"The Year of the Panthers"

Originally printed in the 1986 CFD Parade & Tournament Journal - Written by: Ex-Chief Wally Kaelin

Nineteen Hundred Eighty-five was the year of the Panther. The Cutchogue Fire Department drill team Panthers. Nineteen eighty-five was the most successful ever for the Cutchogue drill team.

After winning the North Fork Championship for the third time, the panthers set their sights on the Suffolk County fireman's old fashioned championship. They practiced faithfully and took part in other tournaments to sharpen their skill, winning many trophies along the way.

Then when the big day arrived, The Suffolk County Tournament was held in Patchogue on July 13th with fifteen teams competing in the old fashioned events. Cutchogue was one of the smallest fire departments participating. Captain Larry Behr had his team ready.

The first event was the three man ladder contest. Joe Henry, Larry Behr, and Bill Lademann scaled the ladder in 7.7 second, good enough for fourth place and two points.

The Cart and Ladder contest was next. Cutchogue had taken first place in this event in the previous County Tournament and was hoping to repeat. The entire team took part, pulling the cart and raising the ladder. Captain Larry Behr scooted up the ladder and held the top rung. The time was 7.93 seconds, the fastest time the Panthers had ever achieved in this contest. They won the event for the second year in a row and took the lead in the tournament with seven points.

The entire team again participated in the Cart and Hose event with Joe Zuhoski Jr. at the Hydrant, Joe Henry the breaker and Bill Lademann at the nozzle. The time was 18.39 seconds, not good enough to earn any points. Cutchogue still led with seven points.

With Joe Zuhoski again at the hydrant and Bill Lademann at the nozzle, the team took second place and four points in the Cart Hose Replacement contest. The time was 21.09 seconds. Total points were eleven.

The next event was the efficiency contest with George Schneider as the gateman, Tom Martin and Tom Shalvey Jr. as couplers and Joe and Bill at the Hydrant and Nozzle. Their time was 9.99 seconds and enabled the team to earn fourth place and add two more points.

The final event was the famed bucket brigade. Cutchogue had to place at least fourth to win the coveted point trophy. They responded with the fastest time in their long history – 26.91 seconds. It was second place and four more points for a total of seventeen. The Panthers were the Suffolk County Champions for the First Time! The second place team was the Melville F.D. with fourteen points. Cutchogue had led all the way after the second contest. They had an accumulated time of only 93.1 seconds on the track for the six contests.

The Panthers, and the Patchogue F.D., the winner of the motorized events, proudly drove the length of the track in view of the grandstand and other teams to be presented with the first place trophy - the symbol of the championship.

The triumphant ride home in the pride and joy of the Cutchogue Fire Departments, the antique fire truck – 8-5-2a was a memorable ride. The Panthers were met in Mattituck by Cutchogue Fire Chief Bob Fisher and his assistants, Allan Glover and Francis McCaffery Jr. ; a good number of Cutchogue Fireman and townspeople and led the parade to the Cutchogue Firehouse where a victory celebration was already taking place. The celebration lasted most of the night. Cutchogue was proud of the Panthers.

The champion team members are: Larry Behr, Captain, Michael Boken, Asst. Captain, Paul Jablonski, Ted Behr, Tim Horton, Tom Martin, Joe Zuhoski Jr.; Bill Lademann, George Schneider, John Jaklevic, Joe Henry, John Zurawski, Tom Shalvey Jr. Riley Edson, Allan Glover, Frank Mele, and Tom Lademann.

As we look back 25 years ago, this championship would mark the first of 5 Suffolk County Championships the Panthers would win throughout the years. The legacy of the 1985 Panthers would inspire other Panther teams to go on to win other Suffolk County Old Fashion Championships in 1989, 1992, 1993, and 1994.