On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, Central Bucks East seniors Connor Simkiss, Michael Meridth & Logan Simkiss were recognized for committing to play collegiate football.
Michael Meridth – Bluffton College (Football)
Major: Engineering
Final list of colleges: Bluffton, Eureka, Moravian
Reasons for choosing Bluffton: “I felt more at home with the coaches, I felt a little more accepted there. I liked the
campus a little more. It wasn’t as spread out, and it’s surrounded by farmland.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I started wanting to play college football the end of my sophomore year. Football got to be more fun, and the closer I got to realizing it was over – I realized I didn’t want to finish, I wanted to keep going.”
Coach John Donnelly: “Michael was a standout in the weight room, highly dedicated to the craft. From a practice and game standpoint, he was dependable, loyal, a great soldier, someone always ready to contribute to special teams or when we needed him on the line on either side in a pinch. He’s a hard worker who will stick with it and perform well at Bluffton, handling a heavy workload in the classroom as an electrical engineering (major) and also playing college football in a tough conference in Ohio.”
About Michael:
Favorite food; Tacos
Favorite movie: Greater
Favorite music: Country
Connor Simkiss – Tufts University (Football)
Major: Economics with a minor in finance and data science
Final list of colleges: Tufts, Trinity, Dickinson, Gettysburg, Ithaca
Reasons for choosing Tufts: “It was just a great mix of everything on campus. The really high academics were important
to me. It’s a great winning football team, and it really felt like a brotherhood on my official visit. It was a spot I wanted to be – I definitely fit in.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I’ve always wanted to play college sports. I didn’t know if it was going to be football or lacrosse. I started playing football when I was in kindergarten, and I’ve loved it ever since. I did the math – I’ve dedicated over 4,000 hours to football just in high school in that time period. It’s definitely been a big-time commitment, but I’m so passionate about it.”
Coach John Donnelly: “Connor is a tough blue collar football player. Like his brother Logan, they both understand the true meaning of being a student-athlete. A tackling machine who doesn’t shy away from hard work and a physical player who diagnoses plays well, Connor finished with 165 career tackles and was all-league several times, and a captain. Tufts University is getting one hard-nosed football player.”
About Connor:
Favorite food: Chicken Parm
Favorite movie: Goodfellas
Favorite artist/genre: Zach Bryan/Country
Logan Simkiss – Tufts University (Football)
Major: Economics
Final list of colleges: Tufts, Gettysburg, Dickinson, Ithaca
Reasons for choosing Tufts: “It was a combination of high academics – work hard, play hard, and it was just a great 
environment with a lot of great alumni connections afterwards.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I’ve been playing football since I was in kindergarten, and it was always something I considered. After my junior season, my recruitment really started to pick up into something that seemed like more of a possibility for me, and that’s when I made the decision this is something I want to do and commit to, and when I truly decided, it was my junior year.”
Coach John Donnelly: “Logan was that rare combination of quarterback and linebacker, which you don’t see very much in the state of Pennsylvania in high school football, but he did it very, very well. He has a nose for the football and is an absolute ball hawk. He has a knack for punching the ball out and pouncing on it. He finished with 99 career tackles, and he was all-league several times. He has a high football IQ. Tufts University is getting a second hard-nosed football player.”
About Logan:
Favorite food: Chicken Parm
Favorite movie: The Wolf of Wall Street
Favorite music: Country
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