Fans await start of historic football merger
Matthew Barlow (2), interviewed for the Granville-Whitehall football section (Photo courtesy Matthew Barlow)
By Erik Pekar, Town Historian
With the return of fall sports comes the return of football. This year, however, football is a little different at Granville – and Whitehall. The long talked about football merger between former rivals Granville and Whitehall was approved earlier this year. Darin Eggleston was appointed head varsity coach in March, and Aaron Purzynski was appointed assistant varsity coach in April. At the Aug. 29 school board meeting, both Eggleston and Purzynski were appointed to their respective positions, along with two more assistant varsity coaches, Wes Barlow and Jake Helm.
The former separate teams had their own names and mascots, well known to the area: the Granville Golden Horde, with blue and gold colors, and the namesake warrior on horseback; the Whitehall Railroaders, with maroon and white colors, and the train. Many locals speculated on the name of the merged team.
This year, there is no mascot, name or symbol. The name for this year is simply Granville-Whitehall Football, and the colors are maroon and gold. No mascot, name or symbol will be designated this year, with the exception of the “GW” letter logo on the uniforms, helmets and caps.
Practice started in late August and alternates every other week between Granville and Whitehall. The players are working well together. “We all knew each other anyway, it wasn’t like we didn’t get along. We all get along. It’s like we’re already a family, and we’re only a week in,” said Matthew Barlow, a Granville senior who is on the team.
There are still some in both communities, usually most vocal among those who graduated in the 1975 to 2000 period, who are still shocked by the merger, and term it “unthinkable” or “blasphemy.” This sentiment has no sway with the players.
“I think that they’re stuck in the nineties,” said Matthew. “I don’t think we would have merged (back then) at all, because of how big a rivalry we had. But now, that (in recent years) we were a dying program, and we don’t even play each other anymore.”
The situation that precipitated the merger was more serious than some in the community may have realized. “It was two dying programs. It was either let the two programs die, or merge together and fight as one,” said Matthew. “It’s very good that we merged, because if not … there wouldn’t be any football to watch anyway. I think people would rather have football to watch than not.”
Granville-Whitehall football played its first varsity game Saturday against Cambridge-Salem. With the merger, Granville and Whitehall football players will continue to play, and local football fans and boosters will be able to continue watching them play football; an outcome that is best for everyone, better than there being no football. Granville and Whitehall both should show support to their team, as it consists of football players from both communities, who want to and will play. The next home games are this Saturday in Whitehall, and Friday the 23rd in Granville. Best of luck to the Granville-Whitehall varsity football team in its first season.
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Another Granville business has reached a milestone. The Pine Grove Diner recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary under the ownership of Lisa Brill.
The road to buying the Pine Grove Diner started back in 2012. “I bought it 10 years ago, after my husband passed away,” said Brill. “Going back to work was hard enough full time … I needed something that could really conform to (the kids’) schedule and not take away any more from them than what already was … this was the perfect fit.”
As it turns out, she initially didn’t have the diner in mind. “I wasn’t even looking at it at first,” said Brill. “My daughter Charlene, who was working here, happened to call me and say, ‘you know Mom, the diner’s for sale, might want to think about it’.” She was not a stranger to the diner business; her parents had owned a diner in Poultney. Brill bought the diner from Dan and Cindy Krueger; the sale closed Aug. 24, 2012.
The hours of 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. were not deliberately chosen, as the previous owners had run the diner with those opening hours, but worked out “beautiful” for Brill. “My youngest two were still in school,” said Brill. “It allowed me to still be at all their school functions, and do a lot of stuff with them, and not miss out on a lot of their school activities.”
Brill praised the team working with her. “I have a very strong team, everyone gets along well,” said Brill. “It’s very much like a family here … it’s a pretty neat atmosphere.”
Some have been around a little longer than the others. “Kelly’s been here since the day I bought it,” said Brill. “I always joke and say she came with the property, so she can’t leave us, because she’s part of the fabric. We brought Josh on after Scotties closed, he’s been with us now over six years, which was a great addition to the team.”
There have been a few changes since Brill bought the diner, but she noted there weren’t many. “Dan and Cindy (Krueger) had a very good business here when we bought it,” said Brill. Perhaps the biggest addition would be catering. “I don’t think I would have taken that on by myself, without (Josh). He suggested it and he enjoys it.”
The pandemic was a trying time for many places, and the Pine Grove Diner was no exception. The diner had to shut down indoor dining and switch to takeout only. Dinners were started to help. A few months later, when outdoor dining was allowed, community members helped.
Talk of the Pine Grove Diner and their dinners may bring to some customers’ minds the idea being open for dinner hours. “We’ve been asked (that) a lot,” said Brill. “I don’t know if I ever foresee us opening for dinners full time. It’s a lot of extra work.” She added that she has grandchildren and enjoys being home in the afternoon to spend time with the kids.
Brill is thankful for the support of the Pine Grove Diner’s customers. “The community’s been very good to me, we have been very lucky,” said Brill. She likes running the diner. “I have no plans anytime soon of being gone, I’m still enjoying it. It’s done a lot for me and the kids, and the community. I made a lot of new friends, and met a lot of new people.”
Congratulations to Lisa Brill on reaching 10 years of owning the Pine Grove Diner in Granville, and best of luck to many more years.
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The Pine Grove Motel has changed hands. The motel was sold by Bob and Mary Lou Tressler on Aug. 26 to Wes and Laura Barlow.
They decided to buy the motel after being asked by the previous owners earlier this year. “Mary Lou and Bob want to travel … ready to retire and enjoy life, so Wes and I thought it was a great opportunity to have another business in Granville,” said owner Laura Barlow. With the sale, Tressler will soon be relocating his real estate office to another location: the room will likely become another room unit for the motel.
A goal is to attract people seeking an affordable stay. “People who want to go to (Lake St. Catherine), or to Lake George but don’t want to pay the rate out there,” said Barlow. “All those places … not that far from here.”
The online presence is being expanded with a Facebook page, and soon, a new website. Renovations are planned for this winter. Each room will be redone over, one at a time, and decorated with a theme and name, such as an “Adirondack room” or a “Granville room.” That’s our plan, to spruce them all up,” said Barlow. In the meantime, the motel is open.
With this acquisition, the Barlows now own three businesses in Granville; the others being Barlow Electric and Scarlotta’s Car Hop. “April I started (Scarlotta’s), and I didn’t think by the end of August I’d be doing (the motel), but everything went smooth, so here we are,” said Barlow. Congratulations to Wes and Laura Barlow on buying the Pine Grove Motel.
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