The ball left Kelan Gruver’s hands from well beyond the arc, a shot born not out of desperation — but repetition. 

For a moment inside Koch Arena, time slowed. Then the net snapped, and decades of waiting in Bonner Springs came rushing back all at once. 

Gruver’s go-ahead 3-pointer with under two minutes to play proved to be the defining moment in the Braves’ 53-50 victory over two-time defending champion Kapaun-Mt. Carmel, delivering Bonner Springs its first Class 5A state title in more than 40 years and cementing the senior guard’s place in program history.  

“It wasn’t a prayer,” said Gruver, who was named to the KSHSAA Covered Boys All-Class First Team. “I’ve put in the time and work and shot tens of thousands of shots so that when that moment came, I could make it.”  

That moment — and that confidence — was years in the making. 

The son of head coach Drew Gruver, Kelan grew up in gyms, often tagging along to practices before he was even in school. What started on a 6-foot hoop in the driveway turned into a daily routine that would define his career. By his father’s count, Gruver has made roughly 15,000 shots every summer for the past decade. 

That commitment didn’t stop when the gym lights turned off. 

During his early years at Chapman, Gruver and his family routinely made the long trek to Kansas City so he could play for a competitive club team. After track practices, it meant hopping in the car for a two-and-a-half hour drive, practicing for another 90 minutes, then making the same trip back home — all in the same night. 
 

“I remember asking him if it was worth it,” Drew Gruver said. “And without hesitation he said yes.”  

“It’s no accident that he is as good of a shooter as he is,” his father added. “He has put a tremendous amount of time and effort into becoming the best player he can be.”  

That work translated into one of the most decorated careers in Bonner Springs history. 

A 6-foot-3 senior guard, Gruver capped his final season with 503 points (17.9 per game), 141 rebounds and 129 assists while leading the Braves to a 27-1 record. His lone loss came against eventual 4A state champion Baldwin, but Bonner Springs left no doubt in Class 5A — finishing the job with a championship run that mirrored the program’s 1984 title team.  

Gruver saved his best for last. 

In the title game, he scored a game-high 21 points and delivered the biggest shot of his life. But even in that moment, he was quick to deflect the spotlight. 

“Everyone will remember me taking that shot,” Gruver said, “but Jason Jones provided a spark… Prince Donnell had a huge one… Nate Ferrell and Jaiden Jones each made a clutch free throw. We didn’t win that game just because of the shot — we won it because of the plays we made as a team.”  

That team-first mentality is what separated Gruver just as much as his shooting. 

“He only cares about doing what is best for the team,” Drew Gruver said. “He understands the game better than anyone I have coached. He makes his teammates better when he is on the floor.”  
 

Gruver’s impact extended beyond one shining moment in Wichita. He finished his career with 1,498 points, ranking among the program’s all-time leaders, and connected on 241 3-pointers at a nearly 38 percent clip. He was a two-time first-team All-Frontier League selection and earned KSHSAA Covered All-Class First Team honors — becoming the program’s first All-State Top 5 selection since 1984.  

His journey wasn’t always linear. 

Gruver spent his first two seasons at Chapman, where he often faced double teams and the opponent’s top defender. The move to Bonner Springs — when his father took over the program — provided a new opportunity and a new stage. 

It didn’t change his approach. 

“A big focal point for our team is what can you do besides score points to help the team win,” Gruver said.  

That mindset helped fuel a second-half rally in the championship game, where the Braves erased an 11-point deficit behind contributions from across the roster before Gruver delivered the final blow. 

For Drew Gruver, the moment carried a deeper meaning. 
 

“For him to go out with a state championship his senior year with a great group of teammates is a dream come true,” he said. “Being able to coach him and that great team and have a front row seat for it all is pretty special.  Something we will remember for the rest of our lives.” 

From long drives out of Chapman to late nights in the gym, Kelan Gruver’s path was anything but easy. 

And when the biggest moment arrived, it looked just like all those quiet reps — one more shot, rising through the air, exactly as it always had.