WELLINGTON – Jagger Ruiz will hit the ground running when he gets to the next level.
The Wellington alum will be leaving this morning (Aug. 27) for Alvernia University, a Division III institution that is based in Reading, Pa. He made his final college decision on Tuesday (Aug. 25).
Ruiz chose Alvernia over the likes of Wilkes, Gwynedd Mercy, Cero Coso Community College, and Clinton Community College.
“To be honest I am signing with Alvernia because they gave me the opportunity to fulfill my dreams of playing both basketball and football,” said Ruiz, who is listed at 5-foot-10, 168 pounds.
Let’s start with the football side.
In his only known year of organized play, Ruiz had a breakthrough senior season on the gridiron.
In 10 games played, he recorded 40+ tackles and 7 interceptions. His best game was in Week 6 against Forest Hill, when he tallied 10 tackles and 2 interceptions go help his team score a 17-6 win on the road.
“It went pretty good for me, even though it was my first year,” said Ruiz, who played at the free safety position.
Wolverines head coach Tom Abel was happy with the effort that Ruiz showed on the field last year.
“He was a ball hawk and a leader for us,” Abel said of Ruiz, who was nominated for the Sun-Sentinel’s First Team All-County honor. “He had a ton of interceptions for us. He is fast, powerful, and loves to hit and tackle. He plays football like basketball and basketball like football.”
On the basketball side, Ruiz played well throughout the winter of 2019-2020 for the Wolverines.
In 28 games played, he averaged 10.5 points per game, 5.2 assists, and 4.1 rebounds as a point guard. His best game was in District 10-7A play against Palm Beach Central, when he led the team with 30 points and 4 assists in a 58-51 overtime win on Jan. 10.
Ruiz, who helped lead the Wolverines to the District 10-7A title game and runner-up position, went on to win Player of the Week and second team All-County honors. His team finished with a 21-7 record.
“It was a great season, even without us making it to states,” Ruiz said.
Wellington boys basketball head coach Matt Colin was pleased with the contributions that Ruiz made on the court.
“Jagger was a fierce competitor on the court whose game models the European-type basketball player,” Colin said. “He is very shifty, crafty, agile, and quick. He could get through the smallest of cracks to get to the rim and score. He also read the floor very well and put his teammates in position to score. He was a leader as well being voted one of the captains of our team. He was well-respected by both his teammates and coaches.”
Abel had a vision for how the next level will be for Ruiz.
“He will have a great college career in both sports,” Abel said. “Another Wellington legend.”
PHOTO CREDITS: Gene Nardi and Morgan Waters
