THIS WEEK IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY WEEK 2 – 2006

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
By Dick Engelhardt

1946 – Frank Bennett’s CUTTERS, on their way to a Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) co-championship with the BUCCANEERS of Bogota, mauled the BEARS of Hawthorne 32-6. - Independently in 1944 and in the (B-PIL) 1945-55, our CUTTERS went 9-3 (.750) over the BEARS. When Hawthorne, then the only Passaic County school in the league, left in ’56, the league was renamed the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL).

1956 – Bennett’s ’56 CUTTERS drew a bye.

1966 – Frank Deven’s CUTTERS thrashed the COMETS of Hackensack 46-6 in Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) action. It was game 9 of that 24 game non-losing streak during 1964-66. During 1959-82 in the NNJIL the COMETS went 16-7-1 (.696) over our CUTTERS. In 1959, Fair Lawn’s maiden season in the league, our CUTTERS won 27-6 and yet saw Hackensack take the title by half a game. 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.

1976 – Rich Szura’s CUTTERS were beaten 33-12 by those same COMETS of Hackensack.

1986 – Pete Natale’s CUTTERS, having returned to the NBIL in 1984 and taken the Division 1 title in ‘84 and ’85, beat the RAIDERS of Ramapo 28-7 in league play. Natale would go 4-0 (1.000) against Ramapo Coach Mike Mielo. Ramapo leads the 1956-58 and 1984-present rivalry 15-10 (.600).

1996 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS were lassoed 34-21 by the COWBOYS of Pascack Hills in NBIL interdivisional play. During 1984-86 and 1994-98 our CUTTERS have gone 6-2 (.750) over the COWBOYS.