Specialize? West Liberty’s Jahsiah Galvan is doing the opposite

WEST BRANCH — Jahsiah Galvan knows his time to specialize in one sport is coming.

The West Liberty senior decided against starting that process any earlier. In fact, he did the opposite.

After a second-team all-state football campaign last fall, the Northern Iowa defensive back signee gave wrestling a go for the first time in high school.

“I wrestled when I was little and throughout middle school,” Galvan said. “I just stopped in high school. I thought, it was my senior year, I might as well do something I hadn’t done in high school before.”

He didn’t just participate. Galvan reached the state podium in February, finishing seventh in Class 2A at 195 pounds.

Now, it’s time for another busy spring.

On a cold, windy Monday night in West Branch, Galvan scored the opening goal of the sixth-ranked West Liberty boys’ soccer team’s 2-1 win over No. 12 West Branch (3-1), rocketing a shot from outside the box into the top corner midway through the first half.

It was the 17th of the season for the first-team all-state forward, tied for second in the state among all classes.

“One, the physicality that he brings, not only from the scoring side but being able to hold up the ball for us and allowing us to then get up there with him, it’s huge,” West Liberty Coach Walton Ponce said. “Obviously the physical capabilities that he has are amazing and we’re fortunate to have him. Definitely an important piece of what we’re trying to do up top.”

Galvan slipped on a long-sleeve undershirt during the second half as the sun set, a process made slightly longer by the captain’s armband he also dons this season — an honor that “means a lot.”

“I love soccer,” Galvan said. “It’s definitely my second-favorite sport, I’d say.”

Galvan will likely add track and field to his schedule this spring as well, once the weather finally warms up. He was a Class 2A state qualifier in the 100-meter dash last year.

He started playing soccer when he was 5, along with most of his Comet (5-0) teammates.

“We’ve been playing together since little kids, the whole team pretty much,” Galvan said.

They have big goals again this spring after state semifinal appearances in 2019 and 2021.

Galvan’s hope is the season ends in Des Moines again this June. It’ll be all football then, but not a moment sooner.

“I think it’s just growing up playing all the different sports. I just like something about all of them,” Galvan said. “But it will be nice to graduate and then be able to go on to focus on football, for sure.”

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