THIS WEEK IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY – Week 6

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 shutout the BLUE TIDE of Harrison 6-0 playing an independent schedule. They would join the Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) in 1945 under new coach Frank Bennett. The CUTTERS and the BLUE TIDE went 1-1 (.500) against each other in 1943 and 1944.  

1954 - Coach Bennett’s B-PIL CUTTERS were edged 12-6 by the Passaic Valley Conference (PVC) COLTS of Paterson Central. Central was the Turkey Day rival of the GHOSTS of Paterson Eastside and most Fair Lawn students attended Eastside before FLHS opened in 1943. During 1951-56 and 58 Fair Lawn went 5-2 (.714) over Central. In 1988 the successor KNIGHTS of Paterson Kennedy beat our CUTTERS 20-6 in the States while, in the 2003 State “Consolation Game,” our CUTTERS prevailed 20-0. During 1951-56 independently, in the playoffs in 1988, in a Consolation game in 2003, in the North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) in 2009 and in the Big North Conference (BNC)  Liberty Division 2010-13, Fair Lawn has gone to 8-6 (.571) over Central/Kennedy.

1964 - Ed Sheehy’s CUTTERS beat the SPARTANS of Paramus 14-2 in Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) action. During 1962-83 in the NNIL, the SPARTANS went 12-10 (.545) over our CUTTERS. It was a great rivalry that ended when Fair Lawn returned to the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) in 1984. It resumed in 2010-11 in Big North Conference (BNC) crossover action where the SPARTANS went 2-0 (1.000) and lead the series 14-10 (.583).  

1974 - Al Reinoso’s CUTTERS ambushed the HIGHWAYMEN of Teaneck 35-28 in NNJIL action. 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.

1984 – On their way to an NBIL Division 1 title in their first season back in the league, Pete Natale’s CUTTERS were edged 21-20 by the INDIANS of Pascack Valley in crossover action. Pascack Valley took the 1955-56, 1984-85 and 1988-2008 NBIL rivalry 14-10-1 (.583).

1994 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS were beaten 42-0 by the RAMS of Ramsey in NBIL crossover action. Fair Lawn took the 1945-58, 1984-99 and 2002-06 rivalry against the RAMS by an astounding 28 games to 7 (.800) in B-PIL and NBIL action!

2004 - Greg Tanzer’s CUTTERS were beaten 44-22 by the GOLDEN KNIGHTS of Northern Valley/Old Tappan in NBIL action. Our CUTTERS took the 1984–2008 NBIL rivalry against the GOLDEN KNIGHTS 15–10 (.600).