THE GRIDIRON 11 - 2009

By Dick Engelhardt

In the most thrilling game ever played in the 67 season Fair Lawn High School football history, our CUTTERS edged the INDIANS of Passaic 39-38 in North Jersey, Section 1, Group IV action last Saturday. Captains Travis Kubasta, Christian Samra and Chris Soltys won the coin toss and Fair Lawn received. Behind center Alex Callons, guards Max Jacobs and Matt Paisley and tackles Adam Polisi and Steve Sherlock, QB Kubasta handed off to running backs James Hegybeli, who ran for 137 yards and a TD; Samra, who ran for 115 yards and a TD; and Egor Buharin, who ran for 93 yards and a TD. Kubasta completed 7 of 10 passes for 101 yards and 3 TDs! After a Kubasta to Chris Soltys pass picked up a 1st down, Hegybeli and Buharin combined to get the ball to the 5 and Hegybeli ran for the TD. With Callons snapping and Brendan Walis holding, Soltys kicked the extra point and our heroes led 7-0. Soltys forced a fumble that Kevin Guy recovered. Bryon Turton, a real warrior, went out with an injury on the play. It led to a perfect 28 yard TD pass from Kubasta to Soltys and our heroes led 13-0. With 43 seconds left in the 1st quarter, Samra’s 1 yard TD run put Fair Lawn up 19-0. Buharin scored next to put Fair Lawn up 25-0. Kubasta’s TD pass to Soltys and Soltys’ kick had our CUTTERS up 32-0 and their fans were ecstatic. The INDIANS scored before the half but Fair Lawn led 32-6 at the break and Passaic fans were in shock.

In the 2nd half the INDIANS got a quick TD but our CUTTERS answered right back with a picture TD pass from Kubasta to James Mallon. The extra point kick by Soltys had Fair Lawn up 39-12. Passaic roared back with 26 unanswered points to close to 39-38. Then high drama unfolded as the INDIANS tried a 2 point conversion to go ahead with 2:17 on the clock. A motion penalty moved them back and Mallon forced their run inside where Larkin stuffed the Passaic QB. Anthony Tozzi recovered Passaic’s onside kick. Then, on 4th down, with 5 seconds on the clock and Passaic out of timeouts, Kubasta took the snap and ran 21 yards backwards taking a knee as the clock expired. Whew! On “D,” Soltys intercepted a pass in the Fair Lawn end zone, Steve Tatekawa recovered a fumble, Walis batted down a pass and made a TD saving tackle and Kevin Benjamin, Davon Johnson, Kelvin Rosario, Eric Simeonoglou and others made big plays.

This game ironically replaced the 1980 playoff game at GIANTS STADIUM in which Fair Lawn trailed Passaic 7-0, 12-0, 12-7 and 18-7 and roared back to win 27-18, at the top of my “most thrilling games” list. This was Fair Lawn’s 1st State playoff game ever played at SASSO FIELD. Our CUTTERS had played 9 games in the playoffs but the two previous “Home” games were both in 1980 at GIANTS STADIUM. The only previous playoff game at what is now SASSO FIELD was in the mid 1970s when the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) mandated neutral sites and the LIONS of Lincoln High of Jersey City defeated the LANCERS of Lakeland Regional of Wanaque. I was privileged to announce that game. Jon Fass and Marco Balletti of WGHT Radio (1500AM) broadcast the game and named Soltys as their Little Falls Trophy player of the game. It was good to see them again! They had also carried our West Milford game.

Fair Lawn’s North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) Division 3 went 3-0 (1.000) in the playoffs. In addition to Fair Lawn’s victory, the champion GREEN KNIGHTS of St. Joseph beat the TROJANS of Bishop Ahr of Edison 42-6 in Non Public Group III action and the PATRIOTS of Wayne Hills demolished the GOLDEN KNIGHTS of Northern Valley, Old Tappan 41-7 in North Jersey, Section 1, Group III action. In Consolation games, the NJTCC Division 3 went 0-2 as the HIGHLANDERS of West Milford were scalped 16-0 by the INDIANS of Wayne Valley and the HIGHWAYMEN of Teaneck were beaten 42-28 by the WILDCATS of High Point. The NJTCC Division 3 record against outside teams is now 21-7 (.750).

On Friday night our CUTTERS travel to Succasunna to take on the GAELS of Roxbury in North Jersey, Section 1, Group IV semifinal action. Coming into this game, Fair Lawn is 7-3 (.700) and has outscored the opposition 236-209 for an average 24-21 victory. Roxbury is 9-1 (.900) and has outscored the opposition 277-75 for an average 28-8 victory. Our “never-say-die” CUTTERS won’t be cowed and can be counted on to give their all. From here it looks like Fair Lawn 28 - Roxbury 21. GO CUTTERS GO!!!