THE GRIDIRON 10 - 2005

By Dick Engelhardt

The CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High trailed the BRAVES of Indian Hills 25-7 at the half and roared back to lose a 25-17 thriller in Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) interdivisional action last week at SASSO FIELD. Our CUTTERS took the opening kickoff and QB Vinnie Graff threw to wide out Tom Spear for big first downs and he and Scott Leathem ran for yardage behind center Billy Burns, guards Chris Liptrot and Tim Schofield and tackles Dan Kissane and Amet Basci. Leathem’s 2 yard TD run and Randy Platter’s extra point kick with Stephan Macchiorola holding put our heroes up 7-0 right away. It reminded old time Fair Lawn fans of when the brand new team in 1943 was being referred to as the COMETS because they scored quickly in that first game, a 7-6 JV loss to the RAMS of Lodi. Some called them the CLIPPERS. After the original band of “Cutters” played hooky to take in a movie at the Rivoli Theater in Paterson, were kept out of the Leonia game and then came in to rally Fair Lawn from a 12-0 deficit to a 13-12 victory “The CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High” were born!

The BRAVES rallied scoring 25 points by halftime. Leathem took a pitch out to the 7 behind Basci and Schofield that led to the sure footed Platter kicking a 28 yard field goal with Macchiorola holding. Graff scrambled 12 yards for a TD and Platter’s kick made it 25-17. The game had been kept close by fumble recoveries by Leathem and Joe Acuna and big “D” plays by Michael Barchefski, Dominick Rizzo, Graff and Mike Keating. The defensive front of Macchiorola (who sacked the QB), John Macko, Erik Menist, Sean Hughes and Josh Aviles thwarted Indian Hills. The BRAVES knew they were in for a battle as Kissane’s well placed onside kick was recovered by Macchiorola. Graff’s fourth down pass with 35 seconds on the clock fell incomplete. Our CUTTERS were 18 yards short of sending the game into overtime. The men in the white coats did come after me but cut me some slack since I had correctly predicted Fair Lawn’s 17 points and the Randy Platter field goal. Indian Hills made the Group II playoffs with the win but Fair Lawn still leads the rivalry 12-8 (.600).

The entire NBIL schedule was interdivisional and Division 2 tied the 2005 series 11-11 (.500) going 3-2 (.600) over Fair Lawn’s Division 1 with only the Division 1 Ramapo versus Division 2 Indian Hills game remaining Thanksgiving weekend. The NBIL Division 1 champion and Group III playoff bound PATRIOTS of Wayne Hills throttled the Division 2 RAMS of Ramsey 67-14 and the GOLDEN KNIGHTS of Northern Valley, Old Tappan beat the THUNDERBIRDS of Mahwah 13-6. However, in addition to Fair Lawn’s loss, the BEARS of Bergenfield were shut out 28-0 by the HIGHLANDERS of Northern Highlands and the NORSEMEN of Northern Valley, Demarest were shut out 36-0 by the NBIL Division 2 champion and Group II playoff bound INDIANS of Pascack Valley.

This week is the opening of the State playoffs. Teams that didn’t make them play a “Consolation Game.” Last year our CUTTERS came from behind 10-0 to beat the BUCCANEERS of Belleville 14-10. Friday night at 7 Fair Lawn travels to Garfield. During 1971-75 our CUTTERS went 5-0 (1.000) over the BOILMAKERS in Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) action. Let’s go for 6-0! From here it looks like Fair Lawn 21 – Garfield 7. GO CUTTERS GO!!!