Galassi Looks to Make His Mark in College

Matt Galassi made his mark while at Hasbrouck Heights High School on the gridiron and now he is looking to make his mark on the next stage.

Last season as a senior, Galassi ran for 1,430 yards on 152 carries and 15 touchdowns. He also caught a touchdown pass as an All Bergen County player.

With his 2011 season, Galassi continued the long line of quality running backs that have run down the field at Depken Field over the years.

And his now former Hasbrouck Heights head coach Nick Delcalzo said that the best characteristics of his game are his hard work and toughness. “He’s always working to get the edge and that has made him successful,” said Delcalzo. “I think he is a hard worker and a hard runner. He is a student of the game.”

And for the Heights graduated senior it was quite a comeback after breaking his ankle during his junior season.

Unfortunately he and the rest of Heights did not have the season that they wanted as they finished with a 6-4 record just falling short of the state playoffs.
 
And he is hoping to start off running at Springfield College where he is majoring in sports management while hoping to make an impact as a freshman for the Pride. "I'm going in there mentally focused and ready to start as a freshman," said Galassi, who is in camp as a running back.

To get ready for his time in Springfield, Galassi has been down in Depken Field working on his 40 time and footwork drills along with throwing the ball around with two of his former quarterbacks  Nick Brunetti and Bobby Kistner.

But as of recently, he was not quite prepared to head north to start his college career and leave behind Heights. "I'm not ready to leave and just trying to have fun with these final days," said Galassi before headed off for Springfield last week.
 
While chewing on the idea of going to Springfield, Galassi was looking at Delaware Valley, Hartwick, American International College and Kean University.
 
He decided on Springfield just before the end of his senior year after making his visit to the Springfield campus. One of the things that he liked was the town's resemblance to his home town. 

"I loved the campus when I made my visit," said Galassi. "I think the people were very nice and funny and it had a resemblance of Heights."

And the coaches gave him the option of whether to go out for running back or middle linebacker. "That was a tough call that a lot of college coaches asked me about," said Galassi about choosing his way as a running back. "There is something about knowing that with the ball in your hands you can control what happens."

For last season he points to the 30-14 victory over Secaucus where the senior back registered three touchdowns including a 71-yard run in the third quarter. "We just came in there and it is hard to describe," said Galassi. "That whole week we had a whole different mindset. There was something about the team that night. We played like a team possessed."
 
Another game of note came against Wallington earlier in the season, 41-35. "There was something about that game," said Galassi who registered three touchdowns against the Panthers who would go on to win the Group 1 North 1 state sectional title. "I wanted to play as hard as humanly possible."
   
The Aviators started out slowly last season with a 1-4 record that included the loss to Wallington and the opening week 21-0 loss at Saddle Brook. "We weren't really ready for them and not motivated," said Galassi.

In addition to football, he also participated in the spring track and field season. One of his best moments on the track came during his junior season when he qualified for the Group 1 state meet in the 200 meter dash with a time of 23.68.