THIS WEEK IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY – Week 1

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE

By Dick Engelhardt

Fair Lawn High School opened September 13th, 1943. This record covers years ending in 4.

1944 - Marty Fischbein’s CUTTERS began their 1st full season with a 13-7 victory over the TIGERS of Spring Valley, NY in independent action in the only game ever played between the schools.   

1954 - Frank Bennett’s CUTTERS went outside their Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) to beat the HIGHWAYMEN of Teaneck and the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) 12-7. During 1954-58 independently and 1959-82 in the NNJIL our CUTTERS went 17-11-1 (.607) over the HIGHWAYMEN. Fair Lawn’s 20-6 victory in 2009 in North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) Division 3 action put our CUTTERS up 18-11-1 (.621) in the series.

1964 - Ed Sheehy’s NNJIL CUTTERS were beaten 7-0 by the CRUSADERS of East Paterson (Now Elmwood Park) representing the Passaic Valley Conference (PVC) in independent action. During 1962-65 the tough CRUSADERS went 3-1 (.750) over our CUTTERS. The 1st Fair Lawn victory was in the last game in 1965 when our CUTTERS went 8-0-1 (1.000) and took the NNJIL title.

1974 - Al Reinoso’s CUTTERS were edged 7-6 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).

1984 - Pete Natale’s CUTTERS returned to the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) that they had left in 1959 with a 19-10 crossover victory against the COWBOYS of Pascack Hills. During 1984-86 and 1994-98 our CUTTERS went 6-2 (.750) over the COWBOYS in NBIL interdivisional action.

1994 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS shutout the NORSEMEN of Northern Valley/Demarest 12-0 in NBIL Division 1 action. Our CUTTERS took the 1956-58 and 1990- 2008 NBIL rivalry 13-9 (.591). The NORSEMEN went 2-0 in 2010 and 11 Big North Conference (BNC) crossover action and Fair Lawn leads the rivalry 13-11 (.552).    

2004 - Greg Tanzer’s CUTTERS were shutout 41-0 by the GREEN RAIDERS of Ramapo in NBIL Division 1 action. Ramapo took the 1956-58 and 1984-2008 NBIL Division 1 rivalry 17-11 (.607).