THE GRIDIRON 13 - 2009

By Dick Engelhardt

After the CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High were beaten 42-7 by the awesome GAELS of Roxbury in the North Jersey, Section 1, Group IV 1st round playoffs, they and their fans looked forward to Thanksgiving Day games involving current and former foes. Here’s a look at some of them. Fair Lawn’s North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) Division 3 went 1-1 (.500) against outside teams. The GREEN KNIGHTS of St. Joseph were pummeled 62-28 by the IRONMEN of Don Bosco while the HIGHWAYMEN of Teaneck beat the COMETS of Hackensack 28-20. In 1982 in Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) action, the GREEN KNIGHTS shut out Pete Natale’s CUTTERS 20-0 and this season they shut our CUTTERS out 37-0. In 1976 in independent action and 1982 and 83 in the NNJIL the IRONMEN went 3-0 over our CUTTERS. The unfair advantage the parochial schools had was the main reason Fair Lawn left the NNJIL in 1984 and returned to the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL), which our CUTTERS had left in 1959. During 1959-82 in the NNJIL the COMETS went 16-7-1 (.696) over our CUTTERS. In 1959, Fair Lawn’s maiden season in the league, our CUTTERS won 27-6 and yet saw Hackensack take the title by half a game. 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. During 1954-58 independently and 1959-82 in the NNJIL our CUTTERS went 17-11-1 (.607) over the HIGHWAYMEN. Fair Lawn’s 20-6 victory in 2009 in (NJTCC) Division 3 action put our CUTTERS up 18-11-1 (.621) on Teaneck. The NJTCC Division 3 is now 24-9 (.727) against outside teams with 2 playoff games left.

I saw the FIGHTING MUSTANGS of Clifton High shut out the INDIANS of Passaic 7-0 at Clifton School Stadium. During 1972-74 independently and 1975-81 in the NNJIL, Clifton went 8-2-1 (.800) over Fair Lawn including a 30-0 State playoff victory in 1979 after our CUTTERS had shut the FIGHTING MUSTANGS out 21-0 during the season. Our CUTTERS have a great history with the INDIANS. In 1980 Fair Lawn shared the NNJIL title with Clifton and Passaic Valley at 8-1 (.889). In the opening round of the Group IV playoffs at GIANTS STADIUM, Pete Natale’s CUTTERS trailed Passaic 7-0, 12-0, 12-7 and 18-7 and our heroes, led by QB Pat Finn and running back Chris Finn, a 2008 inductee into the Fair Lawn High School Athletic Hall of Fame, roared back to win a 27-18 thriller. In 1985 Natale’s NBIL Division 1 champion CUTTERS faced those INDIANS in the playoffs again. Trailing 28-26 late in the game they lost a 36-26 thriller at what their announcer called Passaic’s “One River Stadium.” It’s now Boverini Stadium. This year our CUTTERS and those INDIANS staged an ole fashioned barn burner in the playoffs with Fair Lawn winning a 39-38 heart stopper. The game replaced the 1980 game at the top of my list of the most thrilling games in the 67 season GRIDIRON history of Fair Lawn High.

The MAROONS of Ridgewood edged the SPARTANS of Paramus 29-27 for their 22nd straight victory in the rivalry. During our 1944-83 Turkey Day rivalry Ridgewood went 26-11-3 (.703) against Fair Lawn. Paramus took the 1962-83 rivalry with Fair Lawn 12-10 (.545).

The KNIGHTS of JFK of Paterson buried the GHOSTS of Paterson Eastside 38-16 to even the 85 year rivalry at 39-39-7 (.500). Before Fair Lawn High opened, most Fair Lawn students attended Eastside. During 1947-54 and 1983 our CUTTERS went 5-4 (.556) against Eastside. During 1951-56 and 58 Fair Lawn went 5-2 (.714) over the then COLTS of Paterson Central. In 1988 the successor KNIGHTS of Paterson Kennedy beat our CUTTERS 20-6 in the States while, in the 2003 State “Consolation Game,” our CUTTERS’ prevailed 20-0. Our CUTTERS 12-8 victory in 2009 brought their record against Central/Kennedy to 7-3 (.700).

In Fair Lawn’s old NBIL the GOLDEN KNIGHTS of NV/Old Tappan beat the NORSEMEN of NV/Demarest 43-14 and the THUNDERBIRDS of Mahwah the beat the playoff finalist RAMS of Ramsey 35-7. Those were great Fair Lawn rivalries with the longest being with Ramsey. Fair Lawn leads the 1945-58, 1984-99 and 2002-06 series with the RAMS by an astounding 28 games to 7 (.800)!

Next week the NJTCC Division 3 will have Wayne Hills and St. Joseph in the playoff finals. We’ll check that out; reminisce about Fair Lawn’s great 2009 season and look ahead to 2010 as we close out The Gridiron for this year. Until then, GO CUTTERS GO!!!