THIS WEEK IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY – 2013 Week 8

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE

By Dick Engelhardt

Fair Lawn High School opened September 13th, 1943. This history covers the years ending in “3.”

1943 – Marty Fischbein’s CUTTERS edged the CARDINALS of Westwood 7-6. During 1943-44 independently and 1984-85 in Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) interdivisional action, our CUTTERS went 3-1 (.750) against the CARDINALS.

1953 – Frank Bennett’s Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) and co-State champion CUTTERS beat the BUCCANEERS of Bogota 21-0 in league 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).  

1963 – Ed Sheehy’s CUTTERS shutout the MAROON RAIDERS of Englewood 38-0 in Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) action. In independent action 1945-46, 1957-58 and 1986-89 and in the NNJIL 1959-71, our CUTTERS went 14-7 (.667) over the MAROON RAIDERS of Dwight Morrow High in Englewood.

1973 – Al Reinoso’s CUTTERS were beaten 16-8 by the COMETS of Hackensack in NNJIL action. 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 4-0 Hackensack lead in Big North Conference (BNC) crossover action in 2010 – 13 has the COMETS’ record against our CUTTERS 21-7-1 (.750).

1983 – Pete Natale’s CUTTERS were shutout 21-0 by the PALADINS of Paramus Catholic in NNJIL action. Coach Steve Gerdy, the old retired Passaic Valley coach, now at Paramus Catholic, used the ancient Single Wing formation! In 1982 and 83 the PALADINS went 2-0 (1.000) over our CUTTERS in the NNJIL.

 1993 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS were beaten 21-14 by the HIGHLANDERS of Northern Highlands in NBIL action. Fair Lawn took the 1986-93 and 1998–2008 NBIL rivalry against the HIGHLANDERS 10-9 (.526). 

2003 – Greg Tanzer’s CUTTERS beat the INDIANS of Pascack Valley 21-14 in NBIL action.  Pascack Valley took the 1955-56, 1984-85 and 1988-2008 NBIL rivalry 14-10-1 (.583).