Senior Kaden Covill steps up to the line and drains both of his free throws. Just a few seconds prior, head coach Kory Deadrick called a play to get Covill a bucket. Covill’s points gave the Spartans a 5-0 lead less than a minute into the game, which aided the 51-48 win over Duluth East.

“It was a game changer for me. The minute coach called a play at the start for me, I got fouled and hit both free throws. It fixed my mindset and I knew I was going to be able to keep up with the guys out there,” said Covill. 

The Spartans faced off against East on Dec. 20. The Spartans were in control and leading by over ten points early in the first half. However, the script quickly flipped when senior record breaker Calvin Anderson went down with an apparent leg injury not long into the second half. East took advantage of this and knocked down a couple three pointers to take the lead.

It took the Spartans a few minutes to settle in, but many quickly started to step up in the absence of a key player like Anderson. For Deadrick, the guy who really stepped up was Covill. 

“It was a grinder win. Covill had his first career start, he was phenomenal on rebounding, dropped double digit points (10), he was a big difference in the zone and contesting Greyhound shots. It was great to see the success he had,” Deadrick said.

It was a very competitive, back and forth game, and the stands and benches were alive and buzzing with energy. After the game, Covill was named Ifan gem of the game. 

“It felt good to be the guy that coach needed to step up and make some plays. This game was definitely a career highlight,” said Covill.

The Spartans are currently 8-0, and have eight days until their next game. They will host their Holiday tournament and will play at 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 29 at Superior.