On Thursday, April 20, 2023, Souderton seniors Shaun Purvy, Jared Zimmerman, Chris Kerns & Ty Quintois were recognized for committing to play football at the collegiate level. Photos by Keith Clemens Photography. Click on the link for a full gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/p577784494
Chris Kerns – Lycoming College (Football)
Major: Business
Final list of colleges: Lycoming, Temple, Ursinus
Reasons for choosing Lycoming: “I chose Lycoming because it was the best fit for me and met my needs and wants.”
Favorite Souderton sports memory: “My favorite memory was beating rival Pennridge this year.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “As a kid, I always wanted to play in the NFL, and I knew college was the next step to get there.”
Coach Ed Gallagher says: “Chris is a great story. Chris really built himself up into an outstanding football player his senior year. He was our leading rusher and tackler until he tore his ACL the day before the Upper Dublin game, and it was devastating. It was like a balloon popped on the field. He screamed, and it got really quiet because everyone knew that our leader was hurt and was probably going to be out. I think there was a carryover into the next day. Chris was hoping he'd rally and come back, but obviously, with the injury he did not. He had surgery, so he’s now looking to get back out there and prove he can play at the college level because he can. He had a great year for us, he’s a great leader and a tough kid. I think he’s going to do really well at Lycoming.”
About Chris:
Favorite food: Buffalo Chicken
Favorite TV show: Breaking Bad
Favorite music: Hip-Hop & R/B
Shaun Purvy – Lafayette College (Football)
Major: Civil Engineering
Final list of colleges: Lafayette, Temple, Delaware
Reasons for choosing Lafayette: “I chose Lafayette because it felt like home.”
Favorite Souderton sports memory: “My favorite memory was winning the district championship in 2020.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “As a kid, I always wanted to play at the most competitive level, and college is the next step.”
Coach Ed Gallagher says: “Shaun Purvy is an elite athlete. We were devastated when he got hurt the first game of his junior year because he had already scored two touchdowns against North Penn, and that was a really epic night for us. He was explosive as a sophomore when we won a district championship, and we were looking for him to do a lot of things during his junior year. He came back his senior year after the injury and was able to really flourish the first couple of games. He was banged up most of the year, so I don’t think his numbers reflected the actual ability he has, but he’s a great kid, great leader. The kids really loved and respected him, and the sky’s the limit for him at Lafayette.”
About Shaun:
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite TV show: Snowfall
Favorite music/artist: Rap music/NBA Youngboy
Ty Quintois – East Stroudsburg University (Football)
Major: Marketing
Final list of colleges: East Stroudsburg, IUP, Kutztown
Reasons for choosing East Stroudsburg: “I chose East Stroudsburg because I liked the team environment, and I liked the coaches.”
Favorite Souderton sports memory: “My favorite memory was hitting a 50-yard field goal against Upper Dublin.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I played soccer and lacrosse pretty much my whole entire life. All of a sudden, in sophomore year of high school, it all changed, and I was like, ‘I can really go somewhere with (football).’ It’s crazy that it all became a reality. I used to go to soccer camps and stuff. Junior year and a little bit sophomore year, I started going to camps and showcases for football. I did pretty well, and it became a reality.”
Coach Ed Gallagher says: “Ty’s an excellent athlete, and as he was growing up, I always considered him a soccer player because of Tom (former Souderton soccer coach Tom Quintois). I saw him playing lacrosse, and he’s a good lacrosse player as well. Tom said even was in middle school that he really wanted him to kick when he was in high school. I’m like, ‘All right, we’ll get him going.’ I didn’t think he’d like it as much as he did, but once he started having some success and started working with different trainers and going to camps – he worked a lot with Will Leyland, one of our former kickers (who went on to kick at the University of South Dakota), and they put a lot of time in, and Ty just blossomed. He flourished, and honestly, under pressure, the fact that he plays three sports is what makes him so clutch when we put him out there for key extra points or key field goals. We’ve had kickers in the past who were really good kickers, but they weren’t used to the spotlight of playing in front of people. He was able to block it out because he’s a good athlete, and he plays multiple sports. I think there’s a lot to be said for that.”
Soccer coach Matt Benner says: "Ty Quintois was an absolutely fantastic leader. He's a great all-around athlete as evidenced by his ability to play three sports here at Souderton. He was a great captain of the soccer team, he set a fantastic record kicking for the football team here at Souderton, and he was a leader and goal scorer extraordinaire on the lacrosse team. He's just a really, really high character kid - the kind of kid who's organizing offseason activities, making the young underclassmen feel a part of the program, keeping practices in line and the team focused on the goals ahead. He's not only committed to athletics but certainly to his academics and his extracurriculars as well. He's the kind of kid you feel real good about being a leader and being an example for your program and setting the standard for what you want our program to be."
About Ty:
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite TV show: The Office
Favorite artist: NBA Youngboy
Jared Zimmerman – Lycoming College (Football)
Major: Education
Final list of colleges: Lycoming, Lancaster Bible College, Ursinus
Reasons for choosing Lycoming: “I chose Lycoming because I enjoyed being on the campus, and I liked the coaches.”
Favorite Souderton sports memory: “We created a strong brotherhood out of our teammates because it’s just unbreakable and a memory I’ll never forget.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I didn’t always want to play in college, but after my senior season, I realized I was going to miss football, and then the opportunity presented itself.”
Coach Ed Gallagher says: “Jared is one of those kids that would get angry during his junior year when I would give wildcat reps to Shaun Purvy or somebody else because he felt he could do everything in our offense that we were asking him to do. He kept stressing that he was going to be the guy who could do everything for us, and he came into his senior year with a lot of confidence. He started the last two games of his junior year at quarterback, and he had a great offseason through 7-on-7s and everything else that we did, and he just came in with a lot of confidence. He rushed for more yards than any quarterback I’ve had since I’ve been here, and he threw for just as many yards as several of them. He had an outstanding senior year, and the sky’s the limit for him. It’s funny because he’s been told for a long time that he’s too short to do this or too short to do that, but he’s honestly just an excellent athlete, and he’s going to prove people wrong.”
About Jared:
Favorite food: Crab Legs
Favorite movie: Home Alone
Favorite artist: Lil Baby
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