Schools
The Rams' Fan Man
Captain of the Bomb Squad Joe Gallo keeps Rams fans cheering loud and clear.
Forget the weather and the passing game, the X-factor at the Turkey Bowl face-off between arch rivals Rams football and Darien's Blue Wave, will be Bussey's Bomb Squad, and their captain, Joe Gallo.
Gallo, 17, is a senior at NCHS and the school's unofficial spirit leader. As the captain of the bomb squad—which was named after Jeff Bussey, head coach of the boys varsity basketball team last year—Gallo is in charge of, well, charging up Rams fans in stands at any game, regardless of the field or court in which Red and Black is playing.
"I was never big enough to play football and I was never really big enough to play basketball," Gallo said, so he's brought his competitive spirit to the bleachers. "I've always been a huge sports fan and when I bring the Bomb Squad to games, I feel so much passion for it."
Crowned captain of the squad by the group's creator Frank Granito at the end of last year, Gallo starts prepping for games days before the Rams even take to the court of the field.
"I hear about the games the whole week prior," Gallo's dad, Joe Gallo Sr., said. "I'm hearing about the various players, the stats of the other teams and the plans that he has for the game. He's literally getting himself psyched up, just as the players would for a big game."
And while the clock is running, Gallo, who strives to attend every NCHS athletic event, is running, too. He races up and down the bleachers, leading chants, rattling cow bells, and constantly yelling at the top of his lungs, making as much noise as possible—and making sure the student section is doing the same.
"I get really pissed off if people are there and don't cheer," he said. "Why would you waste $3? High school students don't really get the chance to scream and we are awesome and this is a chance to scream our brains out."
Gallo's father, who calls his son a "natural born leader," occasionally sits in the stands with other NCHS parents. But while many of the parents are watching their child compete on the field, Gallo is there to watch his son compete in the stands.
"People that come in contact with Joe feed off his energy," said Gallo, Sr. "From the games I've been at, it's just amazing to watch how synchronized the chants are carried out. It's literally like [the crowd] practiced them. It's amazing how he manages to motivate them to get so excited about the game."
One notable cheer known as the "Roller-Coaster" requires students to raise their arms above their head and list move back and forth in unison, giving the illusion of a group of people on an amusement park ride. At this year's Homecoming pep rally, which was attended by close to 1,000 students, Gallo closed the event with a school-wide Roller-Coaster.
When he's not managing the girl's varsity field hockey team with fellow manager Will Slemp, ("We're the heart and soul of the team 'cause at the end of the game we give them baked goods we made"), Gallo is the president of the school store, where he can often be seen selling his now famous Bussey's Bomb Squad t-shirts.
Gallo ordered 250 black shirts with red writing—the front read, "Bussey's Bomb Squad", and the back, "Are you fan enough?"—and sold out completely on their first day of sale. The shirts are now on sale at Bob's Sports.
At the Turkey Bowl, Gallo will lead the cheers at what will definitely be the most important game of his career as bomb squad captain.
Rule number one on the list of "Rules to Remember" on the Bussey's Bomb Squad Facebook group page: "No matter the score, it is never a bad time to root against Darien." And Gallo will remind his loyal fans of that throughout the Turkey Bowl.
"The Turkey Bowl is a big, big deal," Gallo said. "Basically, what you've been trained to hate and beat in everything is Darien... And we have the best fans. Whether or not you're an underclassman or an upperclassman, this is the time when we all have the same goal: we want to win."