Seneca Valley’s Jacob Prex is now the one punishing goalies for WPIAL boys soccer title contenders
BUTLER TWP — Jacob Prex had to take his lumps from his older siblings.
“They would make me play goalie for them (growing up),” the Seneca Valley senior forward said. “I would be in the backyard for hours, just taking balls. I'd have to take a five-minute break after a knuckleball (would) come at me from Nate, because my wrist hurt.”
Prex is fond of those times. Growing up with Nathan and Tyler, both of whom won the Butler Eagle's Boys Soccer Player of the Year award, helped mold him into the offensive threat he is now.
“I kind of just try to play knowing that my last name is Prex,” he said. “I need to play to a higher standard because I know, at the end of the day, I'm gonna go home, and if I don't play good, I'm gonna hear it.”
After a 1-0 WPIAL Section 3-4A win over Butler last month, which Prex labeled as somewhat of a disappointment, SV head coach George Williams said he wanted to see him pull the team together.
“It's gonna show that we won on the score sheet, but we know that we can do more,” Prex said shortly before Williams’ comment. “We know that we're a better team than what we showed tonight, and we got away with a win. Hopefully when we play them at home next time, we can show that we're better than one goal.”
Since that narrow victory, one of eight in a row, the Raiders (12-1, 9-1 going into Tuesday) have secured the section crown and head into the postseason with a head of steam. The WPIAL brackets will be announced Wednesday.
“We've came into a couple seasons in my past as — I don't even wanna say underdogs, just because it's Seneca Valley soccer — but this season especially we know that, and we hear it from every other team that we play, that we're the team to beat,” Prex said. “We just have to know that we're the team to beat, and we just have to play like we're the team to beat.”
Seneca Valley has outscored opponents 30-2 during its winning streak.
“He's really taken the lead there,” Williams said.
Prex, the attack's catalyst, has 12 goals and 11 assists this season. He credits his teammates for the success.
“I can't be the best player on the team without the team that I have behind me,” Prex said. “We have the best defense in the state, by far, in my opinion, and our midfield plays so good together.”
Even being humble, Prex knows he needs to play with a star player's edge, but doing so more with confidence than arrogance. He approaches every 1-on-1 with the belief he can beat the defender in front of him.
Prex wants to play in college. He's interested in playing at the same school at his oldest brother's alma mater, Lebanon Valley. Down the stretch of his senior campaign, he's reflected on the past decade of being around the Raiders' program.
“I've seen state championships, WPIAL championships, wins and losses (in) both of them,” Prex said. “I've played in a WPIAL final that we've lost, too. I know what it's like to win, and that's exactly what we wanna do. So our goal's, obviously, section, WPIALs and states. Go all the way.”
