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Rob Collver Is Dragons’ New Coach

New Maple Grove boys basketball coach Rob Collver, middle, huddles with his team during a practice Wednesday night. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

Maple Grove’s boys basketball team will have a new coach when it takes the court Friday night at home on Dutch Hollow Road against Chautauqua Lake.

Rob Collver, a physical education, health and consumer sciences teacher in the Frewsburg school district, held his first practice with the team Wednesday night.

“It’s my gift. It’s what I’m good at. When you are good at something and you are doing it, it feels good. It feels right. When I’m coaching, I’m comfortable and I’m happy,” Collver said following practice. “That’s exactly what I’m put on this earth to do, is to teach and coach and encourage kids. I think we had fun tonight. The kids were laughing and working their tails off.”

“We are very pleased for our student-athletes that a coach with Rob’s wealth of experience and track record of success will be guiding the team through the remainder of the season,” Maple Grove superintendent Mike Mansfield said.

Collver is the brother of longtime Frewsburg varsity girls coach Jeff Collver, who stepped down from that position following last season. The Red Dragons’ job will not be the first coaching position for Rob Collver, who led the Panama varsity girls for seven years, was the Frewsburg girls jayvee coach for three years and coached the Bears’ modified girls team this fall.

“Coming over from Panama to Frewsburg kind of helped me with that,” Collver said of joining the Maple Grove program. “I had to learn some of Jeff’s stuff and then incorporate some of my stuff. … That transition kind of made it easy, but you are also coming into a brand-new gym, a brand-new administration, brand-new students, brand-new colors, brand-new everything.”

Collver takes over for longtime Maple Grove coach Curt Fischer, who took a voluntary leave of absence Jan. 8 before eventually resigning from the position last Friday.

“It’s been really crazy without Coach (Fischer). With (Curt’s son) Zach not being on the team, it’s just really hard for the whole entire team,” senior Truman Purslow said. “They deserve to be here and it was really not a good farewell for Coach (Fischer). He’s one of, if not the best, coach in New York state.”

Maple Grove (5-7, 2-4 CCAA Division 1 West) is marred in a five-game losing streak, including four since Fischer stepped away from the team. The Red Dragons have lost their past five games by an average of 26 points per game.

“They need consistency,” Collver said. “They need to know who is going to be there, who is going to take care of them and who is the voice that they are going to listen to. That’s really important for high school kids.”

Collver met with the players and parents prior to practice Wednesday at the school.

“I love adversity. I love challenges because they bring out the best in people,” Collver said. “I told the boys, ‘This is a time of adversity for you. What are you going to do? Are you going to shrink down or are you going to rise up?’ If tonight was any indication they are going to rise up and be really good.”

Friday night’s date with Devin Pope and the Thunderbirds could include an added twist. Zach Fischer has transferred to the Chautauqua Lake district and is awaiting approval from Section VI to join the Thunderbirds basketball team. If that approval comes today, Fischer could play against his former teammates Friday night.

“It’s going to be playing against a brother. He’s going to be a brother for life,” Purslow said about possibly facing Zach Fischer on the court. “It’s just going to be like every day at practice when we scrimmage. It’s going to be fun, we’re going to high-five all the time. … We’re going to battle though. We are both athletes.”

The Red Dragons still have time to salvage their season. Next week they will visit Fredonia on Tuesday and host Falconer on Friday before a non-league game against Westfield on Saturday at Erie Insurance Arena. The following week they travel to Olean and host Southwestern before visiting Dunkirk on Feb. 13 and hosting non-league Tapestry on Feb. 15.

“We just have to play together,” Purslow said. “In all the adversity, we just have to push through it, win and fight for something.”

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