THE GRIDIRON: TURKEY DAY IN FLHS HISTORY

 

By Dick Engelhardt

1943 – Marty Fischbein’s brand new CUTTERS shutout the TERRIERS of Holy Trinity High of Westfield 19-0. The Annual Classic with the MAROONS of Ridgewood began in 1944.

1953 – Frank Bennett’s CUTTERS beat the MAROONS of Ridgewood 26-6 taking the Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) title. The team featured running back Dave Sime who became “The World’s Fastest Human,” and shared the North Jersey, Section 1, Group III title with the COMETS of Hackensack! Ridgewood led the Annual Classic 6-4 (.600).

1963 – Ed Sheehy’s CUTTERS, playing right after the November 22^nd assassination of President John F. Kennedy, beat Ridgewood 19-13 in Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) action. Ridgewood led the Annual Classic 12-7-1 (.632).

1973 – Al Reinoso’s CUTTERS were beaten 26-18 by the MAROONS in NNJIL action. Ridgewood led the series 19-9-2 (.679).

1983 – Pete Natale’s CUTTERS were beaten 20-7 by the MAROONS in the first game played at Ridgewood since 1963. The 1964-82 games were all at what is now SASSO FIELD. It turned out to be the last in the Annual Classic and Fair Lawn’s last game in the NNJIL as, in 1984, our CUTTERS returned to the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL), which Fair Lawn and Ridgewood had left in 1959. Ridgewood took the 1944-83 Turkey Day rivalry 26-11-3 (.703). 

1993 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS were thrashed 55-14 by the PATRIOTS of Wayne Hills in NBIL Division 1 action. The 1984-93 Thanksgiving rivalry would up 5-5 (.500) but Wayne Hills took the overall 1984-2009 rivalry 20-5 (.800). Fair Lawn’s last victory was 35-8 in 1989.   

2003 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS beat the BEARS of Bergenfield 42-27 in NBIL Division 1 action. Fair Lawn took the overall 1945-48 and 1962-2008 series 35-16 (.686) and the 1994-2008 Thanksgiving rivalry 11-4 (.733). State mandated realignment ended the 51 season rivalry that remains the longest in Fair Lawn or Bergenfield football history.      

Fair Lawn’s 1943-2008 Thanksgiving Day games ended as more and more Turkey Day Games were dropped because of realignment and the State preference given playoff games. Our CUTTERS went 28-35-3 (.444) in those 66 seasons going 1-0 (1.00) against Holy Trinity in 1943, 11-26-3 (.297) against Ridgewood 1944-83, 5-5 (.500) against Wayne Hills 1984-93 and 11-4 (.733) against Bergenfield 1994-2008.