THE GRIDIRON 15 - 2015

 

By Dick Engelhardt

The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) instituted playoffs in 1974. Before that, sectional and group championships were awarded using power points. Now they are decided on THE GRIDIRON. Power points only come into play in making the playoffs and in seeding them and in seeding Consolation, now called Regional Crossover, Games. Legendary Fair Lawn coach Frank Bennett (1945-60) saw his 1953 Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) champion CUTTERS awarded a Group III co-championship with the COMETS of Hackensack.

Fans of the CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High had rooting interests in the Playoff finals. Let’s look at some of the games:

In North Jersey, Section 1, Group V, Fair Lawn’s Big North Conference (BNC) Liberty Division was proud as a peacock as its 6 time champion BULLDOGS of Passaic County Technical Institute shutout the MAROONS of Ridgewood 27-0. In the 2010-15 history of the BNC, the BULLDOGS have gone 6-0 against our CUTTERS. Ridgewood took the 1944-83 Thanksgiving rivalry with Fair Lawn 26-11-3 (.703) and leads the overall series 30-11-3 (.732).

In Group IV, the GOLDEN KNIGHTS of Northern Valley/Old Tappan shutout the PATRIOTS of Wayne Hills 17-0. As of this writing, NVOT is scheduled to be in the new North Jersey Super Football Conference (NJSFC) Freedom Division Blue with our CUTTERS. Fair Lawn took the 1984–2008 Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) rivalry against the GOLDEN KIGHTS 15–10 (.600). Fair Lawn and Wayne Hills went 5-5 (.500) against each other in their 1984-93 Thanksgiving rivalry but the PATRIOTS took the 1984-2008 NBIL and 2009 North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) rivalry 20-5 (.800).

In Group III, the GREEN RAIDERS of Ramapo beat the GOLDEN HAWKS of River Dell 45-15. Ramapo took the 1956-58 and 1984-2008 NBIL rivalry with Fair Lawn 17-11 (.607). Mike Alberque’s 1995 CUTTERS beat Ramapo 37-14 with freshman Chris Simms at QB for the GREEN RAIDERS! Ramapo Coach Drew Gibbs is a class act. His son, Brian, was on Fair Lawn Coach Amir Saadah’s staff in 2013. In 1958 the brand new River Dell High, with Bill Parcells lugging the pigskin, beat Fair Lawn 26-13.

In Group II, the THUNDERBIRDS of Mahwah beat the PANTHERS of Glen Rock 38-13. During 1999-2001 and 2007-2008 our CUTTERS went 4-1 (.800) over the THUNDERBIRDS in NBIL interdivisional action.

In Section 2, Group II, the BULLDOGS of Rutherford were beaten 27-6 by the DODGERS of Madison. Fair Lawn went 3-2 (.600) against Rutherford in the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) 1959-63. I once had the pleasure of announcing a Butler versus Madison playoff game in GIANTS STADIUM in which Madison had a running back named Butler. I had fun saying, “Butler carries for Madison!”

Next week we’ll wrap up THE GRIDIRON for 2015 with a look at the season and ahead to 2016. Until then, GO CUTTERS GO!!!