“And that will be enough for another Foran Lions first down!” Anybody who goes to a Foran football game knows that iconic phrase, but people may not know who is behind that voice: Mr. Paul Grillo.
Although it might seem like Grillo has a natural instinct for announcing, he hasn’t always been the announcer for Foran sports.
Grillo states, “When Mr. Vitelli took over as the athletic director, he asked me to take on certain sports. I announced soccer for a while and gradually took over football announcing and when lacrosse became a varsity sport I started announcing that.”
He took over the announcing job after Mr. Alan Longley, and has been doing almost every sport since.
Mr. Vitelli, Athletic director at Foran stated, “Mr. Grillo is dependable, knows the ins and outs of sports and really enjoys being involved. Mr. Grillo is a fantastic announcer. He is always prepared, reviews and practices the last names of student athletes for upcoming games and is always there early enough to speak with the coaches and officials for any last minute lineup changes or updates.”
Vitelli gives high praise, and knows that his announcing skills have not gone unnoticed by him, and by other schools.
Vitelli states, “He now announces the Milford Mariners Ice Hockey games and has even announced games for West Haven and league championships for the SCC.”
Grillo has done a lot for sports and has announced many games throughout his career, but he gets more out of it than just announcing games.
“My favorite part is watching all the student athletes compete and represent foran. Also I get to meet a lot of the student body through sports”, says Grillo.
Grillo isn’t only an announcer for Foran, he is also a paraprofessional, he helps kids around the building and tries to help them succeed in all ways possible.
Announcing these games allows Grillo to meet the other part of the student body that he doesn’t have a chance to work with.
Grillo has been announcing sports for almost 15 years now.
Grillo states, “My favorite sports to announce are wrestling and football. Wrestling because the sport is so individualized and it’s more evenly matched then other sports and football because it’s a huge social event for everyone and it’s nice to see the game on the field and the student body cheering. I see football as a big community event, which I love.”
Grillo has a big impact on the student body, whether it is by announcing or helping students in the classroom. Many feel that he is meant for the job.
Senior Cam Luth states, “I don’t think Mr. G could ever be replaced, I wouldn’t fix something that’s not broken. I feel that Mr. G has the voice for announcing and it works very well. He is a very passionate announcer for Foran sports and it’s great for the school’s athletic program.”
He announces all sports available to announce, “I announce both boys and girls soccer, lacrosse and basketball, as well as football, volleyball, wrestling, gymnastics, and hockey.”
Grillo is gearing up for the following Winter and Spring sport seasons, but is focused on announcing the winter teams.
Michelle Viesselman | Jan 11, 2024 at 10:24 AM
Great article about a great guy! Foran is lucky to have him.