Jace Wiggins

St. Vincent Pallotti High School Lacrosse

By Tom Worgo

In the fall of 2019, St. Vincent Pallotti High School Boys Lacrosse Coach Kirk Dodson held his yearly practices to evaluate new and returning players. Dodson wanted to get a close-up look at freshman goalie Jace Wiggins.

But Dodson made things hard for Wiggins—at least he thought so. The program’s leading goal scorer Ethan Rinker tested Wiggins’ skill level with one blazing shot after another. “Ethan could just light it up,” Dodson recalls. “He was probably shooting 90 to 100 miles per hour.”

HE IS A GUY WHO CAN TAKE OVER THE DEFENSE AND THE TEAM. THE TEAM TURNS TO HIM IN TIMES OF HARDSHIP. THEY FEED OFF HIM.”

How did Wiggins fare? He thoroughly impressed Dodson by stonewalling Rinker much of the time.

“Jace kind of stepped in there calm, cool, and collected,” Dodson says. “He would make these saves that were mind-boggling— like they were nothing.”

Wiggins made such a great impression back then that he ended up beating out a senior for the starting job. After that, Dodson became a four-year Pallotti centerpiece. “This is my 10th year coaching lacrosse and I never had a freshman beat out a senior,” Dodson says.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Wiggins went on to a stellar career. He helped Pallotti to a 21-7 record over the past two years. More importantly, Wiggins guided the Panthers last year to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association C Conference championship game, where they lost to St. John’s Catholic Prep of Frederick by one goal.

It’s not just about Wiggins’ performance on the field that impresses. He served as team co-captain his last three years. “From the jump, I was the starting goalie,” Wiggins says. “Going from middle school to high school and competing with seniors gave me a big boost in confidence. I was forced to work harder and move quicker. That really helped me in the long run.”

Wiggins played so well that he became a hot commodity among colleges. The recruiting process was somewhat exhausting as he received so many texts and emails.

“I had nine schools that I got official offers from,” Wiggins explains. “I was being recruited by a few others that I didn’t finish the process with.”

Wiggins selected Division II Virginia State University in Petersburg. The school will launch a brand-new program in 2024. The 18-year-old will attend the school on a lacrosse scholarship. He also considered three colleges in Pennsylvania: Fairleigh Dickinson, Arcadia, and Chatham universities.

“Lacrosse is brand new at VSU,” Wiggins says. “That stood out to me.” He plans to major in pre-veterinary with an eye toward going back to school for a nursing degree after he graduates. He carried a 3.5 gradepoint average at Pallotti.

Wiggins, a Laurel resident, felt one of the biggest accomplishments of his career happened this spring when he guided his team to a 6-1 record against B Conference schools. His best performance came when the Panthers beat 2022 B Conference runner-up Indian Creek, 9-7, behind his 15 saves.

That strong stretch seems to have established Pallotti as the favorite to win a title (as of press time). That would allow Wiggins to finish his career with a flourish. “This is our best team in my four years,” Wiggins says. “Our coach says we should have moved up to the B this year.”

One thing that always stood out to Dodson about Wiggins: his ability to start the fast break because of his precision passing. “After he makes a save, he can hit a midfielder running down the field in stride,” Dodson explains. “The way he drops the ball in there. He is like Tom Brady throwing to a receiver.”

Wiggins also played eight years of club lacrosse, including the past six for the Howard County-based Zingos Lacrosse Club. Zingos’ Coach Paul Newman enjoyed coaching Wiggins.

“He is a guy who can take over the defense and the team,” Newman says. “The team turns to him in times of hardship. They feed off him.”