THE GRIDIRON 12 – 2005

By Dick Engelhardt

In the second round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) playoffs, Fair Lawn’s Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) had a feature role. The PATRIOTS of Wayne Hills had roared back from a 19 point deficit to edge the GREEN RAIDERS of Ramapo 27-26 in regular season action to take the NBIL Division 1 title. Fans from around the league and from throughout the area looked forward to the North Jersey, Section 1, Group III match up between these two NBIL powerhouses at Wayne Hills. The PATRIOTS left no doubt as to which team was better this time routing the GREEN RAIDERS 41-13. Across town the INDIANS of Wayne Valley had hoped to set up an all Wayne final as they hosted the Iron Hills Conference (IHC) Hills Division champion VIKINGS of Parsippany Hills. Those hopes were dashed as the VIKINGS scalped the INDIANS 27-7 and will face Wayne Hills in the final.

In Group II the NBIL Division 2 champion INDIANS of Pascack Valley hosted the SPARTANS of Sparta and the Sussex County League (SCL) at their spiffy field turf complex in Hillsdale. It seemed like “Fair Lawn weekend” there. Craig Nielsen, assistant coach at Fair Lawn 1980-85 under Pete Natale, is the Pascack Valley coach while Frank Morano, FLHS Class of ’93 is the offensive coordinator for Sparta. With 1:36 on the clock the SPARTANS scored and trailed 14-13. Morano screamed, “We gotta go for 2!” To the astonishment of the huge crowd, they did and won the 15-14 thriller! The NBIL is 11-4 (.733) against other leagues so far in 2005. It’ll be an all SCL final between Hopatcong and Sparta.

On Thanksgiving morning at 10:30 the CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High face the BEARS of Bergenfield for the 48th time. It all started in 1945 when Fair Lawn, in its 3rd GRIDIRON season joined the then Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) which had been formed in 1943, the year FLHS opened, by Bergenfield, Bogota, Hawthorne, Lyndhurst and Ramsey. Frank Bennett’s B-PIL champion CUTTERS shut out the then MIGHTY MITES 32-0. Fair Lawn swept the 1945-48 series 4-0 (1.000) and Bergenfield left the B-PIL in 1949 for the Bergen County Scholastic League (BCSL). In 1956, when Hawthorne, then the only Passaic County school in the B-PIL left, the league was renamed the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL). Later on Hawthorne returned and, still later, the smaller schools broke off to form the Bergen-Passaic Scholastic League (B-PSL). Fair Lawn and Ridgewood left the NBIL for the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) in 1959. Bergenfield and Paramus joined the NNJIL in 1962 and the rivalry was renewed. The MIGHTY MITES became the BEARS in the 1960s. Fair Lawn leads the 1945-48 and 1962-present Bergenfield rivalry 33-14 (.702). Our CUTTERS have faced the BEARS on Thanksgiving Day since 1994 and lead that rivalry 9-2 (.818) including last year’s thrilling 19-18 last second victory on a TD pass from Vinnie Graff to Stephan Macchiorola.

Fair Lawn comes into the game 2-7 (.222) and has been outscored 244-146 for an average loss of 27-16. Bergenfield is 1-8 (.111) and has been outscored 329-106 for an average loss of 37-12. Our CUTTERS can win this one and go 3-7 (.333) on the season. From here it looks like Fair Lawn 27 (With another Randy Platter field goal) – Bergenfield 13. GO CUTTERS GO!!!