Grove returns as head coach in Montville today

Montville coach Tanner Grove was re-instated immediately after the Indians win over New London, he met the busses on their return to the high school Saturday and will be back on the job today (Monday). Grove was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs in August and was suspended for the first game of the season. Thus, he had to miss the 21-19 win over New London at the Coast Guard Academy.
Rob Alves and Gary Wilcox served as co-head coaches in the interim while Grove had to stay away from the team.
Alves admitted prior to the game on Saturday that there was a lot of pressure taking over the team for its game against the Whalers.
"I'm very happy, it's a lot off my chest, it really is," Alves said about the return of Grove as head coach. "At the same time, it was a great learning experience and, hopefully, I kept the team going in a positive direction."
After the game, Wilcox said it was nice to see how the team came together and overcame the distractions.
"This whole team stepped up big and overcame adversity," Wilcox said. "We started the season with an issue and these coaches and kids stepped up so big, myself and coach Alves literally focused this group of coaches and kids to overcome all of the nonsense to overcome all of this. Even in the second half (when New London scored 13 of its points) when we had that adversity coming, we held together, we bent, but we didn't break."

Notes

Where were the rosters this weekend?
I went to four high school football games and only one, the Killingly-Wolcott game, had rosters out for the public to bring with them into the game.
Quinebaug Valley-Plainfield had only two copies of team rosters, both of them in the press box. The Norwich Free Academy-Windham game had some made up, but they were in a box inside the ticket booth and there were almost none available at the Montville - New London game (I was fortunate to come away with two of the few that existed).
I realize it was the first game of the year, but when you are charging the public to see a game, the least you could give them is something to follow it better with. It doesn't have to be a complete program, but one sheet with rosters on both sides is better than nothing.


Interesting soccer pairing today, the Lyman and Norwich Free Academy girls and boys play a doubleheader at Lyman Memorial in Lebanon. The girls play in the first game at 4:30 p.m., the guys play in the nightcap at 6:30 p.m. The Norwich Bulletin will be covering both games. Also coming tomorrow, the first fall notebook of the high school season - look for it in your mailbox, newsstands and on-line.