THE GRIDIRON 1-2015

 

By Dick Engelhardt 

It’s great to begin my 19th season as “The Voice of The CUTTERS on The Gridiron” as the CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High begin their 73rd football season. I became the announcer in 1997 after my twin brother, Bill, and I had been “spotters” for many seasons for long time popular Fair Lawn announcer, Joe Hausmann. Even then I enjoyed taking the crowd on my “Walk Down Memory Lane.” I look forward to the 2015 season with my spotter, Shawn Kerestes.

Amir Saadah, a 2000 FLHS graduate who played for Mike Alberque’s 1997-99 CUTTERS, took over in 2011 as the 11th Football coach in FLHS history. He followed Marty Fischbein 1943-44, Frank Bennett 1945-60, Ed Sheehy 1961-64, Frank Devens 1965-71, Al Reinoso 1972-74, Rich Szura 1975-77, Pete Natale 1978-87, Mike Alberque 1988-2001, Greg Tanzer 2002-06 and Stan Myles 2007-10. Their combined 1943-2014 record is 319-323-14 (.497).

Championships came in the Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) in 1945, 53 and 55 with co-championships in ’46 with the BUCCANEERS of Bogota and ’47 with the GOLDEN BEARS of Lyndhurst. My brother Bill and I were “Water Boys” on Coach Bennett’s ’55 team. Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) titles came in 1965 and 66 with a tri-championship in 1980 with the FIGHTING MUSTANGS of Clifton High and the HORNETS of Passaic Valley. Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) Division 1 championships came in 1984, 85, 87 and 89. The State playoff system began in 1974 and our CUTTERS have been in the playoffs in 1979, 80, 85, 87, 88, 89, 2000 and 2009.

Saadah has a fine coaching staff. Former Bogota Head Coach Nick DeStefano is the new offensive coordinator, Saadah continues as the defensive coordinator and Scott Leathem, who is the Lacrosse Head Coach; Anthony Tozzi and Alonso Escalante are assistant coaches, with Brendan and Brian Walis as volunteers. Ed Guy and Andy Berninger continue to coach the freshman team along with new volunteer Quintin Lopez. The names Berninger, Guy, Leathem, Saadah, Tozzi and Walis are big in FLHS Gridiron history.

This Friday at 7:00 our CUTTERS open the season at Caven Point in Jersey City against the RAMS of Dickinson High. Our heroes were scheduled to play Paramus Catholic at home on October 24th but the PALADINS will play the ASCENDERS of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida instead and Fair Lawn was able to schedule Dickinson away on September 4th of “Week 0,” the Labor Day weekend. The schedule is lopsided in favor of Away games because of that and the fact that, in 2014, the Clifton game was moved to Fair Lawn because the FIGHTING MUSTANGS’ new field turf wasn’t ready so the 2015 game is at Clifton. In 2009 in North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) crossover action our CUTTERS beat the RAMS 41-8.

Fair Lawn got ready for the season with scrimmage action at SASSO FIELD against Hasbrouck Heights, Hawthorne, Manchester, Memorial of West New York, Secaucus and Verona. It was great to see Mike Alberque and Jim Beshaw. Mike coached our CUTTERS to a 71-61-1 (.538) record 1988-2001 taking the NBIL Division 1 title in ’89 and making the playoffs in ’88, ’89 and 2000. Beshaw was a popular assistant and freshmen coach. He thinks the seniors he last coached as freshmen in ‘13 could form the nucleus of a playoff contender! Our heroes figure to get off to a good start. From here it looks like Fair Lawn 27- Dickinson 6. GO GUTTERS GO!!!