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Ruggery, Krug fulfulling dream

It has been known that Bishop Guilfoyle senior guard Luke Ruggery would continue his basketball career at Saint Francis for quite some time, but the talented shooter was hoping it would become a reality for much longer.

“My freshman year I started emailing Coach (Rob) Krimmel,” Ruggery said. “I wanted to put myself out there to him, and I just kept telling myself that eventually maybe I could get a look. Then, sophomore year it started to happen.”

Wednesday in Bishop Guilfoyle’s library, it became official as Ruggery signed his letter of intent to attend Saint Francis and join the Red Flash basketball team.

“His work ethic, commitment, dedication and example is outstanding,” Bishop Guilfoyle boys basketball coach Chris Drenning said. “As far as I know, if my research is correct, the first Division I (boys) basketball player from here in almost 40 years. Guys like that are once-in-a-generation players who don’t come along very often, and it’s been a real privilege to have him as part of our program.”

Ruggery scored his 1,000th point as a junior after leading the Marauders to the District 6 Class 2A championship.

He thanked coaches for always being around to unlock the gym so he could get some extra workouts in, but he said Wednesday was just part of his journey.

“It’s definitely taken me a lot of work to get to where I am today,” Ruggery said. “Today is also a start and the base for where I could be in four years at Saint Francis.”

As Ruggery spoke to a group of friends, family and teammates, his smile grew wider as he talked about what he still hopes to accomplish with the Marauders and in the future at Saint Francis.

“This day is more than I could imagine,” Ruggery said. “I’m so appreciative that everyone came out to support me. All my friends and family made this a great day.”

To Ruggery’s left, Gabrielle Krug signed her letter of intent to join the Saint Francis women’s volleyball team.

“It’s very exciting,” Krug said. “I worked really hard to get here, but I’ve had a lot of encouragement from my family and coaches.”

Krug, who started her high school career at Bishop Carroll and finished it at BG, will be a preferred walk-on with the Flash.

“Gabby will be successful at Saint Francis, because she’s a well-rounded player,” Bishop Guilfoyle girls volleyball coach Bob Kasun said. “She’s well known for being one of the top setters in the state. She’s a two-time all state volleyball player as a center, and I anticipate that she’ll be three-time all state in a couple weeks. She’s going to show off her setting skills at Saint Francis, but because she’s able to pass and play defense, she’ll make herself that much more valuable.”

Krug, like Ruggery, reached out to SFU.

“My junior year, I started reaching out and talking with people,” Krug said. “I took a tour of Saint Francis, and I just knew it was the one. I’m very excited to be a part of the team, and they’ve already been so welcoming.”

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