THE GRIDIRON 2-2012

By Dick Engelhardt

The CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High came out firing against the COMETS of Hackensack last week and led 12-8 late in the 3rd quarter before falling 33-12 in Big North Conference (BNC) crossover action. With QB Kevin Osback lugging the ball, their first drive stalled at the 13. Our heroes held Hackensack at bay and played a fascinating scoreless first half. After Hackensack went up 8-0, Osback uncorked a picture 33 yard TD pas to George Alexandris to make it 8-6. Osback and Alexandris teamed up on a 51 yard TD bomb to put our heroes back in front. Then Hackensack’s depth showed as the Comets pulled ahead. Our “never-say- die” CUTTERS fought valiantly with Alexandris intercepting a pass, Osback recovering a fumble and Tyler Argot, Kris Burger, Matt Ferry, Thomas Koike, Scott Marcoux, Nick Perez, Jeff Welsh and others making big plays. The COMETS lead the series 20-7-1 (.741).

I enjoyed being back for my 16th season as The Voice of The Cutters on The Gridiron with my “spotter,” Shawn Kerestes. It all started September 13th, 1943 when FLHS opened without seniors, who stayed at Paterson Eastside, Hawthorne and Ridgewood to graduate in 1944. Coach Marty Fischbein led the CUTTERS to a fine 9-4-2 (.692) record in independent action in 1943 and 44 after starting up with 3 JV games. Some called the new team the COMETS because they scored quickly in that 1st JV game, a 7-6 loss to Lodi, and others called them the CLIPPERS. It’s been said that some team members would leave school early to visit Doc Gurney, after whom Gurney Terrace is named, for taping and disappear for a time forcing Coach Fischbein to wait for the arrival of these "cutters" before he could run a full practice. Then, before the Leonia game, team captain Jack Van Olden led Tony DiNegri, Art Jaeggi, Jack Knowles, Al Livingstone and Bill Perkins on a sneak trip to the Rivoli Theater in Paterson to see a movie during school hours. The miscreants were caught and coach Fischbein kept those “cutters” out of the game. With the Lions up 12-0 he put our heroes in and Fair Lawn roared back to win 13-12. Livingstone took a pass from Van Olden and ran it 43 yards for a TD. In the 4th quarter, he ran 20 yards for a TD and plunged for the extra point winning the game. The student body, having chosen Crimson and Gray as the school colors, said “The CUTTERS won the game!” They insisted that the athletic teams be known as “The CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High.” And so it is 69 seasons later! The “original” 1943 CUTTERS were inducted into the FLHS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009 along with this writer and others. Van Olden had been inducted individually in 2007.

Fair Lawn’s BNC Liberty Division went 1-3 (.250) against outside opposition. In addition to the Clifton and Fair Lawn losses, the GHOSTS of Paterson Eastside were beaten 19-10 by the BLUE DEVILS of Newark Central while the defending BNC Liberty Division champion BULLDOGS of Passaic Tech beat the INDIANS of Passaic 59-20.

On Friday night at 7 our CUTTERS travel to Clifton to take on the FIGHTING MUSTANGS. During 1972-74 independently, 1975-81 in the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) and 2010-11 in the Big North Conference (BNC) Liberty Division, Clifton has gone 9-3-1 (.750) over Fair Lawn, including a State playoff victory in 1979. I was the “Spotter” at Clifton School Stadium last week and saw the INDIANS of Pascack Valley, coached by former Fair Lawn assistant (1980-85) Craig Nielsen, wallop Clifton 42-0. Last year Fair Lawn upset the FIGHTING MUSTANGS 13-12. I think our CUTTERS can win this one. From here it looks like Fair Lawn 19- Clifton 6. GO GUTTERS GO!!!