THE GRIDIRON 12 - 2009

By Dick Engelhardt

With star players Chris Soltys and Bryan Turton sidelined by injuries, our CUTTERS faced the awesome GAELS of Roxbury High in North Jersey, Section 1, Group IV playoff action last Friday night in Succasunna and were beaten 42-7. Captains Egor Buharin, Regis Larkin and James Mallon won the coin toss and Fair Lawn received. Speedy Davon Johnson ran the kickoff back and, behind center Alex Callons, guards Max Jacobs and Matt Paisley and tackles Adam Polisi and Steve Sherlock, QB Travis Kubasta handed off to running backs Buharin, James Hegybeli and Christian Samra. However, the mighty GAELS completely shut down the vaunted Fair Lawn offense even though a nifty fumble recovery by Sam Vovsi put Fair Lawn in great field position at the Roxbury 44 yard line. Filling in ably for Soltys, Kevin Osback got off some booming punts. Steve Tetekawa also ran back kick offs nicely. Kubasta completed passes to Brian Alvarez and Mallon. Down 42-0 late in the game, our “never-say-die” CUTTERS rallied to avoid a shutout. After Kelvin Rosario and Kevin Guy stopped the GAELS on 4th down, Hegybeli picked up a 1st down, Samra picked up 3 yards and Kubasta threw to Mallon for another 1st down. Samra carried for 8 yards and then picked up a 1st down. Kubasta fired a picture 9 yard TD pass to Mallon. With Callons snapping and Brendan Walis holding, Ben Bredder kicked the extra point and our heroes were on the scoreboard.

On “D,” Anthony Tozzi was a demon making tackles before going out with a leg injury. Johnson, Mallon, Tim Schrettner, Tetekawa, Walis and others made big plays. It was wonderful seeing Freshman Coach Jim Beshaw, a 2007 inductee into the Fair Lawn High School Athletic Hall Of Fame, prowling the sidelines after his recent illness!

Our CUTTERS have nothing to be ashamed about this game and can hold their heads high. Roxbury, the champion of the Northwest Jersey Conference (NJC) American Division, is now 10-1 (.909) and has outscored the opposition 319-82 for an average 29-8 victory. The GAELS are ranked 1,211th nationally and 20th in New Jersey. In the playoff finals they’ll face the JAGUARS of East Orange, who surprised the BULLDOGS of Passaic County Tech 27-7 in the other North Jersey, Section 1, Group IV game. I think the GAELS could very well beat St. Joseph and Wayne Hills if they were to play! They don’t meet, even in the States, because Roxbury, like Fair Lawn, is a Group IV school and St. Joes and Wayne Hills are Group III schools. It’s hard to believe that Fair Lawn and Ridgewood are the only Group IV schools in Bergen County! Hackensack and Teaneck, which we think of as large schools, are in Group III.

Fair Lawn’s North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) Division 3 went 2-1 (.667) in playoff action. While Fair Lawn was beaten, the champion GREEN KNIGHTS of St. Joseph beat the SPARTANS of Holy Spirit of Absecon 42-6 in Non Public Group III action and the PATRIOTS of Wayne Hills survived a real scare edging the SPARTANS of Sparta 41-38 in overtime in North Jersey, Section 1, Group III action. The SPARTANS were the only team to beat Roxbury during the season! The NJTCC Division 3 record against outside teams is now 23-8 (.742).

Next weekend there are exciting Thanksgiving games involving former Fair Lawn foes and the following week will feature playoff finals in which St. Joseph and Wayne Hills representing the NJTCC Division 3 will be in action. We’ll look at those and remember Fair Lawn’s great 2009 season before wrapping up THE GRIDIRON. Until then, GO CUTTERS GO!!!