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, November 22, 2014

TURKEY DAY IN FLHS HISTORY

Years Ending In 4

By Dick Engelhardt


1944 – Marty Fischbein’s brand new CUTTERS brand new CUTTERS began the Turkey Day tradition with a 19-0 victory over the TERRIERS of Holy Trinity of Westfield in 1943. Now they would begin a 40 year Annual Classic with a 27-0 loss at the hands of the MAROONS of Ridgewood. Both games were independent affairs. Our CUTTERS, under new coach Frank Bennett, would join the Bergen- Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) in 1945 and take the title in their 1st year!

1954 – Frank Bennett’s CUTTERS fell 20-6 to the MAROONS in B-PIL action. Ridgewood led the Annual Classic 7-4 (.636).

1964 – Ed Sheehy’s CUTTERS tied the MAROONS 6-6 in Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) action beginning a 19 year run at what is now SASSO FIELD. Ridgewood’s facilities were inferior then but are now better including Field Turf. The MAROONS led the Turkey Day rivalry 12-7-2 (.632).

1974 – Al Reinoso’s CUTTERS were beaten 24-15 by the MAROONS in NNJIL action. Ridgewood led the Turkey Day rivalry 20-9-2 (.690).      

1984 – Pete Natale’s CUTTERS celebrated their return to the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL), which they had left in 1959, by beating the PATRIOTS of Wayne Hills 33-6 and taking the NBIL Division title. Their championship repeated their inaugural season 1945 title in the B-PIL, which was renamed the NBIL in 1956.

1994 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS began a 15 season Turkey Day rivalry with the BEARS of Bergenfield with a 39-20 victory in NBIL Division 1 action.

2004 – Greg Tanzer’s CUTTERS edged the BEARS 19-18 in NBIL Division 1 action. Fair Lawn took the overall 1945-48 and 1962-2008 series 35-16 (.686) and the 1994-2008 Thanksgiving rivalry 11-4 (.733). State mandated realignment ended the 51 season series that remains the longest in Fair Lawn or Bergenfield football history. 
    
Fair Lawn’s 1943-2008 Thanksgiving Day games ended as more and more Thanksgiving Games were dropped because of realignment and the preference given playoff games. Our CUTTERS went 28-35-3 (.444) on Turkey Day in those 66 seasons. 

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