Carl Albert’s Spiwak adds record to stellar career

Carl Albert’s Ethan Spiwak kicks during a game against Noble. Photo by Jeff Harrison

By Jacob Sturm
Midwest City Beacon

There are many ways to describe kickers in football, ranging from “powerful” and “saavy” to “wild” or “crafty”, but to those who have followed Carl Albert another word could just as easily come to mind.

That word is dependable, and now the record books can back that up.

Ethan Spiwak, who currently handles the kicking duties on the Titans’ high-powered 2024 squad, broke the school record for career field goals in the past few weeks. Spiwak continued adding to his record Thursday evening by netting a 25-yard field goal and converting every extra point in a 59-0 win over John Marshall.

“It means a lot because there’s a lot of greats that have gone before me, guys who’ve gone to the next level and just to be at the top of that list means a lot, especially with such a good team behind me,” Spiwak said.

He recalled his freshman year with the team, where he served as a role player as a kickoff specialist and got in when he could. By his Sophomore season he had taken over the role and slowly got better over the years as his Titans’ career progressed.

Needless to say, Spiwak has developed a trust with the coaching staff to the benefit of the entire special teams unit.

“They’re great,” Spiwak said. “They really do trust me, and I know some schools that do not get to kick as many field goals and such, but this is a special place. And they definitely believe in me, and I try to prove it on the field for them.”

That belief has opened possibilities for the Titans on more than one occasion. Spiwak’s impeccable accuracy has allowed for added comfort once the team reaches long-distance field goal range, and can also be seen in consistent touchbacks and schemed directional kicks giving coach Mike Dunn’s squad additional advantages.

“The biggest thing for us is it’s a weapon,” Dunn said. “We’ve got a big-time weapon with Spiwak. He’s a guy that’s going to put 90% of his kickoffs in the end zone, which our defense has played so well this year, but that starts when we know field position-wise the other team’s starting on the 20.”

“… And then obviously, knowing when we cross the 30 we feel like we’re in range always,” Dunn said. “We feel like we’ve got three points on the board if we need it. He’s just been so good. Overall, his percentage on field goals is just unbelievable from his sophomore to now, his senior year.”

Spiwak said he goes through the same routine before every game, where he slowly works backward and gets a feel for the wind. Then, in the game, he stays loose and ready at all times.

It’s proven effective.

Carl Albert has plenty of eyes on its field as the talent has warranted it. Spiwak has received an offer from The University of Central Oklahoma, and has received interest from Division 1 schools.

Dunn also said Spiwak is one of the guys to never miss a workout in the summer, and never miss a practice despite the monotonous nature of the work.

“He’s a special kid, and it means a lot to us coaches,” Dunn said. “Our kids and our team, they respect the crap out of him. He’s just a great teammate and obviously a great football player. So, we’re lucky to have him. We’re going to miss him once it’s over.”