THE GRIDIRON 14-2012

By Dick Engelhardt

Fans of the CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High had lots of rooting interests in the Football Playoffs. They remember when their CUTTERS were in the second round action. Playoffs were instituted in 1974 and, in the early years, the second round was also the finals. In 1980 Pete Natale’s CUTTERS, faced the HORNETS of Passaic Valley in the finals. Fair Lawn had beaten PV 7-6 during the season and Fair Lawn, Clifton and PV shared the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) title. In the finals at GIANTS STADIUM, Passaic Valley, coached by former NY Giants and Boston (Now New England) Patriots player Joe Biscaha, shut our CUTTERS out 20-0.

In the second round in 1989 Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS faced the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association (HCIAA) RED WINGS of Hoboken in the “fumble that wasn’t a fumble” game. With Fair Lawn leading 14-0 Hoboken picked up a 1st down but fumbled. Our CUTTERS might well have scored again to ice the game but a second official overruled the fumble and Hoboken scored on the drive and went on to win a 19-14 thriller. The RED WINGS got their comeuppance losing to the NNJIL Indians of Passaic in the finals. In the second round in 2009, Stan Myles’ CUTTERS fell 42-7 to the GAELS of Roxbury, champions of the Northwest Jersey Conference (NJC) American Division, who went on to take the title.

And now in the second round of the playoffs, there were games of special interest to our CUTTERS and their rabid fans. I saw the MAROONS of Ridgewood get shutout 24-0 by the undefeated MOUNTIES of Montclair in North Jersey, Section 1, Group V action. During 1944-83 on Turkey Day and 2012 in the regular season, the MAROONS have gone 27-11-3 (.711) over our CUTTERS. I saw the INDIANS of Pascack Valley beat the PATRIOTS of Wayne Hills 20-11 in Group IV action sending coach Chris Olsen into retirement with a loss. Valley’s coach, Craig Nielsen, was an assistant at Fair Lawn 1980-85 under Pete Natale. The INDIANS took their 1955-56, 1984-85 and 1988-2008 Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) rivalry with Fair Lawn 14-10-1 (.583).

In Group III one old (Ramapo) and one new (Lakeland) Fair Lawn rival went at it with Ramapo winning a 35-31 thriller. The LANCERS beat our CUTTERS 43-0 this year and the GREEN RAIDERS took their 1956-58 and 1984-2008 NBIL rivalry with Fair Lawn 17-11 (.607). In Group II, the BEARS of Hawthorne were beaten 35-14 by the KNIGHTS of New Milford. Fair Lawn coach Amir Saadah was on the Hawthorne staff before coming to Fair Lawn. Independently in 1944 and in the Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) 1945-55, our CUTTERS went 9-3 (.750) over the BEARS. When Hawthorne, then the only Passaic County school in the league, left in ’56, the B-PIL was renamed the NBIL.

In Group I, the FALCONS of Saddle Brook lost a 39-33 thriller to the CARDINALS of Pompton Lakes. Charlie Benson’s CARDS and Frank Bennett’s CUTTERS split their 1945-50 rivalry 3-3 (.500). Fair Lawn broke off from Saddle River Township in 1924. In 1955, tired of being confused with Saddle River and Upper Saddle River, the Township changed its name to Saddle Brook.

Next week we’ll look at the Playoff finals from a Fair Lawn viewpoint. Until then, GO GUTTERS GO!!!