PIAA LACROSSE: Scranton Prep’s Rully shrugs off injury to help fuel explosive offense

Jack Rully had one of his best efforts when Scranton Prep earned an important win over a traditional power program in the Wyoming Valley Conference in early April.

He had been picking up steam and gaining confidence, scoring four goals for the second time in a week, in an 18-8 win over Wyoming Seminary.

Then, in practice, Rully felt a twinge in his hamstring. It kept him out of action for nearly two weeks.

Rully stayed focused while coping with the nagging after-effects of recovery. He returned to the lineup and re-emerged as another scoring option for the high-powered Cavaliers’ attack.

The talented junior is gearing up for another challenge as Scranton Prep plays Twin Valley, the third-place team from District 3, on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Emmaus High School football stadium in the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinals.

“We need to go in with confidence and play like we have been playing,” Rully said. “If we get down, just never give up and never lose hope. We have to fight, play our game, and focus on the fundamentals.

“Everyone believes in this team. I think we are proving ourselves in every game.”

Lacrosse is Rully’s main athletic focus and has been since being introduced to the sport by his father, Jayson, a former standout player for Morristown-Beard School in New Jersey.

During his development, he has played for True Lehigh Valley and True Mid-Atlantic, training programs that have certainly helped Rully learn and improve his play.

“I take every practice seriously, and I work hard to get better,” Rully said. “I focus on the basics like passing and catching, working to make everything second nature.”

As a freshman, he scored six goals and had three assists. Last season, he emerged as an explosive scoring option. Rully scored 37 goals and had seven assists for the Cavaliers.

A 6-foot-4, 205-pound junior, Rully is an imposing figure with outstanding instincts. Upon his return to the lineup, against Bethlehem Freedom, he scored two goals. In a 25-1 win over Tunkhannock, he contributed a goal and three assists.

Down the stretch, Rully fought through some lingering discomfort in his hamstring. He scored four goals and had two assists in a 20-4 win over Dallas and then, in a showdown with Abington Heights, scored three goals and two assists in a 14-13 comeback win that preserved an undefeated season.

“I first injured it, and I kept coming back because we had big games,” Rully said. “I kept reinjuring it, too, though. Against Delaware Valley, I went into the game, reinjured it, and couldn’t finish. It’s been really frustrating. It will feel good, and I can push it so far, then risk being out again.

“I took two weeks off before the playoffs and got to 100 percent. I haven’t felt anything since and feel really good.”

In the postseason, Rully helped fuel a 14-5 win over Wyoming Seminary in the semifinals and had two goals and three assists in a wild 15-14 overtime win over Abington Heights in the District 2 final.

Last week, Scranton Prep earned the second PIAA win in program history with a 7-6 overtime victory over Lower Dauphin.

The win sets up a showdown with District 3 power Twin Valley, which reached the PIAA Class 2A semifinals last season.

“It’s really been a great season,” Rully said. “I have learned a lot from the older guys. This team is very close, and that helps in all our games, but especially the close ones. We really rally around each other.”