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).