THIS WEEK IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY – 2012 Week 1

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
By Dick Engelhardt

Fair Lawn High School opened September 13th, 1943. This 2012 history covers the years ending in “2.”

1952 – Frank Bennett’s Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) CUTTERS beat the Passaic Valley Conference (PVC) GHOSTS of Paterson Eastside 26-13 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. The teams are 1-1 (.500) in (BNC) Liberty Division action in 2010-11 and our CUTTERS lead the rivalry 6-5 (.545).

1962 – Coach Ed Sheehy’s CUTTERS were beaten 28-14 by the CRUSADERS of East Paterson, Now Elmwood Park, in an exciting new neighborhood rivalry. - During 1962-65 the tough CRUSADERS went 3-1 (.750) over our CUTTERS. The 1st Fair Lawn victory was in the last game in 1965 when our CUTTERS went 8-0-1 (1.000) and took the Northern New Jersey Inter-scholastic League (NNJIL) title.

1972 – Al Reinoso’s CUTTERS were stung 19-0 by the HORNETS of Passaic Valley in NNJIL action. During 1944-46 and 1966 independently and 1967- 81 and 83 in the NNJIL the HORNETS went 13-6-2 (.684) over our CUTTERS including a 20-0 shut out victory in the 1980 State playoff finals at GIANTS STADIUM after Fair Lawn had beaten the INDIANS of Passaic 27-18 in the first round. Fair Lawn had edged PV 7-6 in NNJIL play during the regular season.

1982 – Pete Natale’s CUTTERS began what would be their third ever winless season (1960 and 1976 were the others) with a 27-6 loss to the IRONMEN of Don Bosco in NNJIL Bergen Division action. In 1976 in independent action and 1982 and 83 in the NNJIL, the IRONMEN went 3-0 over our CUTTERS. The unfair advantage the parochial schools had was the main reason Fair Lawn and Bergenfield left the NNJIL in 1984 and returned to the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL), which Fair Lawn had left in 1959 and Bergenfield in 1949.

1992 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS were beaten 21-14 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. It was a great 51 season rivalry.

2002 – Alberque’s CUTTERS were beaten 21-6 by the GREEN RAIDERS of Ramapo in NBIL Division 1 action. Ramapo took the 1956-58 and 1984-2008 rivalry 17-11 (.607).

THE GRIDIRON 1-2012

By Dick Engelhardt

It’s great to be on THE GRIDIRON again as the CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High begin their 70th football season. Amir Saadah, a 2000 FLHS graduate who played for Mike Alberque’s 1997-99 CUTTERS, took over last year as the 11th Football coach in FLHS history. He followed Marty Fischbein 1943-44, Frank Bennett 1945-60, Ed Sheehy 1961-64, Frank Devens 1965-71, Al Reinoso 1972-74, Rich Szura 1965-77, Pete Natale 1978-87, Mike Alberque 1988-2001, Greg Tanzer 2002-06 and Stan Myles 2007-10. Their combined 1943-2011 record is 315-298-14 (.509).

Championships came in the Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) in 1945, 53 and 55 with co-championships in ’46 with Buccaneers of Bogota and ’47 with the GOLDEN BEARS of Lyndhurst; the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) in 1965 and 66 with a tri-championship in ’80 with the FIGHTING MUSTANGS of Clifton High and the HORNETS of Passaic Valley and the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) Division 1 in 1984, 85, 87 and 89. The State playoff system began in 1974 and our CUTTERS were in the playoffs in 1979, 80, 85, 88, 89, 2000 and 2009.

Saadah has an all-star coaching staff. Billy Lynn is offensive coordinator, Bobby Guy is defensive coordinator and Dan Iozzia and Joe Borkowski are assistants. Two volunteers were added: Brian Walis, Fair Lawn High class of 2009, will be helping with O and D Line and Parag Patel, a Parsippany Hills Grad, will be working with our DB's and WR's. Jim Beshaw and Ed Guy coach the freshmen team. The names Beshaw, Guy, Iozzia, Lynn, Saadah and Walis are big in FLHS Gridiron history and Joe Borkowski is a nephew of former Fair Lawn Coach Mike Alberque, who is a 2012 inductee into the FLHS Athletic Hall of Fame!

This Saturday our CUTTERS open the season at home at SASSO FIELD at Noon in Big North Conference (BNC) crossover action against the COMETS of Hackensack. 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. 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 BNC crossover action in 2010–11 has the COMETS’ record against our CUTTERS 19-7-1 (.731).

My Fair Lawn High School Class of ’57 will be in town for its reunion. In their senior year Coach Bennett’s CUTTERS went 5-3 (.625) overall and 4-1 (.800) in the NBIL. The Thanksgiving game against the MAROONS of Ridgewood decided the championship with the MAROONS’ 7-6 victory giving them the crown at 5-0 (1.000). The 13th FLHS graduating class had their big day 55 years ago on June 17, 1957. We like to think we were featured in the Statler Brothers smash hit, “The Class of 57 Had Its Dreams!”

Our heroes got ready for the season with scrimmage action culminating in a game scrimmage against the NORSEMEN of Northern Valley, Demarest. I look forward to seeing our heroes get off to a good start. From here it looks like Fair Lawn 14- Hackensack 13. GO GUTTERS GO!!!

SOUTH WESTERN MUSTANGS GRIDIRON 2012-1

Preseason Review

By Bill Engelhardt
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The Mustangs of South Western return to gridiron action Friday night,August 31, as they host the Warriors of Gettysburg to kick off the 2012 season. The Mustangs are looking forward to a successful season as they enter the 53rd year of the football program. They have a career 337-206-8 record with a .621 winning percentage and a .626 non-losing percentage. They are 332-197-8 in regular season play. This year the Mustangs have a good group of returning seniors, returning starters and lettermen, and some exciting new players to watch, and hope to continue the winning tradition, which includes 12 league titles since 1990 and 16 in the history of the school.

The Mustangs begin a brand new era as Damian Poalucci steps into the head coaching position that had been under the very capable hands of Don Seidenstricker for the past 26 years. Don retired from the position but remains the Athletic Director for the school. Damian takes on the role of head coach with a very impressive resume of his own. He was a star quarterback for the Bees of Bayonne High School in New Jersey, set records at quarterback for the Warriors of East Stroudsberg University, and has been coaching in the Mustangs program for 15 years, most recently as assistant varsity coach and head junior varsity coach. So the beat goes on for the Mustangs.

Seniors Devon Ackerman, Mike Duffy, Aram Moffit, Dakotah Moses, Jerome Robinson, and Jacob Tracy, and juniors Logan Bowman and Dillon Thomas are returning starters. Seniors Aaron Doll, A. J. Jones, Mike Mooradian, Gabe Morela, Shawn Secola, Brady Shultz, Chris Weibe, and Bobby Wildasin, and juniors Eddie Lane and Tyler Sterner are also returning lettermen. Juniors Ryan Lane, Jordan Markle, Zach Osborne, and Payton Taylor, and sophomores Kurt Creamer, Ryan Krebs, Matt Helwig, and Hunter Palmer are up and comers to watch this year.

The graduation of key players Rich Delea, Ryan Dotson, Mike Felton, Carnie Fryfogle, Jeremy Laughlin, Keith Pappas, Zach Gross, and Zach Townsend still leaves the Mustangs with a very good group of seasoned players. Senior Mike Duffy and junior Tyler Sterner are contending to be the starting quarterback and both are expected to see a lot of playing time. Departed Zach Gross was the starter last year but Duffy and Sterner both saw playing time. The stiff competition should bring out the best in both of them and leave the Mustangs in good shape at that position.

We look for Moses, Thomas and Wildasin to lead the vaunted rushing attack and Bowman, Osborne, Shultz, and Taylor will vie for playing time and continue the great running tradition of the Mustangs. Thomas led the rushing attack last year with 1,058-yards.

We are looking for Doll, Mooradian, Morela, Robinson, to form the nucleus of a solid receiving corps, with help from Markle and Palmer. Robinson is the most experienced with 8 catches for 114-yards and 2 touchdowns last year. Bowman, Moses and Thomas have experience catching the ball out of the backfield.

Among the returning players, Ackerman (46 tackles), Eddie Lane (15 tackles), Moffit (13 tackles), and Secola (3 tackles) in 2011, have significant experience on either the offensive or defensive line and should figure prominently again this year, with help from Creamer, Helwig, Jones, and Morela. The trenches will be a significant factor in the success of the Mustangs this year.

Eddie Lane (15 tackles), Moses (14 tackles), Thomas (12 tackles), and Mooradian (6 tackles) in 2011, leave the Mustangs in great shape at the linebacker position. All are seasoned veterans. And Shultz, Sterner, and Weibe should fit in nicely here as well. And Krebs, Ryan Lane, and Osborne should also get into the act here.

Robinson (29 tackles), Duffy (24 tackles), Bowman (17 tackles), Wildasin (7 tackles), Doll (2 tackles), Markle (2 tackles), and Palmer, Morela, and Taylor should all see plenty of action in the secondary.

The punting game should be in the capable hands of senior Gabe Morela. Departed Mike Felton was the punter last year but Morela got in 5 punts for 162-yards, for a 32.4-yard average and the longest going for 37-yards. Felton also handled kickoffs last year but Ryan Lane and Tracy have some experience in this area. Tracy is also the go to guy for extra points. He kicked 35 extra points last year, putting him in 4th place in school history.

Damian Poalucci is ready and eager to lead the Mustangs into a new season against the Warriors of Gettysburg. In his preseason outlook he said, “Some things have changed around the corral but the fabric and tradition of South Western Football has stayed the same.

The old cliché’ that “it all starts with the line” has never been more applicable. The fate of the Mustang Football Team clearly rests up front. We will return a solid nucleus of skill position players with Jerome Robinson, Logan Bowman, Dillon Thomas, Bobby Wildasin, Dakotah Moses, Mike Mooradian, and Brady Shultz all vying for starting roles. In addition, senior quarterback Mike Duffy and junior Tyler Sterner will both see playing time at quarterback. The offensive and defensive line will be anchored by Devon Ackerman and Aram Moffitt who both earned significant playing time last season. Newcomers to the offensive and defensive line will be AJ Jones, Eddie Lane and David Schaub.

We do return significant playing experience in the defensive backfield with both Jerome Robinson and Mike Duffy returning as cornerbacks where they made a lot of contribution last season and newcomers Logan Bowman and Payton Taylor at safety. The outside backer position has great depth with seniors Mike Mooradian and Brady Shultz leading the way. Juniors Ryan Lane and Zach Osborne, and sophomore Ryan Krebs will also play a major role in this position.

Earned…Never Given is the new mantra in the South Western Corral. The off-season work ethic in the weight room, 7v7s, voluntary camps, and instructional sessions was excellent, actually the best in many years. The up and coming sophomores (Kurt Creamer, Ryan Krebs, Matt Helwig, Mitch Muir, and Hunter Palmer) worked tirelessly this summer and may contribute to the returning players and lettermen.

The absolute, number one, positive with this group has been the bond of classes and willingness to work together. There has been outstanding senior/junior leadership from those players noted above (starters, lettermen, and “players to watch”) and these young men really want to continue the strong tradition of Mustang Football!”

From here it looks like the South Western Mustangs are primed and ready to provide all the thrills and excitement their faithful fans have come to expect in their 53rd season. I think the Mustangs are up to the challenge of continuing their winning ways. I can’t wait for the start of the 2012 season. GO MUSTANGS GO.