Treasure Valley's top-25 football players
Players 25-21
Football in the Treasure Valley is back — for the most part.
School districts like Kuna, Homedale, Middleton and West Ada have all already kicked off their seasons. The Nampa School District will join them this week with Boise hopefully following soon after.
So now seems about as good a time as any to reveal my list of the top-25 players in the Treasure Valley.
25. Covy Kelly, Garden Valley, WR, Sr. — Kelly may be the valley’s best kept secret.
That can happen when you play in a town with a population of under 400.
Kelly hauled in 55 catches for 1,227 yards and 28 touchdowns a year ago. It resulted in him being both the 1A Division II Long Pin Player of the Year and an All-State first-team selection.
He already has 409 yards and four TDs this season.
“Covy can do it all. He is a natural talent, but his success comes from his work ethic,” Garden Valley coach Jason Yearsley said. “He leads by example and is able to get his team behind him and at workouts. He is a very determined kid, whose competitive nature makes him a phenomenal athlete.”
24. Cash Cowdery, Middleton, WR, Sr. — Cowdery tallied 59 catches for 885 yards and 14 TDs to earn All-4A Southern Idaho Conference honors.
And he wasn’t even the Vikings’ primary receiver.
So imagine what the 6-foot-3 playmaker will do as the go-to target for Middleton in its Air Raid offense in 2020.
He gave everyone some idea with 9 receptions for 69 yards and a TD in a 39-14 season-opening win at Minico Friday.
“Cash is an outstanding athlete with a tremendous work ethic,” Middleton coach Bill Brock said. “Can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.”
23. Westyn Smith, Emmett, RB, Sr. — Despite playing in only nine games, Smith was the fifth-leading rusher in the 4A SIC with 1,142 yards and eight TDs last year.
It earned him All-SIC second-team honors.
And with five senior offensive lineman blocking for him, those numbers figure to go up. He’s already run for 218 yards and three TDs through two games this season.
So Smith should contend for the league’s rushing title this season.
“Westyn is one of the hardest working kids I have seen in the weightroom in a long time. He is a great player and an awesome young man to work with,” Emmett coach Rich Hargitt said. “He helps our offense both with running the ball as well as catching passes and is a natural leader.”
Smith also has three catches for 97 yards this season.
Photo Credit: Nik Streng/Argus Observer
22. Brett Spencer, Weiser, QB/DB, Jr. — Spencer was the only quarterback from the Gem State to compete in the “Northwest 9 Showcase” this past weekend. The two-day event in Gig Harbor, Washington featured the top quarterbacks from the Northwest.
He placed sixth.
Spencer is certainly one of the best around here too.
He was an All-3A Snake River Valley Conference selection a season ago.
The 6-0, 185-pounder is pretty good on the other side of the ball as well. Spencer was an All-3A SRV first-defense back last year.
“You don’t have to tell or show this kid anything,” Weiser coach Tom Harrison told SBLive Idaho. “If he makes a bad decision, that is what it takes — making a mistake for him not to do it again.”
21. Cody Walker, Wilder, RB/LB, Sr. — A Wildcat has been the 1A Division I Western Idaho Conference Player of the Year for the last four seasons.
Walker has a good chance of extending that streak.
He was an All-WIC first-team back last season with 750 yards and nine touchdowns. But the 5-10, 215-pounder is a contender for the league’s defensive player of the year as well. Walker was an All-Conference first-team and All-State first-team linebacker with 106 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, one interception and a touchdown a year ago.
Walker has piled up 131 yards and a TD on just 12 carries through one game this season. He has nine tackles and three sacks on defense.
“He studies as much film as I do week in and week out,” Wilder coach Kyle DalSoglio said. “Cody identifies tendencies in our opponents that coaches miss often times. He is very coachable and always looking to get better every day. He's the player every coach wants to have.”