THIS WEEK IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY – 2010 Week 1

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
By Dick Engelhardt

1950 - Frank Bennett’s Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) CUTTERS were beaten 20-0 by the Passaic Valley Conference (PVC) GHOSTS of Paterson Eastside in independent action. During 1947-54 and 1983 Fair Lawn went 5-4 (.556) over the GHOSTS. This was sweetened by the fact that, until FLHS opened in 1943, most Fair Lawn students attended Eastside. A few students from the Columbia Heights section went to Hawthorne and the Radburn section students went to Ridgewood. The 4-4 (.500) deadlock was broken by the 20-18 Fair Lawn victory in 1983.

1960 – Bennett’s CUTTERS began what would be their 1st winless season being shutout 39-0 by the TIGERS of Dover in independent action. They would even the series at 1-1 (.500) in 1961 as Ed Sheehy’s CUTTERS mauled the TIGERS 20-0.

1970 – Frank Devens’ CUTTERS were edged 12-8 by the MAROON RAIDERS of Englewood in Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) action. In independent action 1945-46, 1957-58 and 1986-89 and in the NNJIL 1959-71, our CUTTERS have gone 14-7 (.667) over the MAROON RAIDERS.

1980 – Pete Natale’s CUTTERS shut the HIGHWAYMEN of Teaneck out 12-0 in NNJIL action. 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 North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) Division 3 action put our CUTTERS up 18-11-1 (.621) in the series.

1990 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS were edged 18-12 by the NORSEMEN of Northern Valley, Demarest in NBIL Division 1 action. Fair Lawn leads the 1956-58 and 1990- 2008 rivalry 13-9 (.591). State mandated realignment has ended it, at least for now.

2000 – Alberque’s CUTTERS beat the HIGHLANDERS of Northern Highlands 35-15 in NBIL interdivisional action. Fair Lawn leads the 1986-93 and 1998 – 2008 rivalry 10-9 (.526). Realignment has ended this rivalry too.