UNION — A program that hit hard times as far as lower participation and competitive success, Dino DeBellonia took hold of Union High School wrestling and found a way to reverse its fortunes.
This year, the Farmers proved to be among the very best in Union County again, right there with perennial powers Cranford and Rahway high schools.
DeBellonia had his wrestlers win individual county and region championships in his own Union gym, as well as district titles elsewhere.
Union wrestlers also excelled in off-season competitions held in college arenas. DeBellonia and his staff paved the way for Farmer grapplers to learn why dedication to the sport was so important.
After 17 years at the helm of the Farmers, DeBellonia, the Union County Coach of the Year for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 seasons, has announced that he is stepping down.
DeBellonia leaves Union wrestling in good hands. The Farmers finished a close third in this year’s Union County Tournament and also sent three wrestlers to the season-ending NJSIAA Tournament in Atlantic City.
“Two county champions is just great for the program,” DeBellonia said in January, after Union came so close to capturing its first UCT title since 1994. Winning those championships were seniors Ariel Azeredo at 138 and Jaydon Robles at 126. Azeredo was the only repeat UCT winner under DeBellonia’s tenure. Azeredo also won at 138 in 2025.
“Overall, we were not too bad,” DeBellonia said. “We were hoping to do a little better. It speaks to the toughness of the tournament.”
For the first time during DeBellonia’s 17-season tenure as Union head coach, the Farmers had three grapplers advance to the NJSIAA Tournament. Azeredo won dramatically at 144 in Region 4 at Union, while fellow seniors Nicholas Bertolotti placed second at 190 and Obreight Ingram third at heavyweight to also move on.
“They’ve all been here since the ninth grade and have stayed with it through all the ups and downs,” DeBellonia said. “Today was a positive finish here, for all of their hard work.”
Azeredo became Union’s first region champion this year since senior David Brown won the heavyweight title at Region 3 at Union in 2016.
“Their performances are a reflection of the positive energy generated from the community,” DeBellonia said.
Union UCT champions during DeBellonia’s tenure included Azeredo at 138 in 2025 and 2026, Robles at 126 in 2026, Dan Collin at 175 in 2024 and Nick Zuena at 152 in 2017.
Union progressed quietly and moved up the Union County chain with DeBellonia’s guidance.
In 2011, Union was last of the 14 teams in the UCT with just 30 points. In 2019, Union was 13th out of 14 teams with only 29 points.
Three years later, in 2022, Union still found itself near the bottom, 13th of 15 schools, with only 21 points.
In 2023, however, Union gained 48 points to place 10th out of 16 teams and then, in 2024, Union moved all the way up to fifth out of 15 schools with 91 points.
In 2025, Union finished seventh out of 16 schools with 86 points.
This year, the Farmers were one of only three teams to score 200 points. Cranford won again with 215.5, Rahway was second at 206 and Union third at 202. There was a big drop off after. Arthur L. Johnson High School was fourth with 107.5 points.
DeBellonia not only guided Union to more than 250 wins, but he and his staff pumped life back into a program rich in history at Union that needed it.
Union captured the Union County Conference’s Mountain Division championship in 2025 with a perfect 7-0 record and, this year, the Farmers placed second in the Watchung Division at 5-1, falling only to repeat champion Cranford, 41-29, in a competitive home match in January.
Union also proved to be among the winningest programs in the state the past three seasons, with records of 18-9 for 2023-2024, 19-9 for 2024-2025 and 22-5 for 2025-2026.
Photos by JR Parachini
