THE GRIDIRON 3-2015

 

By Dick Engelhardt 

Last Friday evening began at Joseph Grecco Field at Clifton School Stadium with an impressive 9/11 observance in which the names of victims from Fair Lawn and Clifton were solemnly read off. Then the CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High were beaten 21-7 by the FIGHTING MUSTANGS of Clifton High in Big North Conference (BNC) Liberty Division action. The game was at Clifton because the 2014 game was at Fair Lawn’s SASSO FIELD as Clifton’s new field turf was not ready. Captains Sefa Basci, Tarron Douglas and Mike Laboy  went out for the coin toss and our CUTTERS received. Tyler Johnson had the crowd buzzing as he ran the kickoff to the 27 but the drive ended with a punt. The FIGHTING MUSTANGS scored first on a safety and never looked back. Clifton scored twice more and picked off a pass with 36 seconds left in the half. The half ended with a brilliant goal line stand by our CUTTERS led by Tyler Pollock with Clifton up 14-0.

Johnson’s 34 yard TD run off blocks by Douglas and Matt Forte and Ryan Rue’s extra point kick with Marc Terwilliger snapping and Dominick Barbarulo holding, had Fair Lawn down only 14-7 and Fair Lawn fans cheering! With Barbarulo injured, Rue took over at QB. Bradley Ramirez bulled his way for 9 yards and Rue threw a picture pass to Gal Harari for a first down. Alas, the drive ended with a Clifton interception. Nice plays on “D” were made by Basci, Alex D’Angelo, Jonathan Fochesato, Forte, Harari, Johnson, Pollock (who also blocked a point after try), Ramirez, Rue and others. The 21-7 score almost exactly reversed my prediction of a 21-6 Fair Lawn victory.

It was nice to see my friend, “Show Band Bob,” Bob Morgan, the Clifton High School Marching Band Director 1972-2013, back for a temporary stay as a new Director is sought. In 2011, Bob graciously allowed this writer to announce “The Show Band of The Northeast” 4 times including the Fair Lawn at Clifton game in which new Coach Amir Sadaah’s CUTTERS edged the FIGHTING MUSTANGS 13-12. 

In the other BNC Liberty Division game, the defending champion Bulldogs of Passaic County Technical Institute shutout the GHOSTS of Paterson Eastside 35-0. 

This Friday night our Cutters travel to Ridgewood to take on the MAROONS for the 44^th time. During the exciting 1944-83 Thanksgiving Day rivalry the MAROONS went 26-11-3 (.703) over our CUTTERS. They broke Fair Lawn’s 22 game non losing streak in 1966 upsetting our CUTTERS 40-34 before 13,000 fans at SASSO FIELD. In BNC crossover action 2012-14, the MAROONS brought their overall record against our CUTTERS to 29-11-3 (.725). Fair Lawn is 1-1 (.500) and has outscored the opposition 45-27 for an average 23-14 victory. Ridgewood was beaten in their opener 29-7 by Marshfield High, rated #1 in Massachusetts. The MAROONS failed to score just before the half and our CUTTERS held on in a great goal line stand just before the half in our game. Our heroes figure to go all out seeking their first win over Ridgewood since the 26-14 victory in 1980 when they shared the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) title with Clifton and Passaic Valley. From here it looks like Fair Lawn 14 – Ridgewood 7. GO CUTTERS GO!!!