PLAYOFF FINALS IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY - 2010

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
By Dick Engelhardt

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) instituted playoffs in 1974. Before that, sectional and group championships were awarded using power points. Now they are decided on the GRIDIRON. Power points only come into play in making the playoffs and in seeding in them.

In 1980 Pete Natale’s CUTTERS shared the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) title with the FIGHTING MUSTANGS of Clifton High and the HORNETS of Passaic Valley. They beat the HORNETS 7-6 during the season but were beaten 20-7 by the FIGHTING MUSTANGS who in turn were beaten by the HORNETS. The tri-champions all had 8-1 (.889) NNJIL records. In the opening round of the States in North Jersey, Section 1, Group IV action, the CUTTERS played one of the most exciting games in their history. Trailing the INDIANS of Passaic and the Passaic Valley Conference (PVC) 7-0, 12-0, 12-7 and 18-7 at GIANTS STADIUM they roared back to win a 27-18 thriller. In the finals at GIANTS STADIUM the HORNETS of Passaic Valley avenged the regular season loss with a 20-0 championship shut out victory. Those 1980 CUTTERS were the first team in FLHS history to win 9 games, going 9-2 (.818). The others were Natale’s 1985 and 87 Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) Division 1 champion and playoff bound CUTTERS who went 9-1 (.900).

THE GRIDIRON 13 - 2010

By Dick Engelhardt

Over the last few weeks I took in playoff and Thanksgiving games that brought back great memories to me as a Fair Lawn fan. In the opening round of the North Jersey, Section 1, Group IV playoffs, I saw the BRUINS of North Bergen edge the BULLDOGS of Passaic County Technical Institute 27-25 knocking Fair Lawn’s Big North Conference (BNC) Liberty Division out of the playoffs. Fair Lawn is 1-1 (.500) against the BRUINS having beaten them 14-7 in the playoffs in ’89 and lost 33-13 to them in North Jersey Tri-Conference (NJTCC) Division 3 action in ’09. Our CUTTERS lost 34-14 to BNC Liberty Division champion Passaic Tech this year. If that weren’t bad enough, the MONTIES of Montclair knocked Bergen County out of the Group IV playoffs beating the MAROONS of Ridgewood 38-28. During 1944-83 Ridgewood went 26-11-3 (.703) against Fair Lawn in the Thanksgiving Day classic. Fair Lawn, Hackensack and Ridgewood are the only Group IV schools in Bergen County and only Ridgewood made the playoffs.

I took a real “walk down memory lane” in the second round of the playoffs, going to O’Donnell Field in Mountain Lakes to see THE HERD come from behind 7-0 to beat the BEARS of Hawthorne 35-7 in North Jersey, Section 1, Group I action. Coach Marty Fischbein’s new CUTTERS went 1-1 (.500) against the then LAKERS of Mountain Lakes in 1943 and 44. Fair Lawn’s 13-0 victory in ’43 was the 1st varsity game ever for our brand new CUTTERS. After going 2-1 (.667) in JV action to get started, they posted a remarkable 4-1-1 (.800) varsity record! Those original CUTTERS and Coach Fischbein were inducted into the FLHS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009 along with this writer. Today the Mountain Lakes athletic teams are the LAKERS except for the football team, which is called THE HERD because of its tremendous numbers for a small school. Before FLHS opened in 1943, a handful of Fair Lawn students in the Maple Ave/Lincoln Ave area attended Hawthorne High. Our CUTTERS and the BEARS squared off independently in 1944 and in the old Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) 1945-55 with Fair Lawn going 9-3 (.750). My twin brother, Bill, and I were “waterboys” on Frank Bennett’s 1955 B-PIL champion CUTTERS team that shut out the BEARS 33-0.

On Thanksgiving Day, Fair Lawn fans enjoyed seeing Big North Conference (BNC) Liberty Division foes go at it in games that are still played on Turkey Day. I saw the FIGHTING MUSTANGS of Clifton High shutout the INDIANS of Passaic 42-0 at Passaic’s Boverini Stadium. During 1972-74 independently, 1975-81 in the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) and 2010 in the BNC Liberty Division, Clifton has gone 9-2-1 (.818) over Fair Lawn, including a State playoff victory in 1979. Pete Natale’s CUTTERS beat the Indians 27-18 in 1st round playoff action at GIANTS STADIUM in 1980 and lost a 1985 playoff game 36-26 at Passaic. Stan Myles’ CUTTERS edged the INDIANS 39-38 in the 1st “Home” playoff game ever played at SASSO FIELD in 2009. In 2010 BNC Liberty Division action, Fair Lawn’s 25-6 victory put our CUTTERS up 3-1 (.750) against Passaic. At the game I met Lou Poles, the unofficial Clifton historian. He told me Clifton High opened in 1906 and began playing football in 1921. They played their football games at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson and Passaic School Stadium, now Boverini Stadium, until Clifton School Stadium opened in 1950. As the unofficial Fair Lawn High School Football Historian, I enjoyed swopping stories with Lou, who remembers watching Charlie “Choo Choo” Motta roaming THE GRIDIRON for Frank Bennett’s CUTTERS in that memorable 1947 B-PIL championship season. Fair Lawn shared the title with the GOLDEN BEARS of Lyndhurst and Bennett was “Coach of the Year.” Fair Lawn star 1965-66, Bruce Jankowski, once worked for Lou. Bob Morgan, Clifton’s renowned band director, told me that when the Delawanna section of Passaic annexed itself to Clifton years ago, the shape of Clifton as a horseshoe surrounding Passaic came about. Hence the nickname, “FIGHTING MUSTANGS!”

At Bauerle Field in Paterson, the KNIGHTS of JFK beat the GHOSTS of Paterson Eastside 20-14 to lead the 86 year old classic 40-39-7 (.506). Fair Lawn has a special connection to Eastside. Before FLHS opened in 1943, most Fair Lawn students attended Eastside. Next week we’ll look at playoff finals from a Fair Lawn fan’s view point and then we’ll close out 2010 with comments on the season. Until then, GO CUTTERS GO!!!

SECOND ROUND PLAYOFF ACTION IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY - 2010

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
By Dick Engelhardt

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) instituted playoffs in 1974. Before that, sectional and group championships were awarded using power points. Now they are decided on the GRIDIRON. Power points only come into play in making the playoffs and in seeding in them.

In 1989 – Fair Lawn got into the expanded North Jersey, Section 1, Group IV playoffs by virtue of being undefeated at selection time. Mike Alberque’s Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) Division 1 champion CUTTERS upset the BRUINS of North Bergen and the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association (HCIAA) 14-7 in the 1st round. In the next round they faced the HCIAA RED WINGS of Hoboken in the “fumble that wasn’t a fumble” game. With Fair Lawn leading 14-0 Hoboken picked up a 1st down but fumbled. Our CUTTERS might well have scored again to ice the game but a second official overruled the fumble and Hoboken scored on the drive and went on to win a 19-14 thriller.

The RED WINGS got their comeuppance losing to the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) INDIANS of Passaic in the finals.

In 2009 Stan Myles’ CUTTERS, playing in the new North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) Division 3, made the playoffs. In the first round they edged the INDIANS of Passaic 39-38 in the most thrilling game played in FLHS history. It was the first “Home” playoff game ever at SASSO FIELD. The other two “Home” games were both in 1980 at GIANTS STADIUM.

In the second round our CUTTERS fell 42-7 to the GAELS of Roxbury, champions of the Northwest Jersey Conference (NJC) American Division.

TURKEY DAY IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY 2010

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
By Dick Engelhardt

1950 – The MAROONS of Ridgewood joined the Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) making the annual classic a league affair. Ridgewood’s 38-2 victory over Frank Bennett’s CUTTERS ended Fair Lawn’s first losing season at 1-7 (.125). FLHS opened September 13th, 1943 The MAROONS led Annual Classic 5-2 (.667). Fair Lawn’s first victory had been 7-6 in 1947.

1960 – Bennett’s CUTTERS finished their first ever winless season at 0-9 falling 27-7 to the MAROONS in Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) action. Ridgewood led the series 11-5-1 (.688).

1970 – Frank Devens’ CUTTERS were shutout 22-0 by the MAROONS in NNJIL action. Ridgewood led the series 16-9-2 (.640).

1980 – Pete Natale’s NNJIL champion and playoff team CUTTERS beat the MAROONS 26-14 in NNJIL action. Ridgewood led the series 23-11-2 (.676).

1990 – Mike Alberque’s Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) Division 1 CUTTERS were beaten 34-6 by the PATRIOTS of Wayne Hills in league action. Fair Lawn had left the NNJIL and returned to the NBIL in 1984. Our CUTTERS led the series 5-2 (.714). The 1984-93 Turkey Day rivalry wound up 5-5 (.500). The PATRIOTS took the 1984-2008 NBIL and 2009 North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) crossover rivalry 20-5 (.800).

2000 – Alberque’s CUTTERS beat the BEARS of Bergenfield 31-8 in NBIL Division 1 action. Fair Lawn led the Turkey Day series, which began in 1994, 6-1 (.857).

The 2008 Thanksgiving Day 42-0 victory over Bergenfield ended the holiday classic, at least for now. Fair Lawn took the 1945-48 (when the BEARS were the MIGHTY MITES) and 1962-2008 rivalry 35-16 (.686) and the 1994-2008 Turkey Day rivalry 11-4 (.733). At 51 seasons, it remains the longest rivalry in either school’s history!

THE GRIDIRON 12–2010

THANKSGIVING DAY MEMORIES
By Dick Engelhardt

The 2010 football season, Fair Lawn’s 68th since FLHS opened September 13th, 1943, is the second season in which our CUTTERS had no Thanksgiving Day football game. Coach Marty Fischbein found an opponent for his new CUTTERS that initial 1943 season in the TERRIERS of Holy Trinity High School of Westfield. Our CUTTERS started their Thanksgiving series off with a 19-0 victory!

In 1944, Fischbein’s CUTTERS began a 40 year Turkey Day rivalry with the MAROONS of Ridgewood which ended in 1984 when Fair Lawn left the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) to return to the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL), that Fair Lawn and Ridgewood had left in 1959. Ridgewood took the annual classic 26-11-3 (.703).

In 1984 back in the NBIL, our CUTTERS began a 10 year Turkey Day rivalry 1984-93 with the PATRIOTS of Wayne Hills that wound up 5-5 (.500). The teams continued to play during the regular season through 2009. The Patriots took the overall rivalry 20-5 (.800). Fair Lawn’s last victory was in 1989 when Mike Alberque’s NBIL Division 1 champion and playoff bound Cutters thrashed Wayne Hills 35-8.

In 1994 the THUNDERBIRDS of Mahwah joined the NBIL, which they had left in the 1960s for the new Bergen-Passaic Scholastic League (B-PSL). They wanted to play their old Turkey Day foe, Ramsey, but the RAMS were playing the HIGHLANDERS of Northern Highlands. The reshuffling of the Turkey Day NBIL rivalries enabled Fair Lawn to pick up the BEARS of Bergenfield. Fair Lawn took the 1994-2008 Turkey Day rivalry 11-4 (.733) and the 1945-48 and 1962-2008 overall rivalry, at 51 seasons, the longest in either school’s history, 35-16 (.686).

Fair Lawn’s Thanksgiving Day record for those 66 seasons, 1943-2008, is 28-35-3 (.444). Several of the games stand out in my memory. In 1953 Frank Bennett’s Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) champion CUTTERS, led by Dave Sime, who would become “The World’s Fastest Human,” beat the MAROONS of Ridgewood 26-6 to take the title. They shared the North Jersey, Section 1, Group III State championship with the COMETS of Hackensack. In 1955, with my twin brother, Bill, and I working the game as “waterboys,” Bennett’s CUTTERS came from behind to beat Ridgewood 19-7 and take the B-PIL title again. The league would become the NBIL in 1956. In 1958, our heavy underdog CUTTERS fought Ridgewood to a scoreless tie spoiling the retirement of long time Ridgewood coach and friend of Coach Bennett, Frank Mozewleski.

In 1959, Fair Lawn and Ridgewood moved up to the NNJIL and our CUTTERS needed only to tie or beat Ridgewood to take the title. The MAROONS went after Fair Lawn star Bob Wright, who went on to play for Army, and their 13-7 upset win gave the COMETS of Hackensack the title even though our CUTTERS had beaten the COMETS 27-6.

And who can forget Turkey Day 1966 when Frank Devens’ CUTTERS, led by Bruce Jankowski, who went on to play for Ohio State, the NFL Kansas City CHIEFS and the World Football League (WFL) Shreveport STEAMER, came into the game with a 24 game non-losing streak that had begun in 1964 under coach Ed Sheehy. With 13,000 fans looking on at what is now SASSO FIELD, the MAROONS shocked our NNJIL champion CUTTERS 40-34!

Thanksgiving Day is chock full of great memories for this Fair Lawn fan. GO CUTTERS GO!!!

THE GRIDIRON 11–2010

By Dick Engelhardt

The CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High, representing the Big North Conference (BNC) Liberty Division, were defeated 41-22 by the VIKINGS of Vernon High, representing the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) American Division last Saturday at SASSO FIELD in “Consolation Game” action. Captains Kelvin Rosario and Brendan Walis won the coin toss and elected to receive. With Fair Lawn facing 3rd and long, Rosario electrified the crowd with a 75 yard TD run around the right end off blocks by Matt Paisely and Adam Polisi and our CUTTERS led 6-0. The VIKINGS came back and led 7-6. Kevin Osback got off an awesome punt that was downed inside the 1 by Mike Venezia and Walis. On the next play the VIKINGS fumbled and Osback recovered the ball and scored. Rosario’s 2 point conversion run had our CUTTERS on top 14-7. They led 14-13 at the half.

Vernon led 19-14 after 3 quarters and then the VIKINGS pulled away. Our “never-say-die” CUTTERS fought back after Vernon took a 34-14 lead. Rosario raced 26 yards for a TD and Anthony Tozzi bulled his way for the 2 point conversion to give our CUTTERS their 22 points. Speedy Davon Johnson made great runs all day and James Hegybeli picked up nice yardage behind center Brandon Sibilio, guards Max Jacobs and Paisely and tackles Steven Sherlock and Polisi. On “D,” Johnson made a TD saving tackle, Walis and Turton recovered fumbles, Junior Roberts sacked the QB and Kris Burger, Kevin Benjamin, Kevin Guy and Sam Vovsi made big plays. Fair Lawn’s record in Consolation Games since their inception in 1998 is now 7-4 (.636).

Fair Lawn’s BNC Liberty Division was knocked out of the playoffs in the 1st round. In North Jersey, Section 1, Group IV action, its champion BULLDOGS of Passaic County Technical Institute lost a heart breaker 27-25 to the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association (HCIAA) Bruins of North Bergen that went down to the last play of the game as the BRUINS stuffed the BULLDOGS’ 2 point conversion try that would have sent the game into overtime. Fair Lawn is 1-1 (.500) against North Bergen having beaten the BRUINS 14-7 in the States in 1989 and lost 33-13 to them in North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) crossover action in 2009. Fair Lawn’s 34-14 loss to PCTI this year was the 1st game between the schools.

Fair Lawn’s BNC Liberty Division went 3-2 (.600) in Consolation Games. In addition to Fair Lawn’s loss, the GOLDEN EAGLES of Morris Knolls beat the KNIGHTS of JFK of Paterson 41-25. However, the FIGHTING MUSTANGS of Clifton High beat the COMETS of Hackensack 25-6, the INDIANS of Passaic beat the TIGERS of Memorial of West New York 41-20 and the GHOSTS of Paterson Eastside beat the BENGALS of Bloomfield 31-28. The BNC Liberty Division finished the season 9-21 (.300) against outside teams! Only the Eastside- Kennedy and Clifton-Passaic Thanksgiving games within the Division remain.

Our CUTTERS finished the season 3-7 (.300). It was my great pleasure and privilege to be “The Voice of the Cutters on the Gridiron” again this year with my spotter, Kevin Pepitone. Next week we’ll recall Fair Lawn Thanksgiving Day memories and then look at the playoffs from the point of view of Fair Lawn fans before closing out THE GRIDIRON for 2010 with some final thoughts on the season. Until then, GO CUTTERS GO!!!

FIRST ROUND PLAYOFFS IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
By Dick Engelhardt

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) instituted playoffs in 1974. Before that, sectional and group championships were awarded using power points. Now they are decided on the GRIDIRON.

1979 – Pete Natale came to Fair Lawn in 1978 having won championships at Ridgefield Park and made the CUTTERS winners again. They shut out the FIGHTING MUSTANGS of Clifton High 21-0 in Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) action in the regular season. In the States the roles were reversed as Clifton shut out Fair Lawn 30-0. During 1972-74 independently, 1975-81 in the NNJIL and 2010 in the Big North Conference (BNC) Liberty Division, Clifton has gone 9-2-1 (.818) over Fair Lawn including that playoff victory.

1980 – Natale’s CUTTERS shared the NNJIL title with Clifton and Passaic Valley. In the States they played one of the most exciting games in their history. Trailing the INDIANS of Passaic 7-0, 12-0, 12-7 and 18-7 at GIANTS STADIUM they roared back to win a 27-18 thriller.

1985 – Those INDIANS got revenge as they won a 36-26 thriller over Natale’s Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) Division 1 champion CUTTERS at Passaic’s “One River Stadium.” Passaic School Stadium is now Boverini Stadium, named after the late long time Passaic Athletic Director. Fair Lawn trailed only 28-26 until the final minutes.

1987 – Natale’s NBIL Division 1 champion CUTTERS lost a 12-6 heart breaker to the BEES of Bayonne at Bayonne’s Veteran’s Memorial Stadium in freezing cold and gale force winds. Bayonne Coach Don Ahern said he was thankful for the awful weather because only it, and not his BEES, could thwart Fair Lawn’s vaunted offense.

1988 – Natale’s offensive coordinator, Mike Alberque, took over and led his CUTTERS into the States. They were beaten 20-6 by the KNIGHTS of John F. Kennedy of Paterson at Hinchliffe Stadium. During 1951-56 and 58, Fair Lawn went 5-2 (.714) over the then COLTS of Paterson Central. Our CUTTERS shut out the KNIGHTS 20-0 in “Consolation Game” action in 2003 and lead the overall rivalry 6-3 (.667).

1989 – Alberque’s NBIL Division 1 champion CUTTERS upset the BRUINS of North Bergen 14-7 in the States in the only game played to date between the schools until the BRUINS 33-13 victory in North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) crossover play in 2009.

2000 - Alberque’s CUTTERS gave the nationally ranked COMETS of Hackensack all they could handle before losing a 14-6 thriller. During 1959-82 in NNIIL action the COMETS went 16-7-1 against our CUTTERS.

2009 - Stan Myles’ CUTTERS faced the GAILS of Roxbury in North Jersey, Section 1, Group IV action. The GAILS won 42-7 and went on to take the sectional title.

Fair Lawn is 7-3 (.700) in “Consolation Games” played the first weekend of playoffs since they were instituted in 1998.

SOUTH WESTERN MUSTANGS GRIDIRON 2010-11

By Bill Engelhardt
________

Last Friday evening, November 5, the Mustangs of South Western hosted the Rockets of Spring Grove at the Mustang Corral and the Rockets blasted off to a 31-14 win, propelling them into the District 3 Class AAAA playoffs. As the number 10 seed the Rockets (6-4) will visit the 7th seeded Eagles of Cumberland Valley (8-2) next week.

The Mustangs went three and out and punted to open the game but the Rockets fumbled on their first play from scrimmage. Ryan Sexton recovered for the Mustangs at the Rockets 45-yard line. The Mustangs ended up punting and the Rockets had to do the same after a sack by Sexton. Max Ruby recovered a Mustangs fumble for the Rockets and the Rockets had to punt again after a sack by Matt Funk for the Mustangs. The Mustangs punted from their 1-yard line and the first quarter ended without any score.

The Rockets put together a 20-yard drive in four plays and Josh Slate scored a touchdown on a 10-yard run. Ben Reigart’s extra point kick put the Rockets up 7-0 at the 10:56 mark in the second quarter.

The Mustangs drove 35-yards to the Rockets 28-yard line in a drive that featured Ryan Sexton’s 5-yard run for a first down on a fake punt play. However, Reigart intercepted a pass for the Rockets at their 28-yard line. They drove 72–yards in 10 plays, featuring a 40-yard pass from Neal Grudi to Reigart. Reigart kicked a 33-yard field goal to up the score to 10-0 with 3:28 left in the first half.

The Mustangs went three and out and punted from their 28-yard line. The Rockets started at their 49-yard line and wasted no time as Grudi lofted a 51-yard touchdown pass to Reigart. Reigart’s extra point put the Rockets up 17-0 with 1:44 left in the half.

The Rockets opened the second half and went three and out and punted. The Mustangs got off three plays and Jordan Klunk intercepted a pass for the Rockets at the Mustangs 24-yard line. Three plays later, after being pushed back to the 30-yard line, Grudi threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Keith Stambaugh and Reigart’s extra point kick upped the score to 24-0 with 7 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Mustangs ended up punting again and the Rockets drove 55-yards in five plays, featuring a 36-yard pass from Grudi to Stambaugh. Grudi lofted a 24-yard touchdown pass to Reigart and Reigart’s extra point kick upped the score to 31-0 at the 3:17 mark in the third quarter.

The Mustangs and the Rockets exchanged punts. The Mustangs drove 52-yards, featuring a 9-yard run by Jake Shaffer and a 12-yard run by Mike Pugh, only to turn the ball over on downs at the Rockets 8-yard line. Dillon Higgins recovered a Rockets fumble for the Mustangs at the 8. Three plays later Mike Felton plunged in from the 5-yard line for a touchdown and Brendan Lawson’s extra point kick made the score 31-7 with 3:25 left in the game.

The Rockets went three and out and punted. The Mustangs drove 80-yards in two plays. Jesse Good threw a beautiful 33-yard pass to Tommy Nicklas and followed that up with another beauty, a 47-yard touchdown strike to Felton. Lawson’s extra point kick closed out the scoring with 58 seconds left in the game, with the Rockets up 31-14.

Mike Felton kicked off 2 times for 87-yards, with the longest going for 47-yards. Casey Froehlich punted 6 times for 168-yards, for an average of 28-yards, with the longest going for 38-yards, for the Mustangs. Felton returned 5 kickoffs for 112-yards, with the longest going for 30-yards, for the Mustangs. Felton returned 1 punt for 7-yards and Mike Pugh returned 1 punt for no yards, as it was a Fair Catch, for the Mustangs.

Ryan Sexton led the Mustangs defense with 10 tackles, a fumble recovery, a sack, and a pass hurry, followed by Cody Kephart with 9 tackles, Mike Pugh with 7 tackles, Aaron Bosley and Jake Shaffer with 6 tackles each, Casey Froehlich, Mike Felton and Leonard Sturgis with 5 tackles each, Matt Funk with 4 tackles and a sack, Ryan Dotson and Tyler Frederick with 3 tackles each, Levi Buck, Brady Conroy, Rich Delea, and Zach Townsend with 2 tackles each, Dillon Higgins with 1 tackle and a fumble recovery, and Marty Deal, Carnie Fryfogle, Pete O’Shea, and Woody Stetter with 1 tackle each.

Aaron Bosley, Brady Conroy, Ryan Dotson, Tyler Frederick, Carnie Fryfogle, Matt Funk, Josh Hertz, Ryan Sexton, and Leonard Sturgis, manned the offensive and defensive line and linebacker positions. Mike Felton, Casey Froehlich, Brandon Krise, and Mike Pugh, patrolled the secondary for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs gained 97-yards rushing and 120 yards passing for a total of 217-yards of offense. Mike Felton led the Mustangs rushing attack with 13 carries for 39-yards (including a 5-yard touchdown), followed by Jeff Hacker with 12 for 37, Jake Shaffer with 5 for 27, Mike Pugh with 6 for 12-yards, Jesse Good with 3 for minus 8-yards and Zach Gross with 2 for minus 10-yards. Quarterback Good completed 5 of 8 passes for 119-yards and 1 touchdown, 3 for 74-yards to Felton (including a 47-yard touchdown) and 2 for 45-yards to Tommy Nicklas, and quarterback Gross completed 1 of 10 passes for 1-yard to Cody Kephart, for the Mustangs. Brandon Lawson kicked 2 extra points, Dillon Higgins and Ryan Sexton each recovered a fumble, and Matt Funk and Sexton each recorded a sack, for the Mustangs.

The Rockets gained 55-yards rushing and 180-yards passing for a total of 235-yards gained. Joshua Slate led the Rockets rushing attack with 15 carries for 40-yards (including a 10-yard touchdown), followed by Juwan Fitchett with 8 for 17, Andrew Walker with 5 for 10, Alex Guinn with 2 for 3-yards, Keith Stambaugh with 2 for no yards, Cortlin Dell with 1 for minus 2-yards, and Neal Grudi with 4 for minus 13-yards. Quarterback Grudi completed 6 of 10 passes for 180-yards and 3 touchdowns, 3 for 117-yards to Ben Reigart (including touchdowns of 52 and 25-yards), 2 for 65-yards to Stambaugh (including a 30-yard touchdown), and 1 for minus 2-yards to Walker, for the Rockets. Reigart kicked a 32-yard field goal and 4 extra points, Max Ruby recovered a fumble, and Jordan Klunk intercepted a pass for the Rockets.

The 9-time Cavalcade of Bands Champions, Tournament of Bands Group IV Champion and US Scholastic Band Champion South Western Mustangs Marching Band proudly made a terrific post game presentation of its 2010 field show “Los Sonidas de España.” The show opened with “Grenada,” followed by John Tesh’s “Barcelona,” and “The Toreador Song” from Bizet’s opera Carmen. The show closed with an arrangement of Michael Daugherty’s Candelabra Rumba and the traditional España Cañi. The Spring Grove Marching Band put on a spirited half time show. The Mustangs and the Rockets cheerleaders excited the faithful with their cheers.

The Mustangs of South Western are 4-6-0 overall and 1-4-0 in York Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association (YAIAA) Division I league play.

Don Seidenstricker has a 187-85-1 (.688) record as coach of the Mustangs, who have a career record of 328-203-8. The results of the 539 games played in the history of the South Western Mustangs are a career .618 winning percentage and a .623 non-losing percentage.

We bid a tearful farewell and offer our best wishes for the future to the 22 departing seniors. We owe them all our gratitude for their efforts in providing us with exciting football over the course of their high school careers. They all played in this their final game. They are: Aaron Bosley, Levi Buck, Brady Conroy, Marty Deal, Tyler Frederick, Casey Froehlich, Matt Funk, Jeff Hacker, Josh Hertz, Dillon Higgins, Cody Kephart, Brendan Lawson, Gabe Miller, Tommy Nicklas, Pete O’Shea, Mike Pugh, Ryan Sexton, Derek Schneider, Jake Shaffer, Bill Shirley, Woody Stetter, and Leonard Sturgis.

I want to say a very special thank you to Richard Lupro for faithfully compiling the official Offensive, Special Teams and Scoring statistics for the Mustangs, and for inputting them, and the Defensive statistics, at the Max Preps web site very quickly each week so that they were always available for my use. He was instrumental in coming up with many of the records that will be mentioned below. And a very special thank you also goes to longtime Mustangs line coach Chuck Seidenstricker for providing vital Defensive statistics to me, and to Dick Lupro, for input to the web site, after reviewing game films on very short notice.

The 2010 edition of the Mustangs of South Western gave their fans lots of excitement and thrills.

With a year still to go in his career, Mike Felton already is in third place in the history of the school in career pass receptions with 47 (Tim Rill tops the list with 70). He is also in forth place in touchdown pass receptions with 10 (Drew Snyder tops the list with 14). And he is in forth place in career passing yardage with 747-yards (Tim Rill tops the list with 992-yards). For 2010, Felton caught 23 passes for 378-yards and 4 touchdowns, for a 16.44-yard average.

Felton is also tied with Allen Zepp (1977 season) in third place in the history of the school with a season punting average of 39.0-yards, with 28 punts for 1,093-yards. This will put him in the 2010 “Keystone Club” at the Pennsylvania Football News web site. He also stands tied with Zepp for first place for career punting average with that 39.0-yards, but his career still has a year to go.

Felton also led the team in kickoff returns with 17 for 391-yards, for a 23-yard average. Mike Pugh returned 10 kickoffs foe 190-yards, for a 19-yard average.

Felton led the team in scoring with 98 points, from 14 touchdowns, 12 extra point kicks and a two-point conversion. He was followed by Jeff Hacker with 48 points on 8 touchdowns, Mike Pugh with 24 points on 4 touchdowns, Tommy Nicklas with 14 points on 2 touchdowns and a 2-point conversion, Brendan Lawson with 7 points on extra point kicks, and Jesse Good, Ryan Sexton and Matt Stroda with 6 points each on 1 touchdown each. The team scored 209 points for the season.

Jeff Hacker had 140 carries for 820-yards and 8 touchdowns rushing, followed by Mike Felton with 112 for 722-yards and 10 touchdowns, Mike Pugh with 43 for 257-yards and 3 touchdowns, Ryan Sexton with 37 for 189-yards, Matt Stroda with 8 for 33-yards and 1 touchdown, Reid Cruz with 6 for 33-yards, Dillon Langenfeld with 5 for 28-yards, Jake Shaffer with 5 for 27-yards, Jesse Good with 44 for 25-yards and 1 touchdown, Nick Bond with 4 for 25-yards, Carnie Fryfogle with 7 for 22-yards, Dakotah Moses with 2 for 10-yards, Marty Deal with 1 for 2-yards, Jake Hunt with 1 for minus 10-yards, Zach Gross with 4 carries for minus 12-yards, and a team loss of 2-yards. There was a net of 423 carries for 2,159-yards and 23 touchdowns for the season.

Jake Shaffer led the team in tackles with 100 on the season. This will also put him in the 2010 “Keystone Club.” Other players with at least 50 tackles for the season were: Cody Kephart, with 85, Ryan Sexton with 80, Mike Felton and Matt Funk with 74 each, Aaron Bosley and Leonard Sturgis with 63 each, Carnie Fryfogle with 62, and Mike Pugh with 51 tackles.

Matt Funk led the team with 5 sacks on the season. Carnie Fryfogle and Ryan Sexton followed right behind with 3 sacks each, Aaron Bosley had 2 sacks and a bevy of Mustangs each had a sack, for a team total of 20 sacks for the season.

Jesse Good completed 54 of 114 passes for 809-yards and 6 touchdowns and Zach Gross completed 11 of 31 passes for 157-yards and 2 touchdowns. The season reception leaders were Felton with his 23 for 378-yards and 4 touchdowns, followed by Tommy Nicklas with 6 for 129-yards and 2 touchdowns, Ryan Sexton with 7 for 96-yards and 1 touchdown, Casey Froehlich with 4 for 92-yards, Cody Kephart with 8 for 82-yards, Mike Pugh with 6 for 55-yards and 1 touchdown, Carnie Fryfogle with 1 for 46-yards, Jeff Hacker with 5 for 34-yards, Brandon Krise with 2 for 23-yards, Dillon Langenfeld with 2 for 19-yards, and Keith Pappas with 1 for 12-yards. That adds up to 65 receptions for 966-yards and 8 touchdowns for the season.

The 2010 Mustangs represented their school and league honorably, played hard, never gave up, and they were clearly a team for which we can all be proud. They have a great nucleus of returning players from the junior varsity and solid players coming up within the ranks. I can’t wait for next season to begin. Until then, GO MUSTANGS GO.

THE GRIDIRON 10–2010

By Dick Engelhardt

In Big North Conference (BNC) Liberty Division action last Friday night at Bauerle Field in Paterson, the CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High edged the KNIGHTS of JFK High School 22-20 in a thriller! Captains Kelvin Rosario and Brendan Walis won the coin toss and elected to receive. On their 2nd possession, our heroes scored as QB Dan Prigge passed to Rosario to the 1 and then ran a QB sneak for the TD. With Alex Callons snapping and Walis holding, Brian Turton kicked the extra point and Fair Lawn led 7-0. Turton intercepted a pass and ran it to the 25. James Hegybeli picked up yards and Anthony Tozzi bulled his way to the 4. Hegybeli’s TD run and Turton’s kick had Fair Lawn up 14-0. Tozzi intercepted a pass and rumbled over 50 yards for a TD. From his holding position, Walis fired a 2 point conversion pass to Hegybeli and our CUTTERS led 22-8 at the half.

In the second half our heroes held on for dear life! The KNIGHTS scored and made it 22-14. Then, late in the game, they scored and a 2 point conversion would tie the game and threaten overtime. Tozzi, probably the biggest hero of the game, led Kevin Guy and a host of tacklers in stopping the runner in his tracks. If that weren’t enough, with :03 on the clock, the KNIGHTS threw a desperation pass from their 49 yard line which Sam Vovsi and Walis batted down at the goal line to save the victory. You could hear a “Whew!” emanating from the Fair Lawn faithful. On “D,” Matt Peligritto recovered Fair Lawn’s 2nd half squib kickoff. Kevin Osback grabbed the ball from a KNIGHT and ran for a TD that was nullified when the officials ruled it wasn’t a fumble. He also got off some awesome punts keeping the KNIGHTS at bay. Kevin Benjamin, Davon Johnson, Adam Polisi and Brandon Sibilio also made key plays.

Fair Lawn has played JFK and its predecessor, the COLTS of Paterson Central, independently 1951-56, in the playoffs in 1988, in a Consolation game in 2003, in the North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) in 2009 and now in the BNC. This victory brings Fair Lawn’s record to 8-3 (.727) over Central/Kennedy!

The BNC has given its 6 Football Divisions and 1 other sports Division new names. Division I is the United Division, Division II (Fair Lawn’s) is the Liberty Division, Division III the Freedom, Division IV the Independence, Division V the National, Division VI the American (for football; for other sports it’ll be the Patriot) and Division VII (for other sports) the American.

Fair Lawn’s BNC Liberty Division saw its other 4 teams go against outside teams. They went 2-2 (.500). The BULLDOGS of Passaic County Technical Institute beat the COMETS of Hackensack 23-7 and the GHOSTS of Paterson Eastside beat the BULLDOGS of Bergen Tech 28-14. However, the INDIANS of Passaic fell 34-14 to the MAROONS of Ridgewood and the FIGHTING MUSTANGS of Clifton High, needing a win to get into the States, were forced to play the nationally ranked IRONMEN of Don Bosco. They had no chance and lost 48-13 in the latest installment of the parochial powerhouse versus public school travesty. In another, outside the BNC Liberty Division, St. Joseph walloped Wayne Hills 35-14. The BNC Liberty Division is now 6-18 (.250) against outside teams!

Our CUTTERS are home at SASSO FIELD Saturday at 1:00 against Vernon High School of the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), American Division in a Consolation Game. The VIKINGS and our CUTTERS are both 3-6 (.333). Fair Lawn has been outscored 228-120 for an average 25-13 loss. Vernon has been outscored 213-194 for an average 24-22 loss. I’m sure our CUTTERS will make an all out effort to close out the season with a win. Let’s all be there to cheer them on. From here it looks like Fair Lawn 21 – Vernon 14. GO CUTTERS GO!!!