THIS WEEK IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY – Week 2

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 were beaten 13-7 by the LAKERS of Mountain Lakes. Fair Lawn went 1-1 (.500 against the LAKERS 1943 and 1944. The Mountain Lakes football team is now called THE HERD because of its huge Group I turnout. 

1954 - Frank Bennett’s CUTTERS beat the BEARS of Hawthorne 12-7 in Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) action. Independently in 1944 and in the B-PIL 1945-55, our CUTTERS went 9-3 (.750) over the BEARS. When Hawthorne, then the only Passaic County school in the league, left in ’56, the B-PIL was renamed the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL).

1964 - Ed Sheehy’s CUTTERS were shutout 16-0 by the COMETS of Hackensack in Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (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).

1974 - Al Reinoso’s CUTTERS were stung 21-13 by the HORNETS of Passaic Valley in NNJIL action. During 1944-46 and 1966 independently and 1967- 81 and 83 in the NNJIL the HORNETS went 13-6-2 (.684) over our CUTTERS including a 20-0 shut out victory in the 1980 State playoff finals at GIANTS STADIUM after Fair Lawn had beaten the INDIANS of Passaic 27-18 in the first round. Fair Lawn had edged PV 7-6 in NNJIL play during the season.

1984 - Pete Natale’s CUTTERS returned to the NBIL that they had left in 1959 with a 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 were edged 13-12 by the BRAVES of Indian Hills in NBIL crossover action. Our CUTTERS took the 1984-97 and 2000-2008 rivalry against the BRAVES 13-10 (.565). It will be renewed September 27^th as Fair Lawn celebrates Hall of Fame Day at SASSO FIELD.

2004 - Greg Tanzer’s CUTTERS were beaten 49-8 by the PATRIOTS of Wayne Hills in NBIL Division 1 action. The PATRIOTS took the 1984-2008 NBIL and 2009 North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) rivalry 20-5 (.800). Fair Lawn’s last victory was in 1989 when Mike Alberque’s NBIL Division 1 champion and playoff bound CUTTERS thrashed Wayne Hills 35-8.