THIS WEEK IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY – 2011 Week 3

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
By Dick Engelhardt

1951 – Frank Bennett’s Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) CUTTERS were beaten 34-12 by the Passaic Valley Conference (PVC) WILDCATS of East Rutherford, now Becton Dickinson Regional. During 1950-53 the WILDCATS went 2-1-1 (.667) against our CUTTERS.

1961 – New Coach Ed Sheehy’s CUTTERS beat the RED RAIDERS of Cliffside Park 13-7 in Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) action. Our CUTTERS took the 1959-66 rivalry against the RED RAIDERS 6-2 (.750).

1971 – Frank Devens’ CUTTERS scalped the INDIANS of Wayne Valley 16-6 in NNJIL action. During 1967-80 the INDIANS went 9-5 (.643) over our CUTTERS. They left the NNJIL for the Northern Hills Conference (NHC) Skyline Division in 1981 and Fair Lawn left the NNJIL to return to the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) in 1984.

1981 – Pete Natale’s CUTTERS were shutout 21-0 by the COMETS of Hackensack in NNJIL action. During 1959-82 in the NNJIL the COMETS went 16-7-1 (.696) over our CUTTERS. In 1959, Fair Lawn’s maiden season in the league, our CUTTERS won 27-6 and yet saw Hackensack take the title by half a game. Frank Bennett’s 1953 B-PIL champs shared the North Jersey, Section 1, Group III State title with the COMETS. Mike Alberque’s 2000 CUTTERS put up a whale of a battle before losing 14-6 to the nationally ranked COMETS in the States. The 12-6 Hackensack win in Big North Conference (BNC) crossover action in 2010 brought the COMETS’ record against our CUTTERS to 18-7-1 (.720).

1991 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS were edged 15-14 by the BEARS of Bergenfield in NBIL Division 1 action. - Fair Lawn took the 1945-48 and 1962-2008 rivalry 35-16 (.686) and the 1994-2008 Turkey Day rivalry 11-4 (.733). The teams squared off 1945-48 in the B-PIL, 1962-83 in the NNJIL and 1984-2008 in the NBIL.

2001 – Alberque’s CUTTERS beat the GOLDEN KNIGHTS of Northern Valley, Old Tappan 22-6 in NBIL Division 1 action. Fair Lawn took the 1984 – 2008 rivalry 15–10 (.600).