By Zach Alvira
Head of Content
There isn’t a selfish bone in the body of Salpointe Catholic senior athlete Nathan Spivey.
He’s a Swiss army knife for the Lancers, playing defensive back and numerous positions on offense on a weekly basis. He does them all well, too.
Last Friday, against Mountain Pointe, Spivey opened the game with a 75-yard touchdown reception out of the backfield. He followed it up by helping limit the Pride offense through the air, batting down passes, forcing incompletions and filling running lanes from the safety position.
He lays everything out on the line on a nightly basis for his team. He’s widely regarded as a Division I-caliber player at the next level. But he doesn’t focus too much on where he or others think he should land. He keeps his head down and grinds, putting his team and their goals of winning a championship this year at the forefront.
“I just have to keep playing my game,” Spivey said of his recruitment. “If you’re good enough, it’s going to show. You just have to keep playing your game. It’s a team sport, it’s not individual. I just like to be a team player.”
Spivey burst onto the Arizona high school football scene as a freshman for Salpointe. He aimed to follow in the footsteps of other former Lancer greats, including Lathan Ransom, who is now at Ohio State, and Bigan Robinson, the starting running back for the Atlanta Falcons and arguably the best prospect to ever come out of the state.
That year, he recorded 13 tackles, including three for a loss. The Lancers made a run to the 5A state title game, falling to Horizon in a 38-28 instant classic in Tempe.
The loss fueled the Salpointe program. It came on the heels of two straight Open Division semifinal appearances, and the Lancers first run at the 5A level after previously calling 4A home.
The next year, however, as the Arizona Interscholastic Association continued to modify how football programs are placed within conferences, Salpointe was moved up to 6A. It was a new conference with schools much larger than the Tucson private school.
But they answered the challenge. Now, they’re in position to secure a home playoff game in the 6A Conference.
“It shows a lot of growth,” Spivey said. “It shows the maturity we’ve grown, and I can’t wait to keep playing with my brothers in my last season.”
As a sophomore, Spivey began to establish himself as a key player. He caught 34 passes for 344 yards and four touchdowns on offense and increased his tackle total to 65 as a full-time secondary player.
His targets increased on offense as a junior, catching 44 passes for 450 yards and five touchdowns. He recorded 68 tackles on defense and had a team-high seven interceptions.
That is a mark he is chasing this season as a senior but has a way to go with only two interceptions on the year with playoffs looming. He admits he has noticed opposing offenses refusing to challenge him through the air, which plays a role in his below-average mark. Fifty-fifty balls are often won by Spivey. He also has an eye for the ball, jumping routes.
Spivey has showcased his talent against some of the top competition in the state this season. The Lancers went toe-to-toe with Liberty, last year’s Open Division champion. Spivey had 64 yards on the ground and a touchdown, along with eight tackles. The defense forced two turnovers overall against the Lions despite a loss.
“It showed us we can play with any team in the state,” Spivey said. “Third quarter we started perfectly. We drove down the field and scored. We go up 24-20 and it just slipped away from us. They just closed out the game. That’s a good team.”
Spivey has taken steps to get the eyes of college coaches on him throughout his career.
In the spring, he attended the first-ever HBCU spring prospect camp, hosted by Higley High School. Howard, Grambling State and Morgan State were among the programs in attendance.
He makes highlight reels on a consistent basis, sharing them across his social media platforms. Yet, despite taking the necessary steps, calls have been somewhat limited this season.
Spivey currently has four offers to play at the next level. Fort Lewis, a small Division II college in Colorado, was the first to offer him in May. Western New Mexico followed suit, followed by two NAIA programs in Hastings College and Arizona Christian.
He’s appreciative of the offers he has received from schools, lighting up with a smile when brought to his attention. But like any athlete, he never settles.
Playing at the next level is a dream come true. He has the avenue to accomplish that dream. However, he hopes to still attract the attention of other programs at every level across the country. From there, he will choose the program that is the best fit for him as both a student and athlete.
But that decision is still a month or so away. For now, he and the Lancers are focused on the final two games of the regular season – home contests against Saguaro and Brophy. The latter will be for the 6A Central Region title.
Helping the Lancers win the region, while knocking off one of the top teams in the state in the process, would be yet another step toward leaving a legacy on the program. Spivey has already made his mark, now it’s time to cement it.
“I just want to continue to be myself and a team player,” Spivey said. “I want the younger generation to look at me and say, ‘He was an unselfish player.’ Even in tough times … I can handle the adversity and help my team win.”
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