THE GRIDIRON 2 - 2006

By Dick Engelhardt

The CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High came out like a house on fire last Saturday and led the GOLDEN KNIGHTS of Northern Valley/Old Tappan 8–0 at halftime in Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) Division 1 action! Dom Rizzo recovered a fumble in the end zone. Yuval Bussi sacked the QB and Sergio LaPlaca, Lasha Malazonia, Kevin Ramishvilli, Melkis Rosario and Tommy Spear were making hellacious hits. Spear recovered a fumble. The GOLDEN KNIGHTS then showed just a little too much hubris! Overconfident, they went for it on 4th down near midfield only to be met by Mike Barchefski for a big loss. Barchefski passed to Joey Visaggio who scampered to the 2 but penalties moved our CUTTERS back. No matter. Barchefski passed to Ahmet Basci to the 11. The drive ended with Visaggio plunging for a TD to put Fair Lawn up 6-0. With Barchefski looking like he would hold for Sam Sierra’s extra point kick, he took the snap and darted around left end for 2 points and Fair Lawn led 8-0.

In the second half the GOLDEN KNIGHTS’ size began to show. Andrew Jaquez and Spear made TD saving tackles and Barchefski stopped a 2 point conversion run and broke up a 2 point conversion pass attempt. Despite our CUTTERS’ heroic effort Northern Valley won a 27-8 game that for quite a while was a thriller. Fair Lawn leads the 1984 – present rivalry 14–9 (.609) but the GOLDEN KNIGHTS have won the last 5 games.

The Class Of 1956 was in town for their 50th reunion. A third of them were at the game including members of Coach Frank Bennett’s 1955 Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) championship team on which my twin brother, Bill, and I were “Water Boys.” Don Landzettel presented FLHS Principal James Marcella with a class gift of $5,000 to be used for academic scholarships over the next 5 years!

The NBIL realigned slightly for 2006 as the HIGHLANDERS of Northern Highlands moved from Division 2 to Fair Lawn’s Division 1 while the BEARS of Bergenfield moved from Division 1 to Division 2. The Fair Lawn – Bergenfield Thanksgiving Day game will be an interdivisional affair now. In the other NBIL Division 1 game Northern Highlands’ debut was a success surprising the NORSEMEN of Northern Valley/Demarest 25-10. In Division 2, the THUNDERBIRDS of Mahwah ruined Bergenfield’s debut 35-14. Fair Lawn’s NBIL Division 1 went .500 against Division 2 as the PATRIOTS of Wayne Hills scalped the BRAVES of Indian Hills 55-7 while the GREEN RAIDERS of Ramapo were scalped 14-7 by the INDIANS of Pascack Valley. The Division 2 RAMS of Ramsey drew a bye.

This Saturday our CUTTERS are home at SASSO FIELD against the defending NBIL Division 1 and North Jersey, Section 1, Group III champion PATRIOTS of Wayne Hills who have a 16 game winning streak going. The PATRIOTS lead the 1984 – present rivalry 17-5 (.773). Fair Lawn’s last victory was in 1989 when Mike Alberque’s NBIL Division 1 champion and playoff bound CUTTERS crushed Wayne Hills 35-8. The 1984 – 1993 Thanksgiving Day rivalry wound up 5-5 (.500) as Fair Lawn won 4 out of the first 5 and Wayne Hills won 4 out of the next 5.

Wayne Hills comes off a 55-7 thrashing of Indian Hills and Fair Lawn comes off a 27-8 loss to NV/Old Tappan. I know our CUTTERS will give it their all but it looks like nobody is going to beat the awesome PATRIOTS this year. I think our heroes will put up a battle royal and keep it a lot closer than Indian Hills did. Let’s all be at SASSO FIELD to cheer them on. I hope I’m wrong but, from here it looks like Wayne Hills 28 – Fair Lawn 21. GO CUTTERS GO!!!