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!