SECOND ROUND OR FINALS IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY 2005

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
By Dick Engelhardt

The State playoff system began in 1974. Before that, champions were awarded based on power points. Since then titles have been decided on The GRIDIRON.

1980 – Pete Natale’s CUTTERS shared the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) title with Clifton and Passaic Valley. In the 1st round of the State Group IV playoffs they roared from behind 7-0, 12-0, 12-7 and 18-7 to beat the INDIANS of Passaic and the old Passaic Valley Conference (PVC) 27-18 at GIANTS STADIUM. In the finals the HORNETS of Passaic Valley shut our CUTTERS out 20-0 ending Fair Lawn’s 9-2 (.818) dream season.

1989 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS were Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) Division 1 champions at 5-0 (1.000). In the 1st round of the States they upset the BRUINS of North Bergen and the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association (HCIAA) 14-7. In the 2nd round they led the RED WINGS of Hoboken and the HCIAA 14-0 and the RED WINGS fumbled and Fair Lawn recovered. After the play an official said it wasn’t a fumble. Everyone at Hoboken’s John F. Kennedy Stadium knew it was. This “fumble that wasn’t” let the RED WINGS back in the game and they edged our CUTTERS 19-14. Hoboken went on to lose to Passaic in the finals of an expanded Group IV playoff.