JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Like most high school athletes, Jack Pelot grew up thinking about scoring goals and flicking assists to his lacrosse teammates.
But when his local youth team needed a goalie, Pelot volunteered to give it a shot. Ten years later, the Ponte Vedra star, USA Lacrosse All-American and All-News4JAX boys lacrosse player of the year couldn’t imagine playing another position.
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Gone were visions of putting the ball in the back of the net, replaced by preventing attackers from getting something past him. Pelot was so good and naturally gifted that he earned an offer and committed to the University of Pennsylvania before he’d even started a high school game. But it was tough to shake the scoring bug and accept the reality that even the best of players in net weren’t going to stop every shot that came their way.
“It took awhile to adjust, especially going into high school. As a freshman playing against kids that are four or five years older than you it’s a little bit different. It’s intimidating. But kind of had to figure that out,” Pelot said. “I‘d say end of my sophomore year kind of going into junior year, I kind of figured that out where I was like, ‘all right, you’re not saving every goal.’ But you got to get the ones you got to have and then steal half of the ones. I think I credit my success to that.”
Goalie U, as Ponte Vedra has been referred to, has typically put a wall up in net. From Colin Peaks (Delaware) to Wyatt Schupler (Army) to Nolan Parlette (Air Force), the Sharks have always seemingly had a brute force in goal.
Pelot became the next in line to add to that title.
“It’d kind of been a goal for, I’d say five or six years,” Pelot said. “Kind of when I got to middle school I was like ‘all right, it’s time to put my head down and grind.’ Nothing’s guaranteed, you’ve got to earn everything.”
Pelot came up through the Ponte Vedra pipeline and competed in the same system that he’d later play and coach in. Current Sharks head coach Chris Polanski and current Bolles head coach Tom West have worked to build a lacrosse infrastructure in the area that hits every level.
“Coach Po and Coach West, they’re both huge on [lacrosse] studs going to huge schools, but they made sure they come back and they coach the little fourth and fifth graders,” Pelot said. “You almost build friendships with kids that are five, six, seven, eight years older than you. ... They impart that every year. You have to give back, carry on the legacy. So, it was definitely difficult a little bit, but because of that, it definitely made it so much easier.”
Because of that development, Pelot was talented and advanced, but he was an underclassman trying to log minutes for the area’s best lacrosse program. He made the varsity roster as a freshman but there was so much talent in front of him that Pelot took what minutes he could get.
“It was the summer after his freshman year when Jack really blew up,” Polanski said. “The work ethic matched the ability and ‘Jack P’ quickly became a name known by every high school coach in Florida and big college in the country.”
Pelot was so good in goal that over the course of his summer workouts of his junior year he committed to the University of Pennsylvania in October 2022. At that point, Pelot had never started a varsity game in his career.
“Which sounds unreal but a lot of it is summer ball you play,” Pelot said. “Countless weekends I’ve spent in Delaware, Baltimore, DC taking flights up there, playing on the summer circuit and then coaches see you. ... They’ll be like, ‘Send me your film.’ And it’s kind of like, ‘Coach, I don’t I don’t have any film, I’ve never played a high school game.’”
By the time it was Pelot’s turn to start in 2023, he was ready. The Sharks seldom had a close game against local competition during his two seasons starting, with a 9-6 win over Nease last year the most competitive area game during Pelot’s time in goal. Ponte Vedra had the second-toughest schedule in the state in 2023 and the sixth most difficult in 2024. Only private schools were ahead of the Sharks those seasons.
Pelot had a 67% career save percentage against a wicked tough schedule. He said that with an attacker’s mindset for so long, it was difficult into his high school years to know that he wasn’t able to change the game like many of his teammates could.
Pelot just changes the game differently now.
“You can’t contribute on the stat sheet, you can’t put up six goals and win the game, like, ‘Oh, you took over today,’” Pelot said. “But you can definitely affect the game. You can’t, quote unquote, win the game, which is tough. But it’s still, you’re the last line of defense. It’s keep the ball out of the net. That’s the main job. As long as it stays out, it’s all matters.”
All-News4JAX boys lacrosse team
Player, School, Class, Notable
Robert Adams, Episcopal, So.
Led Eagles in scoring with 86 points (57 goals, 23 assists) for 14-9 Eagles. Added 53 groundballs. Has scored 88 goals in first two seasons.
Jacob Campen, Bolles, Sr.
Mid had the best season of his three-year career with 21 goals, 13 assists and 17 ground balls for 21-3 Bulldogs. Denison signee.
Daylin John-Hill, Bolles, Sr.
Attack player is in the conversation as the area’s best. Two-time All-News4JAX selection. USA Lacrosse All-American. Had 53 goals. 49 assists for the area’s best team.
Parker Kane, Bolles, Sr.
Attack player had team-best 54 goals for Class 1A state semifinalist. Added 13 assists. Has signed with Florida Tech.
Lad Harper, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
Face off player is a two-time All-News4JAX selection. USA Lacrosse All-American. St. Bonaventure signee. Won 81% of faceoffs in his career.
Mason Hauseman, Ponte Vedra, Jr.
Attack player and Jacksonville University commit had 33 goals, 17 assists in just 15 games to lead Sharks.
Zac Heilmann, Fletcher, Sr.
Won 145 of 188 faceoffs (.77%) and had 101 groundballs during Senators’ 13-5 season and run to the state playoffs. Committed to Lenoir Rhyne.
Bryce Hogan, Bolles, Sr.
Long stick middle had 39 ground balls, won 11 faceoffs, scored 4 goals and added 3 assists. Headed for McGill University.
Ryker Kemp, Ponte Vedra, Jr.
Defender is one of the state’s best. Had 16 ground balls, 9 takeaways for regional finalist Sharks. Committed to Utah.
Lee Krotee, Bolles, Sr.
Midfielder is a USA Lacrosse All-American and Air Force signee. Had 48 goals and 17 assists to finish third on the Bulldogs in scoring.
Conner Kunce, Nease, Sr.
Midfielder and face-off, get-off player has signed with Detroit-Mercy. Had 14 goals, 13 assists and 202 ground balls. Won 71% of faceoffs (317 of 448).
Tanner Parlette, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
Defender was honorable mention selection last season. Had 27 ground balls, 17 takeaways against a wicked tough schedule.
Jack Pelot, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
Goalie is a two-time All-News4JAX selection and the All-News4JAX player in his final season. Signed with Penn. USA Lacrosse All-American. Had 67% career save number.
Nik Perkins, Nease, Jr.
Attack player had 69 goals, 20 assists, 68 groundballs and had 16 caused turnovers.
Honorable mention
Player, school, class
Kalan Berkman, Bartram Trail, Sr.
Ethan Binns, Bolles, Sr.
Greer Boree, Bolles, So.
David Carroll, Bolles, Sr.
Tre Carter, Episcopal, Jr.
Lucas Chigounis, Ponte Vedra, Jr.
Logan Cline, Menendez, Sr.
JP Dolan, Ponte Vedra, So.
Vincent Ferrugiaro, Matanzas, So.
Luke Fierro, Fletcher, Sr.
Egan Funke, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
Matt Greco, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
Canon Hauseman, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
Jacob Henley, Providence, Sr.
Dylan Hizey, Creekside, Sr.
Grady Insel, Creekside, Jr.
Jaden Jablonski, Providence, So.
Luke Law, St. Augustine, Jr.
Braxton Lee, Creekside, Jr.
JD Matson, Bolles, Sr.
Brady Moltisanti, Tocoi Creek, Sr.
Griffin Owen, Ponte Vedra, Sr.
Kellen Padgett, Bolles, Sr.
Nathan Phillips, Fletcher, Jr.
Julian Quintero, St. Augustine, Sr.
Nolan Rodriguez, St. Augustine, Jr.
Brandon Strout, Nease, Jr.
Zach Rutherford, Creekside, So.
Mason Taylor, St. Augustine, Jr.
Ty Teschner, Fleming Island, So.
Landon Tobin, Nease, Jr.
Matthew Weidle, Fletcher, So.
Cam Zilenski, Bolles, So.