Trib HSSN athletes of the week: Seneca Valley’s Luke Rupert, North Catholic’s Dominique Felix

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, November 6, 2018 | 9:03 PM

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Luke Rupert

School: Seneca Valley

Sport: Soccer

Class: Junior

Claim to fame: Rupert, who has six goals and seven assists this season, scored twice to lead Seneca Valley (18-2-1) to a 5-2 win over Norwin (17-3-1) in the WPIAL Class AAAA title game at Highmark Stadium on Saturday. Seneca Valley, which captured its first WPIAL boys soccer title in school history, defeated Norwin, 2-1, in the first game of the season Aug. 31. Rupert also scored Tuesday night in a 3-2 win over Hempfield (District 3) in the PIAA opening round.

“It was supposed to be a tough matchup at Highmark. We knew we had to get the first goal. It’s crucial to get that first goal. I had the ball on my foot in the box 6 yards out, and I put it away to get the first goal,” Rupert said.

How pivotal was it to score a goal in the first minute of the match?

It was a great feeling. Playing at Highmark in the WPIAL final and setting the tone early is a good feeling.

What does it mean to you to capture the school’s first WPIAL title in boys soccer?

It feels amazing. We had a run to the WPIAL final in 2016. I didn’t get to contribute that much that year. I know coach has been dying to win one, and it feels great to win it for Coach Williams.

What was the team’s mindset heading into the state tournament?

We know we have to do our thing. Tonight was a tough contest. We got down and worked hard to pull out the win. We’re on a roll.

How beneficial was it to play Norwin earlier this season when preparing for the championship match?

We had a feel for the team and how hard they played. We knew it gave us an advantage, and they are a very good team.

Who’s your favorite athlete?

LeBron James. He makes everyone around him better. No matter who he has around him, he makes them superstars. He also knows there is more to life besides sports. He helps out those in his community and the world.

Dominique Felix

School: North Catholic

Sport: Volleyball

Class: Junior

Claim to fame: Felix finished with 18 kills to lead No. 2 North Catholic (19-1) to a 3-0 win over No. 4 Frazier in the WPIAL Class AA volleyball title game at Fox Chapel on Saturday. North Catholic, which won 25-13, 25-11, 25-20, captured its first WPIAL girls volleyball title in school history.

“It was great to know my teammates had my back. My sister is a senior and having her on the court made me really comfortable. We just went out there and played our game. It was just so much fun,” Felix said.

What does it mean to you to capture the school’s first WPIAL title in girls volleyball?

It’s crazy. It’s awesome and great for the school and team. We’ve been having so much fun as a team that I haven’t even thought about it until now.

What was the team’s mindset heading into the state tournament?

The team’s mindset is play game-by-game and to come in and play our game. We don’t really know any of these teams coming in so we really want to play our game. We want to stay calm and really focus on getting to championship.

What has been the key to the team’s run this year?

The biggest key has been staying calm and playing our game. Usually, we start off pretty slow. We’re really trying to work on keeping up our energy and coming out strong so we don’t have to keep fighting back in games.

What’s it like to play alongside your sister, Alana?

I love playing with my sister. I’ve played with her since I was 12. We’ve done everything together so just having her by my side is very comforting. She can tell me anything and tell me I need to pick up my side of the game. We always have each other’s backs.

What goes through your mind before a match?

I just go into the game thinking about playing my game. I know I have the ability. I need to calm down and take it game-by-game. I know the girls have my back, so that’s what really gets me through the game.

Andrew John is a freelance writer.

Tags: Seneca Valley