Tenafly High School honors undefeated 1967 team at Thanksgiving game
The book is titled “The Perfect Season by The Record.” It chronicles the 1967 Tenafly football team’s championship season and was donated to the school by the team’s quarterback, Rob Nelson.
Nelson’s book is filled with Record articles, photos, drawings, statistics and information about postseason awards relating to the team that won league, county and state sectional championships.
“My grandson was looking at my old scrapbook a while back,” said Nelson, who now lives in Santa Barbara, Calif.
“A lot of the old newspaper clippings were faded and he was like, “Why don’t you do something with this so someone can actually read it?’ ”
And the rest, as they say, is football history.
On Thanksgiving Day, Tenafly’s perfect team stepped out of the pages and onto the field again to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Members of the squad were honored in ceremonies preceding the 69th edition of the Tigers’ annual holiday affair with Dumont. Tenafly also honored its 1977 team, which went 9-2 and won the Bergen County Scholastic League American Division title.
Here are game-by-game highlights taken from Rob Nelson’s book as well as this writer’s observations and notes.
Tenafly 41, Pascack Hills 13 (Sept. 25)
The Tigers were coached by the late Boaz “Buzz” Firkser, who held the position from 1961-78 and was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. Firsker’s teams posted an overall record of 115-42-7 and won nine league and three state titles. The Firkser Field House was named in his honor in November 2003.
In Tenafly’s opener, the lightning-fast Nelson ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more. Halfback Kurt Blankenburg also had a big day, catching a 28-yard scoring pass and running 10 yards for another score. Interestingly, Nelson’s aunt and uncle were the late Ozzie and Harriet Nelson of old-time TV fame, meaning his first cousin was the late Ricky Nelson.
Tenafly 27, Cresskill 6 (Oct. 2)
Nelson and Don Keil split the quarterbacking duties as the Tigers cruised to an easy win. Keil contributed a 40-yard touchdown pass to Art Masarky and senior fullback and co-captain Jim Graf ran 34 yards for another score. One month later, The Record’s Augie Borgi wrote a feature article about Keil that explained how, after a terrific sophomore season, he was stricken with multiple sclerosis. Keil’s entire right side was paralyzed but he fought his way back to the team as a senior because of his “determination and love for the gridiron.” Though Nelson was the primary quarterback in 1967, Keil contributed at that position and was also one of North Jersey’s best placekickers. Keil said, “I never really thought I wouldn’t be able to play football again.”
Tenafly 20, Rutherford 6 (Oct. 9)
The Tigers’ defense was the story here as Rutherford never got past its own 39-yard line and totaled just 28 net yards in the first half. Tenafly built a 20-0 lead and The Record wrote that “Mr. Big for the Tigers in the opening quarters was junior halfback Ed Harris,” who rushed for two touchdowns. Harris went on to an amazing career as an actor and was nominated for four Academy Awards - three times for Best Supporting Actor and once for Best Actor. His most memorable role may have been his portrayal of NASA flight director Gene Kranz in the 1995 thriller “Apollo 13.” Back to the game, Tenafly made Harris’ heroics stand up with major defensive contributions from the likes of Graf, Rick Amonica, Dave Wismer, Jim McArdle and Tom Faletti.
Tenafly 14, Cliffside Park 6 (Oct. 16)
The Record started its game story by stating, “Unlike the enigmatic ending to a classic short story 'The Lady or the Tiger,' everyone knew Cliffside Park opened the wrong door Saturday when it was clawed, 14-6 by undefeated Tenafly.” Whatever that means, the Tigers jumped out to a 14-0, first-quarter lead on two Graf touchdown runs but were shut down from there. Tenafly’s defense came up huge, though, getting interceptions from 5-foot-6 senior co-captain Frank Fraga and Dave Anderson, and superb line play from the likes of Andy Mendes, Mike Hollander and Faletti.
Tenafly 48, Westwood 0 (Oct. 23)
Vinny DiTrani, who retired from the Record in 2011 after 44 years and was its longtime New York Giants beat writer, roamed the sidelines for this one. Nelson was the biggest star as he scored on runs of 44, 54 and six yards and totaled 221 yards on 11 carries. DiTrani ended his story with this wonderful post-game observation: “As Frikser got on the team bus, he yelled, “What’s better than five (wins)?” A mighty “Six” roared up from the Tigers as they started meditating on New Milford.”
Tenafly 48, New Milford 19 (Oct. 28)
Graf had a monster day, running 19 times for 223 yards and three touchdowns. The senior was also a wrecking crew at linebacker and subsequently honored by The Record as its Athlete of the Week. Charlie McGill, who started drawing for the paper in 1954 and still does, captured Graf’s image with accompanying cartoons as was the style in the day. Interestingly, Nelson’s oldest brother George won The Record’s Athlete of the Week honor as a quarterback in 1954. Back to the game, Record writer Borgi noted that the most spectacular play of the day was turned in by New Milford fullback Ed Marinaro - a 17-yard scoring run that “amazed the standing-room-only crowd.” In the years that followed, Marinaro played at Cornell and was the runner-up for the 1971 Heisman Trophy. He then played six seasons in the NFL and was a regular cast member on the acclaimed 1980s TV police drama “Hill Street Blues,” playing the role of Officer Joe Coffey.
Tenafly 39, Ridgefield Park 0 (Nov. 4)
The Tigers’ defense, nicknamed “Hoogy’s Heroes” for defensive coach Russ Hoogendoorn, scored one touchdown and set up three others. Ridgefield Park was held to one yard rushing and one first down in the first half, and five first downs on the day. Hollander had a big day with two fumble recoveries, including one in the end zone for the game’s first score. Keil threw touchdown strikes to Bill "Trip" Riseley and Frank Wunschel, and Nelson hooked up with Masarky for another score.
Tenafly 13, Fort Lee 0 (Nov. 11)
The Tigers clinched at least a share of the Bergen County Scholastic League’s American Division crown by blanking the previously once-beaten Bridgemen. Running behind a line that featured “Ironman center” Larry Shadek, who earned first-team All-Bergen honors, Blankenburg piled up 120 yards and a touchdown. The Tigers’ other score came on a run by Graf, who also earned first-team all-county honors. Tenafly didn’t complete a pass all day but it proved to be moot as Graf led a dominating defensive effort. The Tigers’ other defensive stars included Fraga and Amonica, who sealed the deal with an interception.
Tenafly 19, Dumont 0 (Nov. 23)
On Thanksgiving Day, Tenafly and Dumont played the 19th edition of their holiday classic. The Tigers cruised to victory to wrap up the BCSL American title and their first unbeaten season since 1962. There were no playoffs in those days, but Tenafly was later named Co-Bergen County champions as well as Group 2 state sectional champions. In their finale, the Tigers scored on their first two possessions and never looked back. Harris tight-roped the sideline on an 81-yard touchdown run before Blankenburg pulled up on an apparent run to the right after seeing Masarky wide open down the middle and hit him for a 40-yard scoring pass.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Tenafly High School to honor undefeated 1967 team at Thanksgiving game