes for Class 1A football programs are normally small, and players who not only start, but excel, on both sides of the ball are essential to their success.
Union/A-C Valley’s chances of a successful 2025 will hinge largely on one such player in Max Gallagher.
The rising senior running back/linebacker was the team’s leading tackler in 2024 with 118, including nine for a loss. Seventy-five of his stops were solo and nobody else on the team had more than 56 in that category. On offense, he rushed for 859 yards, caught 33 passes for 419 more yards and scored 11 touchdowns for the Falcon Knights, who made the District 9 playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.
“He knows what we are trying to do, offensively and defensively, and knows where he needs to be,” Union/A-C Valley coach Dan Reed said. “He is a leader with everything he does.”
That leadership will be paramount for the Falcon Knights as they move on from Owen Bish, a star quarterback and defensive back who graduated in the spring and is now playing at Grove City College. This season, the Falcon Knights will be directed on offense by Andrew Kifer, who has no shortage of talent but is only a freshman.
Gallagher will be a safety valve for Kifer in the passing game while carrying much of the load once again on the ground.
“I think the offense has a lot of potential,” Gallagher said. “Andrew is going to be a good quarterback, and I think he will deliver this year.”
Gallagher’s ability was on full display in last year’s playoff win over Otto-Eldred. He scored five touchdowns on offense and paced the defense with 10 tackles. His older brother, Dugan, rushed for 2,296 yards for Union prior to the co-op with A-C Valley, which began in 2016.
“I’d like to pass him in rushing yards,” said Max, who enters this season with 1,121 yards. “That would be nice, but as long as we win, that’s the important thing. I’m focused on helping us be successful as a team.”
Max Gallagher has totaled 216 tackles in his varsity career. He will remain a lynchpin for the Falcon Knights as they switch from a 3-3-5 scheme to a 4-2-5.
“I like playing defense more than offense,” he said. “Honestly, I think I’m better on defense.”
