THIS WEEK IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY Game 1 – 2005

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
By Dick Engelhardt

1945 – New Coach Frank Bennett led the 3rd year CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High, who played independently in 1943-44, into the Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) with a 12-0 shutout victory over the GOLDEN BEARS of Lyndhurst High. The CUTTERS would take the title in their maiden season in the league and share it with Bogota and Lyndhurst the next 2 years! Fair Lawn took the fierce 1945 – 53 rivalry with Lyndhurst 5-4 (.556).

1955 – Bennett’s CUTTERS, who would take another B-PIL title, opened the season with a 12-7 independent loss to the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) HIGHWAYMEN of Teaneck. During 1954-58 independently and 1959-82 in the NNJIL, our CUTTERS went 17-11-1 (.607) over those HIGHWAYMEN.

1965 – New Coach Frank Devens led the CUTTERS to an opening day 28-7 independent victory over the CRUSADERS of East Paterson, now Elmwood Park. During 1962-65 the tough CRUSADERS went 3-1 (.750) over our CUTTERS.

1975 – New Coach Rich Szura saw his CUTTERS shutout 22-0 by the COMETS of Hackensack in NNJIL action. During 1959-82 in the NNJIL the COMETS went 16-7-1 (.696) over our CUTTERS. Frank Bennett’s 1953 B-PIL champs shared the North Jersey, Section 1, Group III State title with the COMETS. Mike Alberque’s 2000 CUTTERS put up a whale of a battle before losing 14-6 to the nationally ranked COMETS in the States.

1985 – Pete Natale’s CUTTERS opened the season with a 14-10 Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) interdivisional victory over the COWBOYS of Pascack Hills. The old B-PIL had been renamed the NBIL in 1956 and Fair Lawn and Ridgewood had left it in ’59 for the NNJIL. Our CUTTERS returned in ’84 and took the NBIL Division 1 title. They were on their way to another. During 1984-86 and 1994-98 our CUTTERS have gone 6-2 (.750) over the COWBOYS.

1995 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS thrashed the NORSEMEN of Northern Valley, Demarest 40-21 in NBIL Division 1 action. Our CUTTERS lead the 1956-58 and 1990- present rivalry 12-6 (.667).