Scoring records are nice. This ‘assassin’ did more to bring Garden Valley a state title
Garden Valley’s Covy Kelly left the Ford Idaho Center two years ago with a scoring record and second-place trophy under his arm. But he saw little reason to smile.
He had plenty of reason to celebrate Friday.
The senior broke his own 1A Division II state tournament record with 45 points, carrying Garden Valley to an 88-73 win over Dietrich for its first boys basketball championship in program history.
“He’s an assassin,” Garden Valley coach Joel LaFleur said. “The bigger the moment, the better he plays. Some people have it. Some people don’t. He has that.”
Kelly started the game on fire and never cooled down, shooting 15-for-24 from the floor and 7-for-12 behind the 3-point line. He tied the 1A Division II state record for 3-pointers made in a game.
But Kelly wasn’t interested in all the records. He said capturing that first title was more important.
“To me, that’s all that matters — winning,” Kelly said. “That’s why we play, to win. It’s a team sport. We all want that win.
“We fell short two years ago. Last year, probably even shorter. So this year, we needed to get it done. It was a win at all costs for us.”
Five starting sophomores, including Kelly, led Garden Valley to the state finals two years. Kelly set the single-game scoring record then, pouring in 38 points to break a record held by Salmon River’s Leighton Vander Esch, now a Dallas Cowboys linebacker.
The future looked bright in Garden Valley. But Kelly admitted that the Wolverines grew complacent, expecting to cruise back to the finals year after year.
A two-and-out trip to state last year erased any of those notions. So Kelly said Garden Valley spent the offseason getting back to work. Kelly even set up a weight room in his backyard for players to work out when the coronavirus shut down gyms.
“He is driven beyond anything I’ve ever seen,” LaFleur said. “I was a fighter pilot in the Air Force. I’ve been around astronauts and four-star generals. His work ethic is up there with any of those guys.”
Garden Valley also received reinforcement when Josh Gillespie returned to the school from Mountain View. His family left Garden Valley after the fourth grade, growing tired of the commute to Boise. But they decided to return for his senior season.
He stuffed the stat sheet all year and did it again Friday, finishing with 15 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks. But perhaps more importantly, he gave the Wolverines someone to push Kelly.
“Josh has been my best friend since we were 4,” Kelly said. “When we played one-on-one, one of us was always crying afterward. We’re super competitive. That was huge for me this year to have someone to compete with every single day at practice.”
Kelly’s 45 points drew much of the praise Friday. But LaFleur said the guard could always fill the bucket. Years of working on the rest of his game led to the Wolverines’ elusive championship.
LaFleur noted Kelly’s record-setting 38 points two years ago weren’t enough. But his 45 Friday, along with six rebounds and five assists, made the difference between a first- and second-place trophy.
“It was getting him to understand that it’s not enough for you to do it,” LaFleur said. “You have to get your teammates to where they’re on this floor, in this moment, and they can compete and they can pull the rope as well.
“... He was phenomenal. And the other kids did their part as well.”
This story was originally published March 5, 2021 at 2:28 PM.
