THE GRIDIRON 2-2015

 

By Dick Engelhardt 

Looking spiffy in their new dark Gray helmets, the CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High opened their 73rd football season in style beating the RAMS of Dickinson High of Jersey City 38-6 at the Caven Point Stadium where Fair Lawn had gone 1-1 (.500) in Consolation Game action against Ferris and Lincoln in 1998-99. Captains Gal Harari, Sefa Basci and Mike Laboy went out for the coin toss and Fair Lawn received. Behind Center Aaron Gutierrez, guards Matt Forte and Laboy, and tackles Basci and Douglas Tarron, running backs Tyler Pollock, Alex D’Angelo, Bradley Ramirez and Tyler Johnson would pick up 383 yards! Finishing a drive that burned up 7 minutes, Johnson ran 5 yards for a TD. With Marc Terwilliger snapping and Dominic Barbarulo holding, Ryan Rue kicked the extra point and our heroes led 7-0 and never looked back. Barbarulo turned in a fine performance at QB too! Pollock’s 4 yard TD run put Fair Lawn up 13-0. Ramirez’ TD run had our CUTTERS ahead 19-0 at the half, which ended with Johnson intercepting a pass.

Early in the second half, Ramirez rambled to the 20 and Pollock carried to the 5. Pollock’s TD run and Rue’s kick put Fair Lawn up 26-0. Johnson electrified the crowd with a 65 yard TD run behind Tarron’s blocking and Fair Lawn led 32-0. Johnson raced 60 yards for a TD to close out Fair Lawn’s scoring at 38. The RAMS scored a meaningless TD with 1:27 on the clock. Nice plays on “D were made by Basci, D’Angelo, Jonathan Fochesato, Harari, Johnson, Laboy, Pollock, Ramirez, Damian Rongo, Terwilliger and others. Fair Lawn is 2-0 over Dickinson having beaten the RAMS 41-8 in 2009.    

In the only other game involving Fair Lawn’s Big North Conference (BNC) Liberty Division, the GHOSTS of Paterson Eastside beat the MOUNTAINEERS of West Orange 21-14. On Saturday I sat with former Fair Lawn Assistant Coach Doug Lemberg watching the INDIANS of Pascack Valley, coached by former Fair Lawn Assistant Coach Craig Nielsen; edge the COMETS of Hackensack 34-29.   

The Officiating Crew Chief and Line Judge last week was Jim Livingstone, the nephew of original “Cutter” Al Livingstone, who, before the 3rd JV tune-up game leading up to the brand new Fair Lawn High football team starting varsity action in 1943, joined ringleader Jack Van Olden along with Tony DiNegri, Art Jaeggi, Jack Knowles and Bill Perkins in cutting class and going to the Rivoli Theater in Paterson to see a double feature, “Holy Matrimony” and “The 7th Victim.” The miscreants were caught and Coach Marty Fischbein held them out of the game. With the Lions up 12-0, he put our heroes in for the 2nd half and Fair Lawn roared back to win 13-12. Livingstone, who passed away, in 2008, took a pass from Van Olden, who passed away in 1992, and ran it 43 yards for a TD. In the 4th quarter, he ran 20 yards for a TD and plunged for the extra point. The student body, having chosen Crimson and Gray as the school colors, said “The Cutters won the game!” They insisted that the athletic teams be known as “The CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High.” And so it still is! The “original” 1943 CUTTERS were inducted into the Fair Lawn High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009 along with this writer. Van Olden had been inducted individually in 2007.  

This Friday night our CUTTERS travel to Clifton Stadium to take on the FIGHTING MUSTANGS for the 17th time. Clifton joined the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) in 1972 but a contract to play the INDIANS of Passaic, still members of the old Passaic Valley Conference (PVC), prevented the FIGHTING MUSTANGS from playing a full league schedule. They ripped through the league undefeated during 1972-74 and, in 1975, when they were eligible to win the title; the HORNETS of Passaic Valley upset them! In independent action 1972-74, in the NNJIL 1975-81, and since 2010 in the Big North Conference (BNC) Liberty Division, Clifton has gone 11-4-1 (688) over Fair Lawn, including a 30-0 shutout State playoff victory in 1979 after our CUTTERS had shut them out 21-0 during the season. Last year’s CUTTERS shut Clifton out 22-0 on opening day. That game was at Fair Lawn because Clifton’s new field turf was not ready so the ’15 game is away. It’s Clifton’s opener and I see our CUTTERS spoiling the party. From here it looks like Fair Lawn 21 – Clifton 6. GO CUTTERS GO!!!