Garrettsville – Sitting in the stands every week at every boys’ basketball game, home or away, one will find the G-Men’s greatest fan. If you have been paying attention and you attend football games or boys’ basketball you would have seen him in the stands cheering on the G-men. He is Jim Gyulai. He loves high school football, and boys’ basketball and he has only missed two games in 21 years. He missed two football games, one when he had a liver transplant and one when he visited his daughter and grandchildren out west. Other than that, you can count on him being there supporting the team.
He is not only a Garfield graduate, he was born and raised in Garrettsville as well. He was born on Liberty Street in the old Terlaak Farm house. (red house before the Liberty Street bridge) on March 15, 1947. Then, he moved to Center Street and lived near the old Paul Farm until 1954, when he moved to French Street. Jim graduated in 1965 and was drafted in the Army in 1966 during the Vietnam Conflict. When Jim returned in 1968, he bought a car from Hecky Pollock and he didn’t even have a job when he went there. He came out with a job and a car. Gyulai worked for Hecky Pollock for some time before he opened North Street Radiator with Al Michael. After about 8 years, the concrete floors took a toll on Jim’s body. He then took up truck driving and did that for 20 years before retiring.
While Jim was in school, he played football, basketball and baseball. He really enjoyed playing basketball and baseball, football, not so much, because he said he wasn’t very good at it. When he was in school, he they played teams that don’t even exist today. They played against schools like Braceville, Atwater, Randolph, Palmyra, Edinburg and Leavittsburg. Today those schools have been consolidated. The league was big, besides the schools that are not there anymore, they also played Windham and Aurora.
Back in his day, there were two divisions in football and if neither of the teams with the best records went to the play-offs, they’d have a local divisional championship game. Basketball was run similar to today, but all their home games were played on the small gym at Park Avenue School until they added a gym at the high school, which is now what’s known as the band room.
He has always loved high school sports and enjoys watching the kids play. He attends all the football and basketballs games even when the teams were not very good. He said he remembered when the team was not so good. He’d travel to away games; sometimes there would only be 10-15 fans there. He said that was disheartening. Snow, or a not so great team doesn’t stop him from going to the games. He says he thinks the teams go in cycles, good for a while then not so good. He has seen it all throughout the years, the good, bad and the ugly. He remembers games when fans were lined up outside, all along the building waiting to get in, he also remembers games when there were just a few fans.
I asked him what has been the biggest change in the sports and he said the three-point shot in basketball and the elimination of jump balls except the opening one. He said, the three-point shot allows a team that is 10 points down to easily get back in the game. The elimination of the jump ball makes it fairer as kids’ heights can vary, and it speeds up the game. Other than that, not much has changed other than the names of the players. His favorite player over the years to watch were Barron Chambers in football and Mark Phelps in basketball.
Gyulai said, he is very fortunate to go to the games and looks forward to each one. He can’t wait for the play -offs to begin and wishes the team well. Oh, and by the way, in case you’re wondering, his attendance streak is still alive as he did get to attend the Crestwood game thanks to a good Samaritan. So, when you attend the games, look him up and say hi. He’ll be there, continuing the tradition of being the G-men’s greatest fan in his time.
