St. Ignatius High School’s Nolan Spicer earns 2nd consecutive Gatorade Ohio Boys Soccer Player of the Year award

In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade last week announced Nolan Spicer of St. Ignatius High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Ohio Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

Spicer is the sixth Gatorade Ohio Boys Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from St. Ignatius High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Spicer as Ohio’s best high school boys soccer player.

Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in June, Spicer joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ben Bender (2019-20, Calvert Hall College High School, Md.), Jacob Shaffelburg (2017-18, Berkshire School, Mass.), Jack Harrison (2013-14, Berkshire School, Mass.) and Steve Cherundolo (1996-97, Mt. Carmel High School, Calif.).

The state’s returning Gatorade Player of the Year, the 5-foot-9, 150-pound senior midfielder led the Wildcats to a 21-2 record and a fourth straight Division I state championship during the fall season. Spicer scored 23 goals and passed for nine assists.

The Division I Player of the Year and a United Soccer Coaches All-American selection, he concluded his prep soccer career with 66 goals and 31 assists, including single-season highs of 26 and 12 as a junior.

Spicer has volunteered locally by serving the unhoused with the Labre Ministry to the Homeless. He has also donated his time with the St. Joseph Pallbearer Ministry, the Rini Family Christmas Food Drive and as a youth soccer coach.

“When I watched Nolan control a game, it was just special,” said Greg Moilov, head coach of St. Edward High School. “Nolan had a presence on the field that no one could quite compete with. He determined the outcome of matches, yet keeps a sense of calm under pressure.”

Spicer maintained a weighted 4.18 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at the University of Notre Dame this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.

Two-time winner Spicer joins recent Gatorade Ohio Boys Soccer Players of the Year Luciano Pechota (2020-21, St. Ignatius High School), Kyle Folds (2019-20, St. Ignatius High School), and Brennan Callow (2018-19, The Seven Hills School), among the state’s list of former award winners.

Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through Gatorade’s Play it Forward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade’s social impact partners, supporting Gatorade’s ambition to fuel the future of sport. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations.

For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supporting their communities and achieving academic success. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and community leaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow Gatorade on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.