There's a calm to Moorhead senior wrestler Sam Grove. It's a kind of serene mentality that comes with a quiet joke and his slight grin. There's never a full smile from Grove. He waits for the mat to show his opponent his teeth. "Sam is a whole lot more even-keeled," Moorhead wrestling coach Skip Toops said. "There's nothing wrong with that. He goes out there, he knows the job he has to do and he gets it done." Grove is fully aware of his ability, but there's no need for him to yell or pound his chest or scream about it. In December, he calmly said: "I'm going to win state." His demeanor is his steady ship that allows him to glide through the crushing waves of the behemoth that is the Minnesota state wrestling tournament. He's ready for his final voyage. "It's kind of stressful, but relieving at the same time," Grove said. "All this effort, all this trouble, just for this one time and one moment. It's going to be ending soon. I can probably make my final goal." Grove has a message for his seventh-grade self, as he heads into Friday and Saturday's state wrestling tournament at Xcel Energy Center. "Never take a break," Grove said. "If you feel like it doesn't matter, it always matters. You have to keep pushing. Don't eat all the bad crap. I should've eaten more healthy. I should've worked out when I took a break."
It was in seventh grade when Grove followed former Moorhead wrestler and North Dakota State running back Chase Morlock in his run to a state wrestling title in 2012. He watched all his matches at the state tournament online. That was Moorhead's last state individual to win a wrestling title. "After I saw him win it, I said I have to get one, at least one," Grove said. Grove enters the state wrestling tournament ranked No. 1 at 195 pounds in Class 3A. He was two points away from a title last season, losing 5-4 in the finals at 195. "I know that ever since he lost in the finals last year he's been on a mission this year," Toops said. "Everything he's done to prepare, from the offseason to summer wrestling to fall to winter wrestling, he's been preparing for this tournament and for the opportunity to get back in the state championship and win it. "He made one mistake in the state championship, it cost him a takedown and we lost by one point. It's those little things. He's been there. He knows what it takes." All season, Grove has waited for this tournament. The South Dakota State commit has never hidden the fact Morlock is his hero. He hugged Morlock after he broke his school record for wins this season, a year after breaking Morlock's school record for pins. Grove destroyed those records, sitting at 183-37 in his career with 108 pins. Morlock finished 167-31 with 75 pins. He has a fourth-place finish and a second-place finish in four trips to state, as does Morlock. Grove is missing the state championship. In perfect form with his tranquil personality, Grove has no idea what he'd do if he won the state title. There's no celebration planned. "I try to imagine if I maybe beat the crap out of the guy or win by a little bit, but I don't know how I'd celebrate," Grove said. "I might just not do anything. I don't know. I might be in shock. I don't know. I haven't won something this big before." What he does know is he has a deal with former Moorhead assistant wrestling coach Matt Nelson that when he wins a state title Nelson has to buy him a 2-liter bottle of Mountain Dew. Grove is 38-2 this season. He's four wins away from his first pop since October. "I'm going to cash that in next time I see him," Grove said. "To be honest, I'll just buy it myself if he's not there."There's a calm to Moorhead senior wrestler Sam Grove. It's a kind of serene mentality that comes with a quiet joke and his slight grin. There's never a full smile from Grove. He waits for the mat to show his opponent his teeth."Sam is a whole lot more even-keeled," Moorhead wrestling coach Skip Toops said. "There's nothing wrong with that. He goes out there, he knows the job he has to do and he gets it done."Grove is fully aware of his ability, but there's no need for him to yell or pound his chest or scream about it. In December, he calmly said: "I'm going to win state."His demeanor is his steady ship that allows him to glide through the crushing waves of the behemoth that is the Minnesota state wrestling tournament. He's ready for his final voyage."It's kind of stressful, but relieving at the same time," Grove said. "All this effort, all this trouble, just for this one time and one moment. It's going to be ending soon. I can probably make my final goal."Grove has a message for his seventh-grade self, as he heads into Friday and Saturday's state wrestling tournament at Xcel Energy Center."Never take a break," Grove said. "If you feel like it doesn't matter, it always matters. You have to keep pushing. Don't eat all the bad crap. I should've eaten more healthy. I should've worked out when I took a break."
It was in seventh grade when Grove followed former Moorhead wrestler and North Dakota State running back Chase Morlock in his run to a state wrestling title in 2012. He watched all his matches at the state tournament online. That was Moorhead's last state individual to win a wrestling title."After I saw him win it, I said I have to get one, at least one," Grove said.Grove enters the state wrestling tournament ranked No. 1 at 195 pounds in Class 3A. He was two points away from a title last season, losing 5-4 in the finals at 195."I know that ever since he lost in the finals last year he's been on a mission this year," Toops said. "Everything he's done to prepare, from the offseason to summer wrestling to fall to winter wrestling, he's been preparing for this tournament and for the opportunity to get back in the state championship and win it."He made one mistake in the state championship, it cost him a takedown and we lost by one point. It's those little things. He's been there. He knows what it takes."All season, Grove has waited for this tournament. The South Dakota State commit has never hidden the fact Morlock is his hero. He hugged Morlock after he broke his school record for wins this season, a year after breaking Morlock's school record for pins. Grove destroyed those records, sitting at 183-37 in his career with 108 pins. Morlock finished 167-31 with 75 pins.He has a fourth-place finish and a second-place finish in four trips to state, as does Morlock. Grove is missing the state championship.In perfect form with his tranquil personality, Grove has no idea what he'd do if he won the state title. There's no celebration planned."I try to imagine if I maybe beat the crap out of the guy or win by a little bit, but I don't know how I'd celebrate," Grove said. "I might just not do anything. I don't know. I might be in shock. I don't know. I haven't won something this big before."What he does know is he has a deal with former Moorhead assistant wrestling coach Matt Nelson that when he wins a state title Nelson has to buy him a 2-liter bottle of Mountain Dew. Grove is 38-2 this season. He's four wins away from his first pop since October."I'm going to cash that in next time I see him," Grove said. "To be honest, I'll just buy it myself if he's not there."
