THIS WEEK IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY – 2009 Week 7

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
By Dick Engelhardt

1949 – Frank Bennett’s CUTTERS drew a bye.

1959 – Bennett’s CUTTERS faced the TIGERS of Tenafly in Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) action. In a hurricane, this was the only game played in North Jersey that day. The TIGERS, seeking to blunt Fair Lawn’s vaunted offense, refused to postpone the game. They scored right away and then neither team could move the ball in the quagmire. The 6-0 Tenafly victory would help throw the NNJIL championship, in Fair Lawn’s maiden season in the big league, to the COMETS of Hackensack, a team Fair Lawn had beaten 27-6, by half a game. The TIGERS would go 3-0 (1.000) over our CUTTERS 1959-61 before leaving for the Bergen County Scholastic League (BCSL).

1969 – Frank Devens’ CUTTERS beat those COMETS of Hackensack 23-7 in NNJIL action. During 1959-82 in the NNJIL, the COMETS went 16-7-1 (.696) over our CUTTERS. Frank Bennett’s 1953 Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (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.

1979 – Pete Natale’s CUTTERS scalped the INDIANS of Wayne Valley 33-12 in NNJIL action. During 1967-80 the INDIANS went 9-5 (.643) over our CUTTERS in the NNJIL. They left the league 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.

1989 – Mike Alberque’s NBIL Division 1 champion CUTTERS beat the GREEN RAIDERS of Ramapo 28-10 in NBIL Division 1 action. Ramapo leads the 1956-58 and 1984-2008 rivalry 17-11 (.607). Realignment has ended it for now.

1999 – Alberque’s CUTTERS were beaten 25-7 by the PATRIOTS of Wayne Hills in NBIL Division 1 action. The PATRIOTS lead the 1984-2008 rivalry 19-5 (.792). Fair Lawn’s last victory was in 1989 when Mike Alberque’s NBIL Division 1 champion and playoff bound CUTTERS thrashed Wayne Hills 35-8. Fair Lawn and Wayne Hills went 5-5 (.500) in their 1984-93 Thanksgiving Day rivalry.