FAIR LAWN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RECORD 1943 – PRESENT

 

By Dick Engelhardt 

Leagues:  B-PIL Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League, 1945 - 55

NBIL The B-PIL was renamed in 1956 as the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League, 1956 – 1958 and 1984 - 2008

                 NNJIL Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League, 1959 – 83

                 North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) 2009           

                 Big North Conference (BNC) Liberty Division 2010-             

             

The 1940s

1943               4 - 1 - 1 (.800) Independent Schedule                                                

1944                5 - 3 - 1 (.625) Independent Schedule                                                            

1945                4 - 3 - 2 (.571) B-PIL Champs!

1946               6 - 3       (.667) B-PIL Co - Champs with Bogota

1947               8 - 1       (.889) B-PIL Co – Champs with Lyndhurst

1948               4 - 3 - 1 (.571)

1949               7 - 1       (.875)                                                                 PF                   PA      

TOTALS:       38-15-5 (.717)                                                                  843                 458

A great start for the new “CUTTERS Of Fair Lawn High” under coaches Marty Fischbein 1943 – 44 and Frank Bennett starting in 1945. Bennett’s CUTTERS joined the B-PIL his first year and won championships in 1945, 46 and 47.

The 1950s

1950                1 - 7       (.125)

1951                3 - 5       (.375)

1952                6 - 2 – 1 (.750)

1953                7 - 1        (.875) B-PIL Champs & Co-State Group III Champs with

                                                       Hackensack

1954                2 - 6       (.250)

1955                7 - 1        (.875) B-PIL Champs

1956                5 - 3        (.625)

1957                3 - 3 - 1  (.500)

1958                2 - 5 - 1  (.286)

1959                6 - 2        (.750)                                                           PF                   PA      

TOTALS:       42-35-3  (.545)                                                            1,358               1,174

1943-59:          80-50-8  (.625)                                                           2,201               1,632

The 1950s saw Bennett’s CUTTERS take 2 more B-PIL titles just missing in 1952. The

League changed its name in ’56 when Hawthorne, the only Passaic County school,

dropped out. Fair Lawn and Ridgewood moved up to the NNJIL in 1959 and the

CUTTERS nearly took the title finishing a half game behind Hackensack though the

CUTTERS had beaten the COMETS 27-6.

The 1960s

1960                0-9       (.000)

1961                3-5       (.375)

1962                5-4       (.556)

1963                5-4       (.556)

1964                6-2-1   (.750)

1965                8-0-1   (1.000) NNJIL Champs

1966                8-1       (.889)   NNJIL Champs

1967                3-6       (.333)

1968                5-4       (.556)

1969                6-3       (.667)                                                              PF                   PA      

TOTALS:      49-38-2 (.563)                                                              1,476               1,188

1943-69:    129-88-10 (.594)                                                              3,677               2,820

Wow, what a decade! Legendary Coach Frank Bennett retired from coaching after the

1960 season, Fair Lawn’s first ever-winless season. His 16 years at the helm were the

longest of any coach. Mike Albergue’s 1988-2001 tenure was next longest followed

by Pete Natale’s 1978-87 reign. Coach Ed Sheehy was diagnosed with Cancer after the

1964 season and died before the 1965 season. After losing their first two games in ’64,

Sheehy’s CUTTERS began the wonderful 24 game non-losing streak that ended with

that shocking 40 – 34 upset by the MAROONS of Ridgewood on Thanksgiving Day of

1966 before some 13,000 fans at what is now SASSO FIELD. Coach Frank Devens led

our CUTTERS to NNJIL championships in 1965 and 1966. His 1965 team remains the

only undefeated team in FLHS history.

The 1970s

                        1970                3-6       (.333)

                        1971                6-3       (.667)

                        1972                3-5-1   (.375)

                        1973                2-7       (.222)

                        1974                2-6-1   (.250)

                        1975                4-5       (.444)

                        1976                0-9       (.000)

                        1977                2-7       (.222)

                        1978                6-3       (.667)

                        1979                7-2-1   (.778) Made The State Playoffs; lost to Clifton 30 – 0                    

                        TOTALS:      35-53-3 (.398)                                                  PF 1,233         PA 1,643

                        1943-79        164-141-13 (.538)                                             PF 4,910         PA 4,463

                        Not a good decade but 1978 did bring Pete Natale as head coach and athletic director after Al Reinoso (1972-74) and Rich Szura (1975-77) couldn’t make our CUTTERS winners. The ‘70s finished strong leading into the successful 80s.

The 1980s

                        1980                9-2       (.818) NNJIL Tri-Champs with Clifton and Passaic Valley

                                                                        and Beat Passaic in States at GIANTS STADIUM

                                                                        before losing 20- 0 to Passaic Valley in finals.

                        1981                2-7       (.222)

                        1982                0-9       (.000)

                        1983                2-7       (.222)

                        1984                7-2       (.778) Returned to NBIL & won Division 1 title

                        1985                9-1       (.900) Took NBIL Division 1 title & lost 36-26 to

                                                                        Passaic in States.

                        1986                7-2       (.778)

                        1987                9-1       (.900) Took NBIL Division 1 title & lost 12-6 to

                                                                        Bayonne in States.

                        1988                6-4       (.600)  Lost 20-6 to JFK of Paterson in States.

                        1989                8-3       (.727) Took NBIL Division 1 title & lost 19-14

                                                                        to Hoboken in States after beating North Bergen 14-7.            

                        TOTALS:     59-38     (.608)                                                  PF 1,607         PA 1,306

                        1943-89:  223-179-13 (.555)                                                  PF 6,517         PA 5,769

                        The 1980s were a great decade. 1980 saw our CUTTERS win 9 games for the first

                        time ever. They were Tri-NNJIL Champs with Clifton and Passaic Valley and, in

                        one of the most exciting games in FLHS history they trailed the INDIANS of

                        Passaic 7-0, 12-0, 12-7 and 18-7 before roaring back to win 27-18 in the States at

GIANTS STADIUM. 1984 saw a return to the NBIL, which Fair Lawn had left in

1959 and our CUTTERS took the Division 1 title in 1984, 85, 87 and 89 and made the State

playoffs in 1980, 85, 87 and 89.

The 1990s

1990                4-5       (.444)

1991                4-4-1   (.500)

1992                2-7       (.222)

1993                1-8       (.111)             

1994                5-4       (.556)

1995                7-2       (.778)

1996                6-3       (.667)

1967                5-4       (.556)

1998                4-6       (.400)

1999                5-5       (.500)                                                                                                 

TOTALS:   43-48-1    (.473)                                                  PF 1,446         PA 1,428

1943-99: 266-227-14  (.540)                                                  PF 8,240         PA 7,331

The 1990s were not a great decade for our CUTTERS. 1994-96 were their only winning seasons and the ’95 CUTTERS beat Ramapo and the GREEN RAIDERS’ freshman QB

Chris Simms (son of Phil, the great GIANTS QB). The CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High would finish out the 20^th century with an overall winning record!

The 2000s

2000                7-3       (.700) Made States losing great 14-6 battle with Hackensack!

2001                7-3       (.700)

2002                4-6       (.400)

2003                5-5       (.500)

2004                2-8       (.200)                                                                                     

2005                2-8       (.200)

2006                1-9       (.100)

2007                4-6       (.400)                                                                         

2008                6-4       (.600)

2009                7-4       (.636) Made states beating Passaic 39-38 & losing to Roxbury 42-7

TOTALS:      48-63    (.446)                                                   PF    1,960      PA 2,327

1943-2009:  311-283-14         (.524)                                       PF    10,200    PA 9,658

The 2010s

2010                3-7       (.300)                                                              149                  281

2011                1-8       (.111)                                                                72                  345

2012                2-8       (.200)                                                              128                  302

2013                0-9       (.000)                                                                80                  347     

TOTALS        6-32     (.158)                                                    PF       429       PA   1,275

1943-2013       317-315-14     (.502)                                       PF  10,629       PA 10,933

FAIR LAWN HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL 2013

 

By Dick Engelhardt 

Head Coach: Amir Sadaah

Assistant Coaches: Offensive Coordinator Billy Lynn, Defensive Coordinator Amir Sadaah, Brian Gibbs (Son of Ramapo Coach Drew Gibbs), Dan Iozzia, Doug Lemberg and Brian Walis.

Freshman Coaches: Ed Guy and Andy Berninger 

Thurs. 9/12     AWAY   Fair Lawn                3                        Hackensack                44

Sat. 9/21          HOME   Fair Lawn               0                        Clifton*                      19

Sat. 9/28          HOME   Fair Lawn             29                        JFK Paterson              32

Fri. 10/4          AWAY   Fair Lawn              14                        Passaic                       34        

Sat. 10/12                       BYE

Sat. 10/19        HOME   Fair Lawn               0                        Passaic Tech*            60

Fri. 10/25        AWAY   Fair Lawn                6                        Ridgewood                53

Fri. 11/1          AWAY   Fair Lawn                0                        Lakeland                    49

Sat. 11/9          HOME   Fair Lawn             21                        Paterson Eastside*     43

Sat. 11/16        AWAY   Fair Lawn                7                        Montville**               13

                                                                    80                                                          347           

*Big North Conference (BNC) Liberty Division Game

** State Consolation Game (Montville) 

BNC Liberty Division Record:                      0-3 (.000)

BNC Crossover Record:                                0-5 (.000)

Independent Record:                                      0-1 (.000) Consolation Game

Overall Record:                                              0-9 (.000)

Hoping for a good 71st season, our CUTTERS played hard but suffered only the 4th winless season in FLHS Gridiron history. The others were in 1960, the 16th and last season for legendary Coach Frank Bennett; 1976 under Coach Rich Szura and 1982 under highly successful coach Pete Natale. The IRONMEN of Don Bosco let Fair Lawn off the hook playing the KNIGHTS of Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington D.C. instead. Our CUTTERS were unable to find another foe and had a bye that week. No public school should be scheduled against the parochial behemoths unless it wants to.

  

In State Consolation action, our “never-say-die” CUTTERS nearly beat the MUSTANGS of Montville, losing 13-7 closing out the season. Fair Lawn is 8-6 (.571) in Consolation Game action since these games began in 1998. The season brought Fair Lawn’s 1943-2013 record to 317-315-14 (.502). The losing season was the 29th in FLHS Gridiron history!

Our heroes received their share of recognition. 1st Team All-BNC Liberty Division Offense honors went to Thomas Koike (TE) and Mike Nieman (OL). 1st Team Defense honors went to Ari Moslavi (P), Zach Parisi (LB) and Justin Williams (DL). 2nd Team Offense honors went to

Richard Marchese (OL) and Frankie Ortoll (RB). 2nd Team Defense honor was given to Anthony Messina (DL). Honorable Mention was given to Jacob Baron and Marc Terwilliger. Honorable Mention All County went to Koike, Moslavi, Nieman, Parisi and Williams.  

 

The Eastside game, the last regularly scheduled home game, was poignant as seniors soon to end their participation in the football program were honored and introduced with their escorts. We said goodbye and wished the best to: Kevin Arias, Baron, Carlos Carlone, Chris Connelly, Anthony Elia, Rocco Faustina, Matt Katz, Koike, Marchese, Justin Mata, Milnes, Moslavi, Anthony Nesmith, Nieman, Parisi, Nick Perez, David Rodriguez, Chris Silver, Matt Spinato and Williams.

With players coming back and freshmen moving up, our CUTTERS could be strong in 2014.