THE GRIDIRON 5 – 2011

By Dick Engelhardt

The CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High were shut out 41-0 by the COMETS of Hackensack last week in Big North Conference (BNC) crossover action at Tom Della Torre Field, named after the late legendary long time Hackensack coach. Captains Boris Lifshits, Steve Tatekawa and Jeff Welsh went out for the coin toss. The COMETS took the opening kick off and our CUTTERS held with big plays by Brian Centeno, Brendan Sibilio and Thomas Koike. Fair Lawn’s first drive was stopped but Pete Danko’s fumble recovery put our CUTTERS in business at the 26 yard line. It was Fair Lawn’s best chance of the day to score but, alas, the drive stalled and the COMETS took over on downs.

Then the flood gates opened as our injury depleted CUTTERS fought hard but succumbed to the size, depth and speed of the COMETS. The halftime score of 35-0 had the clock continuously running under the special 35 point differential rule throughout the second half. The COMETS would score only once more as Hackensack Coach Mike Miello showed class by inserting subs. He could have held a grudge since, during 1984-87; Fair Lawn Coach Pete Natale’s CUTTERS went 4-0 against his GREEN RAIDERS of Ramapo! On “D,” Matt Ferry blocked an extra point attempt, Tatekawa and Kevin Osback teamed up on a TD saving tackle, George Alexandris broke up a pass, Franklyn Ramirez made a great stop, and Laine White and others made plays. Osback boomed a punt all the way to the 8 yard line. Our heroes also blocked a punt!

During 1959-82 in the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (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. Legendary Fair Lawn Coach Frank Bennett’s 1953 Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (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 2-0 Hackensack lead in Big North Conference (BNC) crossover action in 2010-11 has the COMETS’ record against our CUTTERS 19-7-1 (.731).

The shut out loss was Fair Lawn’s first since our CUTTERS’ 21-0 loss to the FIGHTING MUSTANGS of Clifton High last year. Since their beginning in 1943, our CUTTERS have shut their opponents out 82 times and have been shut out themselves 83 times!

In the only game played in Fair Lawn’s BNC Liberty Division, the KNIGHTS of JFK of Paterson surprised the INDIANS of Passaic 30-20. The league finally won a game against outsiders as the FIGHTING MUSTANGS of Clifton High beat the KNIGHTS of Bergen Tech 35-16. In addition to Fair Lawn’s crossover loss, despite 268 year old “Thomas Jefferson” running for three touchdowns, the BNC Liberty Division defending champion KNIGHTS of Passaic County Technical Institute were upended 40-36 by the LANCERS of Lakeland. The GHOSTS of Paterson Eastside were shut out 7-0 by the BEARS of Bergenfield. The 1-3 (.250) weekend record against outsiders brought the BNC Liberty Division record in crossover action to 1-10 (.091) so far!

This week our CUTTERS have a Bye. They were scheduled to play the CRUSADERS of Bergen Catholic in yet another grotesque match up of a public school against a parochial behemoth and were happy to say “Go right ahead!” when Bergen Catholic asked if they could play out of State power Friendship Collegiate Academy of Washington, D.C. instead. In next weeks column, we’ll check out games of interest to Fair Lawn fans and look ahead to Fair Lawn’s appearance on Friday October 14th at 7:00 at Clifton Schools Stadium. Til then, GO CUTTERS GO!!!