THE GRIDIRON 1 - 2017
By Dick Engelhardt
It’s great to begin my 21st season as “The Voice of The Cutters on The Gridiron” as the CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High begin their 75th 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 2017 season. Bill passed away July 21st. 2016.
Last season, Robert Gentile took over the reigns as the 12th 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, Stan Myles 2007-10 and Amir Saadah 2011-15. Their combined 1943-2016 record is 329-333-14 (.497).
Championships came in the Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) in 1945, 53 and 55 with co-championships in ’46 with the BUCCCANEERS of Bogota and ’47 with the GOLDEN BEARS of Lyndhurst. My brother 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, 2009 and 2016.
Fair Lawn enters its second season in the North Jersey Super Football Conference (NJSFC) Freedom Division Blue. Our Group IV CUTTERS join Group IV Northern Highlands, Northern Valley/Old Tappan and Teaneck and Group III Indian Hills. The Division race starts September 23rd at SASSO FIELD against Teaneck. Crossover games are scheduled with Dickinson of Jersey City, Eastside, Kearny, Memorial of West New York andPassaic. Fair Lawn entered the B-PIL in 1945 with a victory over those GOLDEN BEARS of Lyndhurst, the NNJIL in 1959 with a victory over the HIGHWAYMEN of Teaneck, the NBIL Division 1 in 1984 with a victory over the GREEN RAIDERS of Ramapo, the North Jersey Tri-County Conference (NJTCC) Division 3 in 2009 with a victory over those Teaneck HIGHWAYMEN, the Big North Conference (BNC) Liberty Division in 2010 with a victory over the INDIANS of Passaic and the NJSFC Blue Division last year with the win over Teaneck. The CUTTERS have never lost their first game in a new league!
Fresh from scrimmage action against Hudson Catholic, JFK and Orange at JFK (Quad) and a full game scrimmage against the tough MAROON RAIDERS of Nutley at SASSO FIELD, our CUTTERS are looking forward to a good season. This Friday at 7:00, they open at BOVERINI STADIUM in Passaic against the INDIANS. During 1980, 85 and 2009 in playoff action and 2010-16 in regular season action our CUTTERS have gone 7-3 (700) against Passaic including last year’s 26-19 Fair Lawn victory. Last week the INDIANS smashed the lowly KNIGHTS of Bergen Tech 58-8. Our CUTTERS hope to cut them down to size. From here it looks like Fair Lawn 21- Passaic 6. GO CUTTERS GO!!!