Unbalanced logo

Andrew and Matt Groll Compete and Byram Hills Wins

Brother tandem pays dividends for Armonk community.

By Rich MonettiPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
Like
Matt Groll goes Baseline

Long before Andrew and Matt Groll became Byram Hills’ twin towers on the basketball court, they played one on one in the driveway after school every day. The elder Groll describes the daily dates as good, competitive fun. Matt, on the other hand, had a different recollection.

“We used to argue and fight all the time,” remembered the younger.

Section One Run

But wherever the truth lies, what can’t be denied is Byram Hills rode the duo’s double team all the way to the section one finals, and the town will never forget the run.

Blown out by Spring Valley at the County Center on March 2, Andrew and his teammates knew very well what was ahead of them. “We had a chance to beat them, but we were going to have to play our best game,” said Andrew. “Obviously it didn’t work out that way.”

The game that got them there against Somers leaves a much better taste in his mouth. But as he heads to college next year, Andrew gives most of the kudos to his teammates. “I was completely shut down, and everybody else got up and did their part,” said the 6'7'' center.

Muscle and Tussle in the Paint

On the other hand, being the force down low whenever the Bobcats needed a basket is a challenge he never shrunk from. “It was always great to hear, let’s get the ball into him, he’s our best player. But we also had a bunch of guys who were able to step in to make this a team effort.”

But even though the bumps and bruises weren’t distributed as equally, Andrew accepted all the underneath banging his position demanded. He then fed off tussle and reciprocated with muscle. “I took it, and I gave it back,” he said.

However, Andrew made sure the way he returned the punishment was more headstrong. “When players drive the paint, they always pump fake. So I just stay straight up, and when you don’t get in the air, they’re in trouble,” he said.

Matt knows something of staying planted until the right moment too, and the skill seems to come inherently. “I guess that’s kind of natural for me, because I never really work on blocking shots,” said the 6'6'' sophomore.

Little brother comes up big.

Hen Hud can attest to that better than anyone. As the Sailors were running the Bobcats out of the gym in the section quarterfinals, Matt lowered the boom. “I blocked a kid, and the whole game changed,” said Matt.

The driving buzzer beater through the paint won’t be forgotten either by Hen Hud. But Matt credits his unabashed and season-long nose for the rim to Andrew. “Everyone is always double teaming Andrew. That opens up space for me so I can get to the basket,” asserted Matt.

Andrew returns the appreciation for the squeaker his brother helped pull out that night. “Despite the disappointing loss against Spring Valley, I’ll always remember that my last home game was a win,” said Andrew.

Looking Forward

All the accolades, Andrew finds it easy to keep perspective. “I’m a quiet guy so I don’t try to blow myself up too much. My brother, on the other hand, I have to keep him contained a little,” said Andrew slyly.

But given the soft spoken demeanor that Matt also proceeds with, another friendly brotherly jab must explain the discrepancy. At the same time, Matt certainly knows where the absence of his big brother leaves him. “Andrew is such a presence. He gets double-digit boards every game so it’s going to be tough,” said Matt.

Fortunately, it seems Andrew’s shoes won’t be filled with a bunch of new short guys. “We have some big men coming up, and I think we’ll do okay,” said Matt.

Nonetheless, the thought of not being part of Byram Hills basketball does pain Andrew. This as he waits to hear back on his college applications and whether he decides to play Division III college basketball. “Just looking back, it’s hard to let go, but times are changing and you have got to move on,” concludes Andrew.

If you’d like a sports profile, game coverage at any level and/or photos, please contact me on Facebook at 914 318-0997 or [email protected]

basketball
Like

About the Creator

Rich Monetti

I am, I write.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.