Erskine graduate selected as top football umpire in South Carolina

DUE WEST, SC – August 30, 2010 –  Matthew “House” Wiggins ’96 is a football official in the South Carolina High School Officials Association. In fact, you could say that Wiggins is “the” football official.

He is ranked this year as the top football umpire in the state. That designation brings the honor of officiating in the North Carolina-South Carolina Shrine Bowl game, the North-South All-Star game, and the Big 16 state championship game in December.

Wiggins was also selected to officiate the nationally televised game on ESPN between Hoover High of Alabama and Byrnes High last Saturday, Aug. 28, at District 3 Stadium.

He joined the South Carolina High School Officials Association 12 years ago.

Wiggins credits his parents, Terrell and Wanda Wiggins, for steering him toward Erskine — and toward officiating football.

Terrell Wiggins is a 1963 graduate of Erskine and is beginning his 36 th year of high school football officiating.

Matthew Wiggins said he remembers coming to Erskine while he was growing up, for homecomings, alumni days or “even a Sunday drive up the country roads just to ride around Due West. Even back then to a young man, Due West felt safe and peaceful — sort of like Mayberry.”

Wiggins said his dad asked him to apply to Erskine when he was a senior at North Augusta High School “just to see what happens.”

Erskine turned out to be the only school to which he applied.

“When I got accepted, I didn’t need to look anywhere else,” Wiggins said. “You find out real quick just what it means to be a part of the Erskine family. Some of the friends you make in Due West on ‘day one’ truly become like family and will last a lifetime.”

Wiggins’ nickname, “House,” (given to him because of his size) was a gift from his good friend, Jason DeFronzo ’94, within his first two weeks at Erskine.

“More people today call me ‘House’ than call me Matthew,” Wiggins said.

He spent a lot of time around Erskine athletics while he was a student and physical education major, but lays no claim to being a “star” athlete.

“During my freshman year, I played my one and only year of baseball at Erskine,” Wiggins said. “Or should I say, I was on the team. I was cut from the team during the fall of my sophomore year, but that opened the door to many other activities.”

He announced home baseball games during his sophomore year and ended up getting his commercial driver’s license so he could drive all of the Flying Fleet athletic squads to locations where they were playing. Wiggins also helped “coach” the Erskine softball team during his junior and senior years.

“And yes, I did attend class during my four years at Due West University,” he said jokingly. “There is one thing I’ve always appreciated about Erskine, and that is the relationships you are able to build with the professors. Their doors were always open and they always made time to help. Erskine professors want to see their students succeed.

“That was obvious with me,” Wiggins said. “Not that I was dumb, but I was a professional procrastinator. If not for the help of my wonderful professors, I would probably still be there.”

He also became engaged his senior year.

“There’s somewhat of a rumor that a lot of people find their significant other while at Erskine,” Wiggins said. “Well, that was certainly true for me. I met the wonderful Sallie Adair Wiggins ’97 and she gave me the kick in the pants I needed to get on out of college.”

The Wiggins family lives in Laurens, where Matthew works as a property services inspector for an insurance company. Matthew and Sallie have been married for almost 13 years and have three children — Beth (10), Gracie (6) and Ben (10 months). Sallie is the junior and senior guidance counselor at Clinton High School in Clinton.

“She is the most wonderful woman that I know and she has to be to put up with me,” Wiggins said of his wife. “She also has the patience of Job — especially this time of year with football cranking up. That is one thing about officiating: if your wife isn’t understanding, then you won’t be officiating very long. I am entering my 12th year and Sallie has never objected.”

It was back in 1999 that Wiggins’ dad suggested he give officiating a try.

“The obvious position to work was umpire — once again, because of my size,” he said. “Umpire is the one position on the football field that no other official wants to work, and I know no umpire who would want to work anywhere else. You are right in the middle of the action at umpire because you are positioned between the linebackers and defensive backs.”

Wiggins said it is not hard to get run over, knocked down, stepped on, used as a blocker, hit with passes and wind up under a pile of players when a play is finished.

He said his dad provided him with a wealth of knowledge on rules and correct positioning on the field. Another umpire, Al Webb of Clinton, has also been a mentor to him.

Being selected to officiate the Shrine Bowl and the North-South All-Star Game is a special honor because officials only get to work those games once during a career.

“To get to work them both in the same year is more special than I could ever imagine,” he said. “I have been ranked in the top 12 in the state for the last two seasons, but this year, things really fell into place for me.”

Wiggins realizes responsibilities come with such honors.

“I think the Lord puts us in places where we can do His work, and hopefully this year I can set a good Christian example on the football field for my fellow officials, the players and the coaches I encounter,” he said. “I know that God is at work in my life. I can feel it. I am very grateful for the many, many blessings he continues to grant me.”