THIS WEEK IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY – 2012 Week 8

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 CUTTERS beat the BUCCANEERS of Bogota 31-13 in Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) action. Fair Lawn and Bogota shared the 1946 (B-PIL) title and our CUTTERS took the 1945-55 rivalry with the BUCCANEERS 6-3-2 (.667).

1962 – Coach Ed Sheehy’s CUTTERS edged the MAROON RAIDERS of Dwight Morrow High in Englewood 13-6 in Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) action. Independently 1945-46, 1957-58 and 1986-89 and in the NNJIL 1959-71, our CUTTERS went 14-7 (.667) over the MAROON RAIDERS.

1972 – Al Reinoso’s CUTTERS edged the COMETS of Hackensack 7-6 in NNJIL action with John Cosgrove kicking the winning extra point. “Cos” is currently a Fair Lawn Deputy Mayor. 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. 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 3-0 Hackensack lead in Big North Conference (BNC) crossover action in 2010 – 12 has the COMETS’ record against our CUTTERS 20-7-1 (.741).

1982 – Pete Natale’s CUTTERS were beaten 20-8 by the by the GREEN KNIGHTS of St. Joseph on Montvale in NNJIL action. In 2009 in North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) Division 3 action St. Joseph shut Fair Lawn out 37-0.

1992 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS beat the RAMS of Ramsey 28-21 in Northern Bergen- Interscholastic League (NBIL) interdivisional action. Fair Lawn took the 1945-58, 1984-99 and 2002-06 rivalry against the RAMS by an astounding 28 games to 7 (.800) in B-PIL and NBIL action!

2002 – Alberque’s CUTTERS were beaten 36-24 by the INDIANS of Pascack Valley of Hillsdale in NBIL interdivisional action. Pascack Valley took the 1955-56, 1984-85 and 1988-2008 NBIL rivalry 14-10-1 (.583).