When it comes to Shawnae Biggs and athletics, she seems to be a living contradiction of herself.
One one hand, she is a standout soccer player and also a key starter for Ewing High’s defending Group III state champion girls basketball team.
Yet she doesn’t play travel soccer or AAU basketball during the off-season. She runs track in the spring, but other than that will play in some open gym basketball games or do some soccer training in the backyard with her sister.
“I just like to have fun and enjoy it while I can,” Biggs said, basically suggesting that sports does not dominate her life.
But on the other hand, watch her on the field and one would think she absolutely lived for athletics.
“If she’s on the field or court, it doesn’t matter what sport it is, everything else takes a backseat and just being competitive is her primary focus,” Blue Devils girls soccer coach Shannon Pedersen said. “She’s the definition of what a true competitor is. Just like you see the tenacity on the basketball court, you see it on the soccer field. Regardless of the opponent, the sport, the score, she plays with a level of ability and desire that’s unwavering.”
It’s easy to compete non-stop while playing with a basketball powerhouse; but a bit tougher in a soccer program that is steadily improving under Pedersen but still had losing records during all four years Biggs played.
And yet it made no difference.
“I know we’re not a winning team, I have to look at it for what it is but I don’t like losing,” Biggs said. “Any of my teammates will tell you that. I hate losing. They will hear me yell, they will hear my voice. I’m gonna be very competitive toward the game. I still put everything out on the field.”
So basically, while she may not devote every waking moment to sports, don’t get in Shawnae’s way when she is between the lines.
“Exactly,” she said.
It is that kind of attitude that made Biggs the Devils’ leading scorer this past fall with nine goals and six assists. She was the team’s second leading scorer last year with nine goals and two assists..
Because of the high profile of the basketball team, the general public is more aware of Biggs the hoopster than Biggs the soccer player. She is a defensive stopper for a powerhouse team that is a strong favorite to defend its state title this year with everyone back.
And yet, she considers soccer her number one sport.
“I think people are probably surprised,” she said of her being named to the soccer coaches All-Colonial Valley Conference team this year.
Pedersen immediately knew what she was getting in Biggs, even during a Covid-shortened freshman season in which she had a goal and an assist.
“I saw right away she had an incredible first touch, work ethic and her athleticism,” the coach said. “She’s one of the most technical and athletically driven players I’ve ever had the ability to coach.
“Her speed is incredible; she has an unwavering determination to score. She also had a decent amount of assists as well. She is not only a goal scorer, but also a playmaker. That comes from her drive and wanting to win games.”
Biggs began her soccer career playing for Ewing rec at age 6. They put her on defense but she still managed to find the back of the net.
“For a little young girl I did score a lot,” she said with a laugh.
A year later Shawnae moved to the Hamilton Wildcats travel team and was an outside midfielder who continued to score. After three years she went to a Lawrence travel team and remained there until 2020 when COVID-19 hit.
Her basketball career did not start until middle school, and when she reached high school, Biggs started to focus on hoops a little more intently.
“The first day of practice I saw it was going to be serious,” she said. “But I still wasn’t going to give up soccer.”
After scoring just two goals her first two seasons with Ewing, Biggs made her presence felt last year and became even more of a force during her senior season by becoming a better playmaker.
“A lot of it is her coachability,” Pedersen said. “One of our last games of the season, I told Shawnae at halftime that ‘If you drive that baseline you can pull the goalie over and you can slot the ball across the box.’ And that’s exactly what she did in the first five minutes, she executed that and got an assist off of it. I think just having people around her that want to score as much as she does is helpful and encouraged her to continue to be a playmaker.”
What made that play so successful, is the scoring threat that Biggs posed on her own when near the end line.
“She’s able to beat players one on one, turn the corner and drive that baseline,” Pedersen said. “It’s incredible to watch.”
And the coach’s point about having other scorers cannot be taken lightly as Eva Mastroianni, Clara Morrison and Sam Noble combined for 15 goals. All three will be back, which is good news for the Devils future.
“I’m continuing to see Ewing soccer evolve,” Pedersen said. “I think that’s a testament to the girls in the program and the leadership. I’m really lucky as a coach to watch the evolution of the program and the team.”
Much of that leadership came from Biggs, who was a captain and played nearly every minute of every game.
“She worked on both sides of the ball, being as in shape as she was,” Pedersen said. “She’s one of the most in shape players I’ve been lucky enough to coach. She was able to run for the full duration of the game up and back.”
Biggs played on the wing to take advantage of her quickness as an offensive threat. But at times she had to be dropped to midfield and “stepped up when I needed her to. Although it wasn’t her favorite, she did it for the team and for the coaching staff.”
Which is what makes Biggs so special. Some star players would gripe about switching positions; and then there are players who would become bitter over losing games after playing on an elite basketball team. They might act big time because they won a state title.
Not Shawnae.
“She holds everyone to the same standard, that’s why she was a captain,” Pedersen said. “She led by example and led by holding her teammates accountable.”
Biggs won’t lie. Sometimes it became frustrating when wins were slow to come. But it never slowed her enthusiasm.
“It has its moments where it’s very questionable because of how we don’t win; nobody likes to continue losing,” she said. “But (quitting soccer) never crossed my mind. Soccer really has my heart, even though we don’t win as much I just know if I do what I have to on the field I’ve accomplished my goal.”
Pedersen is not sure if having a player from a state championship team playing for the soccer team will entice athletes from other sports to come out, but she certainly encourages it.
“Playing multi-sports was prevalent when I played and it’s something that would benefit them a lot if they took a chance and put themselves out there to play another sport,” Pedersen said. “The reward would be wonderful for them and all the coaches.”
With her high school soccer career over, Biggs can now focus on helping the basketball team defend its state title.
“I’m very excited,” she said. “We’re looking to go at it again. It’s very built up excitement. We know everyone is trying to beat us, but we don’t pay that any mind. We always focus on just us. We don’t worry about another team, we’re just about how we’re gonna get our team better.”
She is also about figuring out her future. College is definitely on the radar and Biggs wants to major in business. When asked if she’s looking to become a millionaire she laughed and said ‘That’s the plan.”
As for playing sports, that seems to be on the back burner.
“I have still yet to decide if I want to do that,” she said. “I heard college sports are very on you. You have to be dedicated. I’d have to make sure I would want to be like that and have that lifestyle and environment. So, I’ll have to see. I’ve got time.”
If Biggs does decide to give athletics a go, Pedersen feels she will succeed.
“Without a doubt,” the coach said. “Shawnae is a person who can do anything she puts her mind to. She’s that good of an athlete.”
Shawnae Biggs is pictured during a soccer game earlier this year. She will be a key contributor to the girls’ basketball team this upcoming season. (Photo by Todd Cloward, Toddc LLC.),
