THIS WEEK IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY – 2008 Week 1

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
By Dick Engelhardt

1948 - Frank Bennett’s Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) defending co-champion CUTTERS beat the Passaic Valley Conference (PVC) GHOSTS of Paterson Eastside 27-6 in independent action. During 1947-54 and 1983 Fair Lawn went 5-4 (.556) over the GHOSTS. This was sweetened by the fact that, until FLHS opened in 1943, most Fair Lawn students attended Eastside. A few students from the Columbia Heights section went to Hawthorne and the Radburn section students went to Ridgewood. The 4-4 (.500) deadlock was broken by the 20-18 Fair Lawn victory in 1983.

1958 – Bennett’s Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (The B-PIL became the NBIL in 1956) CUTTERS were shut out 31-0 by the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL MAROON RAIDERS of Englewood in independent action. In 1945-46, 1957-58 and 1986-89 independently and in the NNJIL 1959-71, our CUTTERS have gone 14-7 (.667) over the MAROON RAIDERS.

1968 – Frank Devens’ CUTTERS were scalped 21-7 by the INDIANS of Wayne High School in Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) action. Wayne High became Wayne Valley when Wayne Hills High opened in 1969. During 1967-80 the INDIANS went 9-5 (.643) over our CUTTERS. They left the NNJIL for the Northern Hills Conference (NHC) Skyline Division in 1981 and Fair Lawn left the NNJIL to return to the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) in 1984.

1978 – New coach Pete Natale’s CUTTERS beat the SPARTANS of Paramus in NNJIL action. During 1962-83 the SPARTANS went 12-10 (.545) over our CUTTERS. It was a great rivalry that ended when Fair Lawn returned to the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) in 1984.

1988 – New coach Mike Alberque saw his CUTTERS beat the HIGHLANDERS of Northern Highlands 12-7 in NBIL interdivisional action. The 1986-93 and 1998 – present rivalry with the HIGHLANDERS is tied at 9. Northern Highlands moved to the NBIL Division 1 in ’07 and it’s a divisional rivalry now.

1998 – Alberque’s CUTTERS were beaten 46-7 by the GOLDEN KNIGHTS of Northern Valley/Old Tappan in NBIL Division 1 action. Fair Lawn leads the 1984 – present rivalry 14–10 (.583) but the GOLDEN KNIGHTS have won the last 6 games.