Fall 2004 Edition          

Gridiron:  Fair Lawn High School Football   By Dick Engelhardt   In this edition: 2004 Football Preview 2004 Schedule Who Is Dick Engelhardt? Looking Back At The 2003 Season        2004 Football Preview   It’s great to be on THE GRIDIRON again as The CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High begin their 62nd season with a record of 289-244-14 (.542). It all started September 13th, 1943 when FLHS opened without seniors, who stayed at Paterson Eastside, Hawthorne and Ridgewood to graduate in 1944. Coach Marty Fischbein led the CUTTERS to a fine 9-4-2 (.682) record in independent action 1943 – 44. Some called the new team the COMETS because they scored quickly in their first game (A 7-6 loss to the RAMS of Lodi), and others called them the CLIPPERS. Then, before the Leonia game, team captain Jack Van Olden led Tony DiNegri, Art Jaeggi, Jack Knowles, Al Livingston and Bill Perkins on a sneak trip to the Rivoli Theater in Paterson during school hours. The miscreants were caught and Coach Fischbein kept those “cutters” out of the game. With the LIONS up 12-0 he put our heroes in and Fair Lawn roared back to win 13-12. The student body, having chosen Crimson and Gray as the school colors, now insisted the athletic teams be known as “The CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High.” And so it still is 61 glorious years later!   In 2002, Greg Tanzer, a 1976 FLHS grad, became the 9th head coach. He had been defensive coordinator the previous 2 years and was also an assistant under coach Pete Natale 1983 – 85.  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) and Mike Alberque (1988 – 2001). Alberque is now the athletic director. Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League (B-PIL) championships came under Bennett in 1945, 1946 (with the BUCCANEERS of Bogota), 1947 (with the GOLDEN BEARS of Lyndhurst), 1953 and 1955. Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) championships came in 1965 and 1966 under Devens and 1980 (with Clifton and Passaic Valley) under Natale. In 1984 Fair Lawn returned to the Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (the B-PIL had been renamed the NBIL in 1956), which our CUTTERS had left in 1959, and Natale’s CUTTERS took the Division 1 title in 1984, 1985 and 1987. Albergue’s 1989 CUTTERS took the NBIL Division 1 title too. The football playoffs began in 1974 and Fair Lawn was in them under Natale in 1979, 1980, 1985 and 1987. Alberque got the CUTTERS into the States in 1988, 1989 and 2000.   Our CUTTERS, led by QB Greg Kubasta, figure to be strong. They open the ’04 season September 11th at 1:30 at SASSO FIELD against Ramapo in a key NBIL Division 1 game. The GREEN RAIDERS lead the 1956 – 58 and 1984 – present rivalry 13 – 10 (.565) and have won the last 8 games. Fair Lawn’s last victory was 37 –14 in 1995 when Ramapo’s QB, Chris Simms (Son of Phil) was a freshman. It should be an exciting season. We’ll wrap it up in December. Til then, GO CUTTERS GO!!!       2004 Schedule   Saturday Sept. 11. 1:30 pm.  Ramapo Saturday Sept 18.  1:30 pm.  Wayne Hills Thursday Sept 23.  7:00 pm at Northern Valley Demarest Saturday Oct 2.  1:30 pm at Northern Highlands Saturday Oct 16. 1:30 pm at Northern Valley / Old Tappan Saturday Oct 23. 2:00 pm.  Ramsey Saturday Oct 30.  1:30 pm.  Pasack Valley Saturday Nov 6. 7:00 pm at Indian Hills Saturday Nov 13. First round state playoffs or consolation game Thurs Nov 25.  10:30 am at Bergenfield   Home games are played at Sasso Field on Cadmus Place, named after Virgil G. Sasso, beloved FLHS Athletic Director 1944 - 1978.       Who Is Dick Engelhardt?   If you go to a Fair Lawn High School football game, you can meet Dick Engelhardt in the announcer's booth.  He gives a lot of history over the loudspeakers including a Walk Down Memory Lane and a look at Fair Lawn's rivalry with their opponent.   "If you want to know something about Fair Lawn sports history, he's the guy", according to Elizabeth Panella, the high school principal.  Dick Engelhardt has been going to games since he was a seventh grade student at Fair Lawn High School in 1951.  Back then, before the new Thomas Jefferson Junior High (now "Middle School") opened in 1953, grades 7 and 8 were in the high school building. Memorial opened in 1956."   In 1955, when legendary coach Frank Bennett's Cutters took the Bergen-Passaic Interscholastic League title, Dick and his twin brother, Bill, were "waterboys."  For years, Dick also wrote a regular football column and ‘spotted’ the announcer (a spotter uses his binoculars to figure out who made the tackle). As the team’s announcer since 1997, he says “I love it.  And the best part is my son Richard now spots for me.”   “The Cutters are as good as any team around”, he says. “They have a rich football history, but many people don’t realize it. “       Looking Back At The 2003 Season   By Dick Engelhardt   The CUTTERS of Fair Lawn High closed out their 2003 season at 5 – 5 (.500) with a thrilling come-from-behind 42 - 27 win over the BEARS of Bergenfield on Thanksgiving Day in Northern Bergen Interscholastic League (NBIL) Division 1 action. QB Greg Kubasta threw to wide receiver Pat Lehman for big gains and Mike Colabelli ran 3 yards for a TD to put Fair Lawn ahead 6 – 0. The BEARS came right back to take a 7 – 6 lead and scored again to go up 14 – 6. Kyle Williams picked up yardage and Kubasta threw to Lehman for a 1st down at the 19 and to speedy Joe DiVita for a TD. Kubasta’s 2-point conversion pass to Lehman tied it at 14. With 42 seconds left in the half, Kubasta threw to DiVita who raced 34 yards for a TD. With Kubasta holding, Luke Frey kicked the point after to put our CUTTERS up 21 – 14.   Bergenfield closed to 21 – 20 but Steve Knapp ran the ball into Bergenfield territory and Kubasta threw to Vinnie Graff for a 24-yard TD. Frey’s kick made it 28 – 20. Kubasta’s 31-yard TD pass to Graff and Frey’s kick made it 35 - 20 but Bergenfield scored again closing to 35 – 27. Colabelli’s 12-yard TD gallop and Frey’s kick sealed the impressive victory. The “O” line with Brett Herman at center, Joe Brand and Marc Quintavalle at guard and Kris Denboske and Juan Parada at tackle, deserve a lot of credit for both the running and passing success!             In the other NBIL Division 1 game the NORSEMEN of Northern Valley/Demarest beat the GOLDEN KNIGHTS of NV/Old Tappan 28 – 21. In Division 2 the THUNDERBIRDS of Mahwah dumped the RAMS of Ramsey 27 – 3 and the INDIANS of Pascack Valley beat the HIGHLANDERS of Northern Highlands 21 – 7. In an NBIL interdivisional shocker the Division 2 champion BRAVES of Indian Hills upset the Division 1 champion GREEN RAIDERS of Ramapo 16 – 14 on a last minute field goal. The BRAVES, who lost a Group II playoff game 21 - 7 to Lenape Valley, have now beaten Group III powers Wayne Hills (21 – 7), NV/Demarest (12 – 7) and Ramapo (16 – 14)! Fair Lawn’s NBIL Division 1 wound up the season 15 – 8 (.652) over Division 1.   Our 2003 CUTTERS earned honors in the NBIL. Brand made First Team All-NBIL Division 1 Offense at guard and Colabelli and Dan Requena made First Team Defense at defensive back. Herman made Second Team All-NBIL Division 1 Offense at center and Graff and Lehman made Second Team Offense at wide receiver. Denboske made All-NBIL Division 1 Second Team Defense at defensive line and Jason Vacca made Second Team Defense at linebacker.        With great pride and appreciation, we watched the graduating seniors and their escorts march out onto Sasso Field to be recognized at their last game for FLHS. We’ll miss Brand, Colabelli, Denboske, DiVita, Herman, Knapp, Requena and Vacca and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors. Our CUTTERS figure to be strong next year too. I can hardly wait. Til then, GO CUTTERS GO!!!