Two seniors from the Amherst football team have committed to play college football next season.
Sully Perkins received a scholarship to play wide receiver for the Michigan Tech Huskies, a Division II program and member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), while Judah Cole will join the Division III University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Eagles, a member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC).
Perkins, 17, signed a letter of intent at a short assembly held Thu., Feb. 5, witnessed by his parents (Cary and Heidi) and grandparents (Maggie and Dennis), fellow classmates, teammates, and coaches. Head Coach Mark Lusic spoke briefly, recounting how Perkins arrived from Virginia a shy but polite kid with aspirations of playing football, basketball, and baseball. “Michigan Tech is getting a steal; I couldn’t be more proud of him,” said Lusic. “When my wife met him, she said he was one of the politest kids she had ever met.”
This past season, Perkins was named a second team all-conference selection at wide receiver and first team all-conference defensive back. Cole, who stands 6-foot-4, was a first team selection at defensive end.
The 6-foot-1 Perkins chose Michigan Tech over his father’s alma mater, Emory and Henry University of Virginia. Despite being legally deaf, his father was a standout quarterback at Emory and Henry earning the Dudley award as the best player in all of Virginia (ahead of Tiki Barber no less and the first Division III player to do so).
“It’s different than Virginia, but I chose Michigan Tech for the facilities, the coaching staff – which has been very good to me – and the fact that they are a really good football program in an elite Division 2 conference,” said Perkins, who plans to major in construction management.
Cole joins Nat. Guard, Eagles
Cole, 18, is a weekend warrior in more ways than one. He joined the Army National Guard last year and has already progressed through basic training with Advanced Individual Training scheduled for next July. Although soldiers in the Guard must report at least once per month, putting their playing status in jeopardy, accommodations are often made for student athletes such as Cole, according to representatives of the Guard.
Cole has long thought about a career in the military, noting that the six-year commitment is an opportunity to serve “a greater purpose” while testing his sense of discipline and personal courage. The son of Bob and Tara Cole, he plans to major in exercise and sport science, a program for which UW-La Crosse is lauded nationally.
“I’m motivated to be the best person I can be both academically and athletically. On an individual level, that means having the discipline and courage to live life 100 percent without regret. I don’t do anything half(way), and when it comes to football, I’ll hit people whenever I can,” said Cole.
Both have the tools to contribute, says defensive coordinator
Amherst High School’s Defensive Coordinator Doug Spadoni expects both seniors to play in college, perhaps more quickly than one might expect.
Spadoni uses the words “hustle,” “effort,” and “athletic ability,” when asked to describe Cole who started out as a defensive back but “ate his way onto the defensive line.” Spadoni called it “the greatest metamorphosis that could have happened to him.”
Spadoni is confident both players will make a successful transition to college football in part due to their superior work ethic.
“In college, Cole’s going to add even more weight and he will see the field sooner rather than later because of desire, athletic ability, and leadership,” Spadoni said.
“Sully really came into his own as a senior as he added weight and strength, and when he adds more, he’s going to be an absolute demon in college. I know he’s going in as a receiver, but there’s no doubt in my mind he could play defensive back or even go both ways,” Spadoni said.
Spadoni calls Perkins “a tremendous persona as well as a talent, and completely coachable.” Spadoni predicts that Perkins will see the college football field “early in his career.”
