Tailgating at the Rye-Harrison football games has become one of the major social events in Rye. What better way to support the Garnets than assembling class reunions and gathering families and friends to eat, drink, and be merry — all for the team?
By Janice Llanes Fabry
Tailgating at the Rye-Harrison football games has become one of the major social events in Rye. What better way to support the Garnets than assembling class reunions and gathering families and friends to eat, drink, and be merry — all for the team?
Mike Groglio, who played on the varsity from 1976-79, has been tailgating with his buddies for 25 years. He and his brothers, Joe and Bob, grew up playing football. His family’s Rye High School football traditions go back to the 1940s. His father played for Rye, and his mother was a majorette for Harrison way back when.
Groglio, who recalls playing against his Husky cousins, said, “We share a camaraderie, not just with each other, but with the guys from Harrison, too. I love seeing all my old friends.”
This year, with the game being played in Harrison and the tailgating taking place on new high school grounds, Rye’s usual suspects will be keeping a lower profile. Typically, Groglio does it big — bringing out his motor home for the festivities. The Maloneys, Kirbys, O’Keefes, Dempseys, Kennedys, Nixons, and Johnsons (the latter three, part of the “presidential back field” in their day) celebrate under tents. The feast includes everything from an Italian table with sausage and peppers, meatballs, cheeses and soppresata to sushi, deep-fried turkeys and ribs barbecued on a smoker.
They cheer for their team and talk about old times. Groglio has vivid memories of today’s legendary coach Dino Garr, along with his then-assistant coaches Lou Drago, John Antonacci, and Tommy Maloney. “They were great motivators who taught you everything you needed to know and never gave up on you. You just had to have the heart,” he said.