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Our View: Wilkes-Barre rail crossings with no gates pose hazards

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Democrats hope to cut GOP majorities in Pa. races

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Any football team with a player named &#8220;Duko&#8221; has to be good.</p><p>The G.A.R. Grenadiers were such a team in 1931.</p><p>G.A.R. and Meyers first met to begin a decades long rivalry on Nov. 21, 1931 at Meyers Stadium. The city championship was on the line as both football teams defeated the other city high school, Coughlin, during the 1931 season.</p><p>That longstanding rivalry, which became known as the Backyard Brawl, will end on Saturday when the two city high schools are expected face off for the last time at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium.</p><p>The following year, their identities will be merged as part of a pending school consolidation plan.</p><p><strong>The first year</strong></p><p>&#8220;G.A.R. has been favored to emerge as champions although some critics issue a word of caution lest the Heights boys make the same mistake as did Coughlin last month and take the South Wilkes-Barre youngsters too cheaply,&#8221; the Wilkes-Barre Record newspaper reported Nov. 20, 1931.</p><p>Meyers defeated Coughlin 18-0 and G.A.R. beat the Crusaders 6-0, setting up G.A.R. and Meyers for the city championship in their inaugural game.</p><p>Meyers fans were directed to sit on the west side of the stadium as G.A.R. followers were asked to sit on the concrete bleachers behind Meyers High School for the game.</p><p>A day before the big city game, both high school coaches submitted injury reports &#8212; yes injury reports &#8212; to the Wilkes-Barre Record.</p><p>&#8220;G.A.R.&#8217;s powerful team which has escaped serious injury all season enters the big battle against Meyers handicapped by the absence of star guard Duko Alishusky and its quarterback and field marshal Nick Oliver. Meyers high felt the sting of the accident jinx in the final practice yesterday when (Charles) Kuhns, an end, went out with a shoulder injury,&#8221; the Record reported on Nov. 21, 1931.</p><p>More than 4,500 fans packed the stadium for the first &#8220;Backyard Brawl&#8221; with G.A.R. coming out on top, 6-0, winning the first ever city championship. The lone touchdown was scored by G.A.R. halfback George Knopic in the third quarter, the Wilkes-Barre Evening News reported Nov. 23, 1931.</p><p>A tradition that faded over time was a joint dance between G.A.R. and Meyers to celebrate their schools anniversaries - Meyers High School was dedicated Nov. 30, 1930 and G.A.R. opened six years earlier. The winning team&#8217;s captain cut the cake at the dance. </p><p><strong>1971 the only gap</strong></p><p>G.A.R. and Meyers have battled 85 games against each other since 1931. Only the 1971 season didn&#8217;t see a Backyard Brawl.</p><p>For that 1971 season, G.A.R. had a record of 3-1-1 and Meyers&#8217; record was 4-2.</p><p>A day before the game was scheduled to take place on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25, 1971, nearly two feet of snow fell crippling the Wyoming Valley with electrical outages and unplowed streets, the Times Leader Evening News reported the same day.</p><p>Most high school games scheduled for that day were rescheduled while others were canceled, including the G.A.R. and Meyers gridiron game.</p><p>&#8220;Another Wyoming Valley Football Conference game was canceled this morning and will not be played this year. This involved the Meyers Mohawks and G.A.R. Grenadiers. This series has apparently ended after some 40 years,&#8221; the Evening News reported Nov. 26, 1971.</p><p>Fuller Grenawalt, athletic director at Meyers in 1971, told the Times Leader it was impossible to clear the two feet of snow from the playing surface and bleachers at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium. The playing surface was grass in 1971.</p><p>&#8220;The field is too soft and no equipment could be placed on it. There is no place to put the snow,&#8221; Grenawalt told the Times Leader.</p><p>When the Backyard Brawl reignited in 1972, G.A.R. defeated Meyers 14-0.</p><p>Meyers has a 46-40 record against G.A.R. The two teams tied 6-6 in 1939.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_GAR-Nov-10-1971-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">G.A.R. offensive backs in 1971: From left, Hayden White, backfield coach; Chico Smith, fullback; Tom Bosher, fullback; Frank Mentrikoski, halfback; Hank Radulski, quarterback; and Dave Carter, halfback. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_GAR-Nov-10-1971-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>G.A.R. offensive backs in 1971: From left, Hayden White, backfield coach; Chico Smith, fullback; Tom Bosher, fullback; Frank Mentrikoski, halfback; Hank Radulski, quarterback; and Dave Carter, halfback. </caption0><photoCredit0>File photo </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Meyers-backfield-1971-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Meyers backfield in 1971: From left, Dave Ellis, Gary Scavone, Mark Sabatino and Tony Schwab  </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Meyers-backfield-1971-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Meyers backfield in 1971: From left, Dave Ellis, Gary Scavone, Mark Sabatino and Tony Schwab  </caption1><photoCredit1>File photo </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_GAR-Coughlin-evening-news-10091971-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">G.A.R.'s Dave Clocker, #87, lunges at Coughlin's end Dave Pilsko, #88, who hauled in a pass from quarterback Jeff Zych. Coughlin won 45-8. Evening News photo Oct. 9, 1971. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_GAR-Coughlin-evening-news-10091971-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>G.A.R.'s Dave Clocker, #87, lunges at Coughlin's end Dave Pilsko, #88, who hauled in a pass from quarterback Jeff Zych. Coughlin won 45-8. Evening News photo Oct. 9, 1971. </caption2><photoCredit2>File photo </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_George-Knopic-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">G.A.R. halfback George Knopic scored the lone touchdown in the first ever game v. Meyers on Nov. 21, 1931. Wilkes-Barre Record photo June 11, 1932. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_George-Knopic-1.jpg</photo3><caption3>G.A.R. halfback George Knopic scored the lone touchdown in the first ever game v. Meyers on Nov. 21, 1931. Wilkes-Barre Record photo June 11, 1932. </caption3><photoCredit3>File photo </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Meyers-gar-admission-1959-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Advertisement in the Evening News Nov. 25, 1959. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Meyers-gar-admission-1959-1.jpg</photo4><caption4>Advertisement in the Evening News Nov. 25, 1959. </caption4><photoCredit4>File photo </photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Meyers-GAR-TL-11091991-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The Times Leader Nov. 9, 1991</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Meyers-GAR-TL-11091991-1.jpg</photo5><caption5>The Times Leader Nov. 9, 1991</caption5><photoCredit5>File photo </photoCredit5></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

‘Backyard Brawl’ games between Meyers, G.A.R. to end after 86 years