On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, Souderton seniors Ben Walsh, Jared Higginbotham, Hunter Smeltz & Noah Porter were recognized for committing to compete in collegiate football. Photos by Keith Clemens Photography. To view the complete photo gallery, click on the following link: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/p317476326
“This was a great group of seniors - I loved coaching them,” Souderton coach Ed Gallagher said. “I’m going to miss them. We’re going to have to move on without them, and it’s going to be difficult.”
Jared Higginbotham – Ursinus College (Football)
Major: Exercise Science
Final list of colleges: Ursinus, Kean, Kutztown, Widener
Reasons for choosing Ursinus: “I ultimately chose Ursinus because from day one, they made it
clear I would have an opportunity to achieve my goals with great support and a family-like environment.”
Favorite Souderton sports memory: “In my short time at Souderton, my favorite memory was beating Cheltenham 35-0 in football.”
Souderton coach Ed Gallagher: “Jared was a welcome addition to our family because he really liked our kids. There was some turmoil in Cheltenham, and they ended up moving up here. Jared was able to flourish in our system and do some things for us. He’s an explosive athlete, and I’m really excited that he’s getting this opportunity to go to Ursinus and continue playing.”
About Jared:
Favorite food: Chick-Fil-A
Favorite TV show: Martin
Favorite artist: NBA YoungBoy
Noah Porter – Ursinus College (Football)
Major: Criminal Justice
Final list of colleges: Ursinus, Lebanon Valley
Reasons for choosing Ursinus: “I chose Ursinus because of the coach, and they made me feel
like family.”
Favorite Souderton sports memory: “Beating CB West my junior year.”
Souderton coach Ed Gallagher: “Noah Porter was just the heart and soul of our defense. He really played with passion, played with his heart on his sleeve, and he delivered the blow all the time. Even in practice, there were some great collisions, and he delivered the blow all the time. I didn’t have to look – it was either Noah Porter or Jimmy Eakins every time. Sometimes they were hitting each other. It was great. They brought such a nice competitive edge to practice.”
About Noah:
Favorite food: Chicken Parm
Favorite TV show: Prison Break
Favorite artist: Genna
Hunter Smeltz – Ursinus College (Football)
Major: Undecided
Final list of colleges: Ursinus, Shippensburg, Wilkes, Widener
Reasons for choosing Ursinus: “I’m going to Ursinus because of a good relationship with the
coaches, and some of my teammates are coming there with me.”
Favorite Souderton sports memory: “My favorite memory would probably be junior year against CB West. It was tied in the fourth quarter, and I scored to win it.”
Souderton coach Ed Gallagher: “Hunter Smeltz broke a lot of our passing receiving records, and that was a big accomplishment after Danny Dyches broke all of them a couple years earlier. Hunter is a dynamic athlete. It was a matter of us trying to find ways to get the ball in his hands because he made plays every time he touched the ball. Underknown was how well he played at corner as a defensive back. He was one of the better corners in the league. He was always praised for his accolades on offense, but he was also an excellent defensive player as well.”
About Hunter:
Favorite food: Burgers
Favorite TV show: Breaking Bad
Favorite music: Rap
Ben Walsh – Ursinus College (Football)
Major: Undecided
Final list of colleges: Ursinus, Wilkes
Reasons for choosing Ursinus: “Ultimately, I chose Ursinus because it’s closer to home, and a
bunch of my friends are going there.”
Favorite Souderton memory competing in sports: “I would have to say being able to go out Friday nights with all of my friends, winning games and ultimately winning two league championships in back-to-back years.”
Souderton coach Ed Gallagher: “Ben has always been a competitor. He’s always worked and pushed himself to be the best. He was a little apprehensive when I brought him up as a freshman. He wanted to play with his friends, but I think in the big picture – by junior year at least, he realized that it was the right move to give him the best opportunity to be successful, and he broke all of our passing records. I think it worked out pretty well for him.”
About Ben:
Favorite food: Mexican
Favorite movie: Sandlot
Favorite music: Country
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