THIS WEEK IN FLHS GRIDIRON HISTORY – Week 5 Yrs Ending In 5

By Dick Engelhardt

Fair Lawn High School opened September 13th, 1943. This record covers years ending in 5. 

1945 – Frank Bennett’s CUTTERS went outside their Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) to play a scoreless tie against the HORNETS of Passaic Valley Regional High School of Little Falls. During 1944-46 and 1966 independently and 1967- 81 and 83 in the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) the HORNETS went 13-6-2 (.684) over our CUTTERS including a 20-0 shut out victory in the 1980 State playoff finals at GIANTS STADIUM after Fair Lawn had beaten the INDIANS of Passaic 27-18 in the first round. Fair Lawn had edged PV 7-6 in NNJIL play during the regular season. 

1955 – Bennett’s CUTTERS beat the RAMS of Ramsey 19-7 in B-PIL action on their way to the title.. The league would become the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) in ’56. 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!

1965 – Frank Devens’ CUTTERS, on their way to the NNJIL title, went outside the league to shutout the RAMS of Lodi 14-0. During 1964-66 Fair Lawn went 3-0 (1.000) over Lodi. Fair Lawn’s first football game in 1943 saw Coach Marty Fischbein’s brand new CUTTERS lose 7-6 to Lodi in JV action.

1975 – Rich Szura’s CUTTERS were edged 14-13 by the INDIANS of Wayne Valley in NNJIL action. During 1967-80 the INDIANS went 9-5 (.643) over our CUTTERS in the (NNJIL). They left the NNJIL for the Northern Hills Conference (NHC) Skyline Division in 1981 and Fair Lawn left the NNJIL to return to the NBIL in 1984. The INDIANS’ 38-0 victory in Consolation Game action in 2014 brought their record against Fair Lawn to 10-5 (.667).

1985 – Pete Natale’s CUTTERS, on their way to the NBIL Division 1 title, mauled the BEARS of Bergenfield 33-9. Fair Lawn took the 1945-48 and 1962-2008 rivalry 35-16 (.686) and the 1994-2008 Turkey Day rivalry 11-4 (.733). The teams squared off 1945-48 in the B-PIL, 1962-83 in the NNJIL and 1984-2008 in the NBIL. State realignment has ended the 51 season rivalry, which remains the longest in either school’s history.  

1995 – Mike Alberque’s CUTTERS were beaten 28-12 by the PATRIOTS of Wayne Hills in NBIL Division 1 action. The PATRIOTS took the 1984-2008 NBIL and 2009 North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) rivalry 20-5 (.800). Fair Lawn’s last victory was in 1989 when Mike Alberque’s NBIL Division 1 champion and playoff bound CUTTERS thrashed Wayne Hills 35-8.

2005 – Greg Tanzer’s CUTTERS drew a BYE.