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U P C L O S E & P E R S O N A L F ew high school players experience the kind of success that Frederick "Juice" Scruggs enjoyed during his time at Cathedral Prep in Erie, Pa. A four-year letterman, Scruggs not only earned playing time as a freshman at one of the state's top programs, but he ulti- mately played a major role in leading the Ramblers to one of the best four-year stretches in school history. A9er going 25-3 as an underclassman, which in- cluded a tough 40-3 loss to Imhotep Charter in the 2015 Pennsylvania Inter- scholastic Athletic Association Class AAA state championship, Scruggs and his teammates had all the motivation they needed coming into 2016. What followed was one of the best runs in PIAA history. Cathedral Prep not only went 14-0 in 2016 – including a win over Imhotep for the state championship in a reclassi6ed Class AAAA division – but it did the same then in 2017, defeating Imhotep for a second time to cap o7 a 28- 0 run over the course of Scruggs' junior and senior seasons. Not a bad way to go out. "When you get to 6nish o7 your high school career with a state championship, you can't really ask for a better way to go out," Scruggs said. "But to do it in back- to-back seasons, plus beat a team that beat you during your sophomore year, that was a fun run we went on. "Those couple of years are something that I'm going to remember the rest of my life. It was incredible to be part of that." Scruggs wasn't just winning on the 6eld, but o7 the 6eld, as well. In the spring before his junior season, he picked up his 6rst scholarship o7er from Syra- cuse. By the start of the season, Iowa State, Michigan State, Ohio State and UCLA had all followed suit. So did Penn State, which extended its o7er to Scruggs during an uno8cial visit in May 2016. "I just remember meshing with Coach [James] Franklin and his coaches right away," Scruggs said. "That was before we could talk on the phone regularly, so that was my 6rst opportunity to really get to know them and it went really well. Talks with coaches can sometimes feel awk- ward, but it never felt that way with Penn State. That's what I remember most from that 6rst visit." Pitt and Syracuse also earned visits be- fore his junior season, but it eventually became clear that the Nittany Lions had one main competitor: Ohio State. Scruggs made back-to-back visits to Columbus in March and April 2017, giving rise to spec- ulation that the Buckeyes had surpassed the Lions. "There was a point where things were pretty tight between the two. Obviously, both schools are incredible," Scruggs said. "The coaches are great at both, so there was a lot to think about at times. I think what set Penn State apart was the family feeling I got from not just the coaches, but all of the other committed players. Our class is a pretty close group." Scruggs made his commitment o8cial on Aug. 4, just a few weeks before his senior season. While the recruiting process certainly took its toll, he wanted to make sure that he could put all of his focus into his senior year. Scruggs was named a captain for the 6rst time that season, and as his coach explained, he went about 6lling that role the best way he knew how. "Juice isn't one of those outspoken guys. He's just not that kind of person," Cathe- dral Prep head coach Michael Mischler said. "We had other guys that took that role, so what I liked about Juice his senior year was that he knew how to keep it fun. "We won a lot the year before and had to keep everyone focused on the task at hand if we were going to repeat. Having someone like Juice on our squad helped with that, because he always kept things loose and fun with everyone. I think that's just as important as having a captain that leads the conventional way." By the time it was all over, Scruggs had not only led his team to a 49-3 record over the course of four seasons, but he also earned multiple individual honors, in- cluding 6rst-team All-State recognition Scruggs brings winning mentality to Nittany Lions | THE SCRUGGS FILE STATS Helped lead Erie Cathedral Prep to consecutive 14- 0 seasons his junior and senior years... Totaled 55 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, four sacks and one interception as a senior... Had 31 tackles, 11 TFL and five sacks as a junior HONORS Named a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, as well as the No. 19 guard in the Class of 2018 and No. 14 prospect in Pennsylvania... Was named a first-team All-State o2en- sive lineman by USA Today and the Pennsylvania Foot- ball Writers... Chosen as Class AAAA Lineman of the Year by the Pennsylvania Football News... Was a three-time All-Conference honoree CLICK HERE to see video of Scruggs in action.

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