Bill Engelhardt's MUSTANGS GRIDIRON Corner

This site is currently dedicated to covering the fortunes of the South Western High School MUSTANGS football team in York County, Pennsylvania. SOUTH WESTERN MUSTANGS GRIDIRON columns will be posted for a preseason review and following each game during the season. And we will follow my Alma Mater, the CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High School in Bergen County, New Jersey, with THE GRIDIRON columns by my twin brother Dick, the stadium announcer "Voice of the CUTTERS."

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Location: Glenville, Pennsylvania, United States

Saturday, October 04, 2014

THE GRIDIRON 5-2014

By Dick Engelhardt 


The CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High were in a thriller against the GHOSTS of Paterson Eastside in Big North Conference (BNC) Liberty Division action last Thursday at Bauerle Field. The lead changed hands 3 times before the GHOSTS ran off with a 44-23 victory. Captains Dan Morganstein, Dillon Rinaldo and Deshawn Roberts went out for the coin toss and Eastside received. The GHOSTS went 3 and out thanks to heroic plays by Mike Laboy and Dan  Morganstein and a fantastic sack by Frank Ortoll and Tyler Pollack! Jake Schwartz recovered a punt at the 12 and QB Gal Harari threw a picture TD pass to Tyler Johnson. With Damien Rongo holding, the sure footed Ryan Rue kicked the extra point and Fair Lawn led 7-0. After Eastside took an 8-7 lead, a safety put Fair Lawn on top again 9-8. The GHOSTS led 22-9 at the half.

Undaunted, Fair Lawn battled back. Johnson electrified the crowd returning the kickoff for a TD and Rue’s extra point kick made it 22-16. The GHOSTS scored 3 more times but our CUTTERS gave the crowd excitement too! Roberts scampered right for a thrilling long TD run with right guard Matt Phillips and right tackle Sefa Basci blocking and Rue’s kick closed out the scoring.    

The Eastside victory puts the GHOSTS ahead 8-6 (.571) in the 1947-54, 1983 and 2010-14 rivalry. The loss brings Fair Lawn’s 1943 to the present record to 318-318-15 (.500). The last time our CUTTERS were at .500 was November 1st, 1943 when the brand new team was 1-1-1 after its first 3 varsity games. Those CUTTERS, coached by Marty Fischbein (1943-44), went 3-0 after that and posted a remarkable 4-1-1 (.800) record in Fair Lawn’s first season on THE GRIDIRON! The CUTTERS didn’t have a losing season until 1950 and finished the ‘40s at 38-15-5 (.717). 

Fair Lawn’s BNC Liberty Division went 1-0 (1.000) against outside foes. The FIGHTING MUSTANGS of Clifton High had a Bye and the defending champion BULLDOGS of Passaic County Technical Institute manhandled the previously unbeaten COMETS of Hackensack 35-7. The COMETS could do nothing against the BULLDOGS and would not have scored if it were not for a blocked punt. The Division is 3-4 (.429) against outside opposition so far this season. 

This Friday at 7:00 our CUTTERS travel to Wayne to take on those BNC Liberty Division defending champion BULLDOGS. The BULLDOGS began the rivalry with a come-from-behind 34-14 victory in 2010 on their way to the championship. In 2011, the BULLDOGS romped 49-9. They came from behind in 2012 to win 32-7. In 2013 their 60-0 shutout was the worst loss in FLHS history and brought the Passaic Tech record to 4-0 (1.000) over Fair Lawn. The BULLDOGS have won the BNC Liberty Division title every year since the league was established in 2010.

Passaic Tech comes into the game 4-0 (1.000) having outscored the opposition 157-14 for an average 39-4 win. Fair Lawn is 1-3 (.250) and has been outscored 135-59 for an average 34-15 loss. The BULLDOGS are really strong and figure to remain undefeated until they face Don Bosco and Ridgewood. I won’t predict a score for this one but I know our “never-say-die” CUTTERS will give it their all and put up a fight! Let’s all be in Wayne Friday night to support them! GO CUTTERS GO!!!

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