THE GRIDIRON 1–2010

By Dick Engelhardt

It’s great to be back on The GRIDIRON again as The CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High begin their 68th season with a record of 311-283-14 (.524) It all started September 13th, 1943 when FLHS opened without seniors, who stayed at Paterson Eastside, Hawthorne and Ridgewood to graduate in 1944. Coach Marty Fischbein led the CUTTERS to a fine 9-4-2 (.692) record in independent action in 1943 and 44 after starting up with 3 JV games. Some called the new team the COMETS because they scored quickly in that 1st JV game, a 7-6 loss to Lodi, and others called them the CLIPPERS. It’s been said that some team members would leave school early to visit Doc Gurney, after whom Gurney Terrace is named, for taping and disappear for a time forcing Coach Fischbein to wait for the arrival of these "cutters" before he could run a full practice. And then, before the Leonia game, team captain Jack Van Olden led Tony DiNegri, Art Jaeggi, Jack Knowles, Al Livingstone and Bill Perkins on a sneak trip to the Rivoli Theater in Paterson to see a movie during school hours. The miscreants were caught and coach Fischbein kept those “cutters” out of the game. With the Lions up 12-0 he put our heroes in and Fair Lawn roared back to win 13-12. Livingstone took a pass from Van Olden and ran it 43 yards for a TD. In the 4th quarter, he ran 20 yards for a TD and plunged for the extra point winning the game. The student body, having chosen Crimson and Gray as the school colors, said “The CUTTERS won the game!” They insisted that the athletic teams be known as “The CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High.” And so it is 68 seasons later! The “original” 1943 CUTTERS were inducted into the FLHS Athletic Hall of Fame last year along with this writer and others. Van Olden had been inducted individually in 2007.

Our heroes have given us plenty to cheer about over the years. In 1945 legendary coach Frank Bennett, a member of the FLHS Athletic Hall of Fame, after whom the gymnasium is named, came to Fair Lawn as our CUTTERS ended their independent status and joined the Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL), which had been formed in 1943 by Bergenfield, Bogota, Hawthorne, Lyndhurst and Ramsey. Bennett’s Cutters won B-PIL titles in 1945, 1946 (with the BUCCANEERS of Bogota), 1947 (with the GOLDEN BEARS of Lyndhurst), 1953 and 1955. The B-PIL became the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) in ’56. Fair Lawn moved up to the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) in 1959 and Frank Devens’ CUTTERS won NNJIL titles in 1965 and 1966 when they finished off a 24 game non-losing streak that was started in the 3rd game of the 1964 season by Ed Sheehy’s CUTTERS. Devens passed away January 11, 2010. Pete Natale’s CUTTERS shared the 1980 NNJIL title with the FIGHTING MUSTANGS of Clifton High and the HORNETS of Passaic Valley. Our CUTTERS moved back to the NBIL in 1984 and Natale’s teams won the NBIL Division 1 title in 1984, 1985 and 1987. Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS were NBIL Division 1 champs in 1989. The playoffs began in 1974 and Natale’s CUTTERS were in them in 1979, 1980, 1985 and 1987. Alberque’s CUTTERS were in the playoffs in 1988, 1989 and 2000. Last year Stan Myles’ CUTTERS edged the INDIANS of Passaic 39-38 in the 1st round of the North Jersey, Section 1, Group IV playoffs and lost 42-7 to the GAELS of Roxbury in the next round.

This Saturday at SASSO FIELD, our CUTTERS open the season against the INDIANS of Passaic in Big North Conference (BNC) Division II action. The teams have a history, all in playoffs, with every game a barn burner! In 1980 Natale’s CUTTERS faced Passaic in round 1 in a home game. “Home” was GIANTS STADIUM! In the most thrilling football game in FLHS history until then, our heroes trailed 7-0, 12-0, 12-7 and 18-7 and roared back to scalp the INDIANS 27-18. Natale’s 1985 CUTTERS travelled to Passaic School Stadium, jokingly referred to as Passaic’s “One River Stadium” by the announcer, in the States. Trailing only 28-26 in the closing minutes, our CUTTERS lost a 36-26 thriller. Then last year in the States, Fair Lawn led 32-6 at the half and held on for dear life in the 39-38 win that replaced the 1980 game as the most exciting in FLHS history. Although Fair Lawn leads the rivalry 2-1 (667), the scores average out to a 31-31 tie! From here it looks like Fair Lawn 35 – Passaic 21. GO CUTTERS GO!!!