Buffalo Wild Wings May 2017 Coach of the Month: Becky Groves, Century Girls Lacrosse

Becky Groves, who coached the Century High School girls lacrosse team to a 17-3 record and the MPSSAA 2A/1A state championship, is the County Sports Zone/Buffalo Wild Wings Coach of the Month for May!

Coach Groves is a native of Eldersburg and played lacrosse for Liberty High School. After playing collegiately at Towson, Coach Groves decided to become a teacher. She spent a couple years away from the game, but a friend convinced her to get back into the sport.

"It was great to form the relationships with the girls and be a positive role model," Coach Groves said. "Having great coaches growing up and always enjoying sports has always made me want to emulate them."

To her players, Coach Groves sets a serious but enjoyable tone for the team.

"Coach Groves is an intense coach that pushes us hard every day at practice. She's very competitive and wants us to be our best every day," senior attacker Michaela Connolly said. "She still makes it really fun though, which I think plays a big part in us being so successful."

Coach Groves is just the second girls lacrosse head coach in Century's history. She works at the high school as a physical education teacher.

The Knights have developed a reputation for being one of the best in Maryland. Century has won nine state championships, three since Coach Groves became head coach in 2011.

"We're known for winning and getting our teams to gel," Coach Groves said. "The girls always go out there for one another and enjoy their success together."

Despite the high expectations surrounding the program, the Knights entered this season with a sense of uncertainty.

Much talent was lost from the 2016 team through graduation and injury. Coach Groves estimated that included about 90 percent of the team's offensive power.

"We came into this season with an open mind despite graduating a lot of players from last year because we knew we had a lot of talented freshmen coming in," Connolly said. "It was about bringing them into the team we already had."

The freshmen took to playing at the varsity level quickly.

The Knights entered the 2A/1A state championship against Fallston on a tear, outscoring their opponents 107-14. The goals didn't stop against Fallston, as Century went on to become state champions by a final score of 13-5. The Knights were led by freshman Grace Bruce, who scored five goals.

With the majority of the team coming back, 2018 has the potential to be an even more exciting season for Century, though Coach Groves won't be taking anything for granted.

"Every year is different. We didn't lose a lot in terms of numbers, but in terms of leadership," Coach Groves said. "We do bring back a lot, and we look forward to building on what we return."

For being named County Sports Zone/Buffalo Wild Wings Coach of the Month, Coach Groves received a gift certificate, sauces and a hat from Buffalo Wild Wings, as well as a County Sports Zone t-shirt.

If you'd like to make a nomination for next month's County Sports Zone/Buffalo Wild Wings Coach of The Month, click here.

Congratulations to Coach Groves!