THE GRIDIRON 1-2014

 

By Dick Engelhardt 

It’s great to begin my 18th season as “The Voice of The CUTTERS on THE GRIDIRON” as the CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High begin their 72nd football season. I became the announcer in 1997 after my twin brother, Bill, and I had been “spotters” for some 30 seasons for long time popular Fair Lawn announcer, Joe Hausmann. Even then. I enjoyed taking the crowd on my “Walk Down Memory Lane.” I look forward to the 2014 season with my spotter, Shawn Kerestes.

Amir Saadah, a 2000 FLHS graduate who played for Mike Alberque’s 1997-99 CUTTERS, took over in 2011 as the 11th Football coach in FLHS history. He followed Marty Fischbein 1943-44, Frank Bennett 1945-60, Ed Sheehy 1961-64, Frank Devens 1965-71, Al Reinoso 1972-74, Rich Szura 1975-77, Pete Natale 1978-87, Mike Alberque 1988-2001, Greg Tanzer 2002-06 and Stan Myles 2007-10. Their combined 1943-2013 record is 317-315-14 (.502).

Championships came in the Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) in 1945, 53 and 55 with co-championships in ’46 with BUCCANEERS of Bogota and ’47 with the GOLDEN BEARS of Lyndhurst. My brother Bill and I were “Water Boys” on Coach Bennett’s ’55 team. Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) titles came in 1965 and 66 with a tri-championship in 1980 with the FIGHTING MUSTANGS of Clifton High and the HORNETS of Passaic Valley. Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) Division 1 championships came in 1984, 85, 87 and 89. The State playoff system began in 1974 and our CUTTERS have been in the playoffs in 1979, 80, 85, 88, 89, 2000 and 2009.

Saadah has a fine coaching staff. Billy Lynn is offensive coordinator, Saadah continues as the defensive coordinator and Brian Caiazzo, Scott Leathem, who is the Lacrosse Head Coach; Anthony Tozzi and Brian Walis are assistants. Ed Guy and Andy Berninger continue to coach the freshman team. The names Berninger, Guy, Leathem, Lynn, Saadah, Tozzi and Walis are big in FLHS GRIDIRON history.

The 2014 schedule is interesting. The LANCERS of Lakeland are replaced by the BRAVES of Indian Hills who will be our “Hall of Fame” game at SASSO FIELD Saturday, September 27th at 1:00. Our CUTTERS lead the 1984-97 and 2000-2008 Indian Hills rivalry 13-10 (.565). And instead of playing the PALADINS of Paramus Catholic, who will play the HONEY BADGERS of Eastern Christian Academy in Elkton, Maryland, our CUTTERS will travel 60 miles to New Canaan, Connecticut to take on the STORM of St. Luke’s High School on Saturday, October 25th at 2:00.

This Saturday at 2:30 our CUTTERS open the season at SASSO Field in Big North Conference (BNC) Liberty Division action against those FIGHTING MUSTANGS of Clifton High. The game was switched to Fair Lawn because the new field turf at Clifton School Stadium isn’t ready. Last year the Clifton game was the 1st football game on Fair Lawn’s new turf and Fair Lawn would have been the 1st to play football on the new Clifton turf. During 1972-74 independently, 1975-81 in the NNJIL and 2010-13 in the BNC Liberty Division, Clifton has gone 11-3-1 (.786) over Fair Lawn, including a State playoff victory in 1979 after Pete Natale’s CUTTERS had upset the FIGHTING MUSTANGS 21-0 during the season. Coach Sadaah’s 2011 Cutters edged Clifton 13-12. Fair Lawn got ready for the season with scrimmage action at Sasso Field against Hawthorne, Manchester and Plainfield and at Fort Lee and Secaucus. I look forward to seeing our heroes get off to a good start. From here it looks like Fair Lawn 14- Clifton 7. GO GUTTERS GO!!!