THIS WEEK IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY – 2012 Week 4

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 – 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 GOLDEN BEARS of Lyndhurst 13-6 in league action. Fair Lawn took the fierce 1945 – 53 rivalry with Lyndhurst in the old B-PIL 5-4 (.556). The B-PIL became the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) in 1956.

1962 – Coach Ed Sheehy’s CUTTERS beat the then MIGHTY MITES, now BEARS of Bergenfield 27-6 in NNJIL 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. State realignment ended the 51 season rivalry which was the longest in either school’s history.

1972 – Al Reinoso’s CUTTERS were beaten 14-6 by the Indians of Wayne Valley in NNJIL action. During 1967-80 the INDIANS went 9-5 (.643) over our CUTTERS in the NNJIL. They left the NNJIL for the Northern Hills Conference (NHC) Skyline Division in 1981 and Fair Lawn left the NNJIL to return to the NBIL in 1984.

1982 – Pete Natale’s CUTTERS were edged 12-7 by the BEARS of Bergenfield in the NNJIL. 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. State realignment ended the 51 season rivalry which was the longest in either school’s history

1992 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS were beaten 41-14 by the NORSEMEN of Northern Valley/Demarest in NBIL action. Our CUTTERS took the 1956-58 and 1990- 2008 NBIL rivalry 13-9 (.591). The NORSEMEN are 2-0 in 2010 and 2011Big North Conference (BNC) crossover action and Fair Lawn leads the rivalry 13-11 (.552).

2002 – Alberque’s CUTTERS edged those same NORSEMEN of Northern Valley/Demarest 22-19 in NBIL action.