THIS WEEK IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY – Week 8 – 2006

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
By Dick Engelhardt

1946 – Frank Bennett’s CUTTERS beat the GOLDEN BEARS of Lyndhurst 20-15 in Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (BPIL) action. Fair Lawn would share the B-PIL title with the BUCCANEERS of Bogota. Our CUTTERS took the fierce 1945-53 rivalry with Lyndhurst 5-4 (.556).

1956 – Bennett’s CUTTERS beat the GREEN RAIDERS of Ramapo 21-6 in the renamed Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL). The Turkey Day game against the MAROONS of Ridgewood would determine the first NBIL championship. Ramapo leads the 1956-58 and 1984-present rivalry 16-10 (.615).

1966 – Frank Devens’ CUTTERS edged the SPARTANS of Paramus 21-20 in Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) action. Whew! It was the final game of the great 23 game non-losing streak under head coaches Ed Sheehy (1964) and Devens (1965-66). During 1962-83 in the NNJIL, the SPARTANS went 12-10 (.545) over our CUTTERS. It was a great rivalry that ended when Fair Lawn returned to the NBIL in 1984.

1976 – Rich Szura’s CUTTERS were beaten 33-18 by those same SPARTANS of Paramus in NNJIL action.

1986 – Pete Natale’s CUTTERS shut out the RAMS of Ramsey 19-0 in NBIL interdivisional action. Fair Lawn leads the 1945-58, 1984-99 and 2002-present rivalry by an astounding 28 games to 7 (.800)!

1996 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS edged those RAMS of Ramsey 31-27.