THIS WEEK IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY – 2011 Week 1

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
By Dick Engelhardt

1951 – Frank Bennett’s Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) CUTTERS were shutout 33-0 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. In 2010 the GHOSTS and CUTTERS found themselves in the new Big North Conference (BNC) Division II, which became the Liberty Division. Fair Lawn’s 40-16 victory brought the record of our CUTTERS to 6-4 (.600) over the GHOSTS.

1961 –New Coach Ed Sheehy’s CUTTERS mauled the TIGERS of Dover 19-0 in independent action closing out the rivalry at 1-1 (.500).

1971 – Frank Devens’ CUTTERS edged the MAROON RAIDERS of Englewood 2-0 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.

1981 – Pete Natale’s CUTTERS were ambushed 47-14 by the HIGHWAYMEN of Teaneck 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.

1991 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS were shut out 13-0 by the NORSEMEN of Northern Valley/Demarest in NBIL interdivisional action. Fair Lawn leads the 1956-58 and 1990- 2008 and 2010 rivalry 13-10 (.565).

2001 – Alberque’s CUTTERS were beaten 23-7 by the HIGHLANDERS of Northern Highlands in NBIL Division 1 action. Fair Lawn took the 1986-93 and 1998 – 2008 rivalry 10-9 (.526).