Gillan competes in All-Star football game

WEST MILFORD — West Milford grad Taylor Gillan has an impressive list of accomplishments, including his participation in New Jersey's North-South football game held at Rutgers Stadium on June 30. Taylor started and played the entire game at center for the North, who won the game 9-7. Taylor played varsity football as a center and middle linebacker for the Highlanders, and also was on the wrestling team for four years, the last two on varsity competing in the 215-pound level. In his junior year, he finished second in the county and district, and as a senior he was again second in the county and finished first in district. He will be entering Rutgers in September and looks forward to wrestling at the collegiate level. Taylor said, "I think about the possibility of being a ‘walk-on' in football, but I'm not sure." What's most important are the studies." Playing two sports in high school didn't hurt his studies at all n he is a member of the National Honor Society (and the Spanish National Honor Society as well) requiring a minimum 3.50 grade point average. He was also very active in Scouting, moving from a Cub through Eagle Scout. Someday he hopes to return to scouting. Taylor's family moved to West Milford from New Milford 10 years ago. Living in the Hewitt section, he's had about a 30-minute commute to school, and with all his activities including sports, it's about a 12-hour day. Evenings, it's time for the books. He's gotten a lot of his motivation following his older brother Chris, who just completed his sophomore year at Penn State. "It may have been a competitive thing at the beginning, but I have to give a lot of credit to Chris for helping me, and of course to my parents who have attended every game or match I've participated in. They are always the first two people I look for after any event," says Taylor. "In college, I know that wrestling will be more of a challenge, and although I may have more time, the competition will be tougher both wrestling and in the classroom." But, when asked about his priorities, he added, "the most important thing is the education."