UNION, NJ – If the Union Farmers wanted to make history to go on and capture a sectional title for the first time, this is what the wrestling team had to do:
“Our guys need to have all cylinders going,” Union High School wrestling head coach Dino DeBellonia said Monday, Feb. 16.
Second-seeded Union (19-4) was to clash at top-seeded and defending champion Bridgewater–Raritan Regional High School (19-8) in the North 2, Group 5 championship match Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m.
Both were dominant hosts Monday, Feb. 16, in quarterfinal and semifinal matches.
At Union, the host Farmers trimmed seventh-seeded Linden High School, 62-18, and then downed third-seeded Bayonne High School, 45-22.
Union lost to Bayonne, 38-27, in the quarterfinals two years ago at Phillipsburg High School and then last year fell to the Bees from Hudson County, 45-27, at home in the semifinals.
At Bridgewater–Raritan Regional, the host Panthers ousted eighth-seeded East Side High School in Newark, 57-16, and then romped past fourth-seeded Piscataway High School, 58-18.
“I think we match up well with Bridgewater,” said Union standout senior 144-pounder Aidan Cross on Monday night, Feb. 16, who won his 99th match against Linden and 100th against Bayonne, both by fall.
Cross won by pin in just 16 seconds against Linden and his pin against Bayonne in 2:58 gave Union the lead for good at 15-9.
“We know Bridgewater has a really good team and the match is at its home, but we feel confident,” Cross also said Monday, Feb. 16. “We’re one win away.”
Union has a rich wrestling history, but team success of this kind has been rare of late. Union has improved a great deal the past several seasons, including records of 18-9 two years ago, 19-9 last year and 19-4 so far this year. The Farmers captured the Union County Conference’s Mountain Division title last year and placed second in the Watchung Division to repeat champion Cranford High School this year. In this year’s Union County Tournament at Union, the Farmers paced third behind repeat champion Cranford and second place Rahway High School and had two champions for the first time in a long time.
“I’m so happy for our kids,” said DeBellonia, in his 17th season at the helm of the Farmers. “Bayonne kids do a heck of a job and are tough and well-coached. Our kids fought hard and prevented bonus points, which was key.”
The Bayonne–Union match began at 120 pounds, with teams trading decisions the first two matches. Bayonne took its only lead of 9-3 with a fall at 132 before Union tied the match for the second time at 9-9 with its first win by pin, which was produced by repeat UCT champion, senior Ariel Azeredo, at 138.
Then Cross returned to the mat in his first attempt at reaching the coveted 100-win plateau. Cross was in complete control of his Bayonne opponent the entire match.
“We always have tough matches with Bayonne and kind of figured we would wrestle them again this year,” Cross said. “Losing to them last year was heartbreaking. We didn’t want that to happen again.”
The difference 12 months later according to Cross: “This team has a lot of seniors and we’ve developed since our freshman year. We’ve been friends since middle school. Between club and training, we wrestle our hearts out. We have nothing to lose. This is the sport we love.”
Union gained four more points at 150 with an 11-3 victory before Bayonne bounced back to win 9-0 at 157. Union then won by fall at 165 behind a pin in just 30 seconds by senior Aaron Acevedo to take a 12-point lead of 25-13 before Bayonne answered with another pin to cut the deficit to 25-19.
“Aaron’s win was the turning point,” DeBellonia said. “We gained so much momentum from there on.”
Union then went on to win four of the final five bouts to complete the goal of winning a sectional semifinal at home.
Union won by the score of 14-7 at 190 and then senior Nick Bertolotti won by fall in just 41 seconds at 215.
After senior Obreight Ingram lost a 7-3 decision at heavyweight – he led 3-1 early on – Union clinched the victory with a win at 106 by the technical fall score of 18-3 with just 41 seconds remaining.
Union won by fall at 113 to close it out.
“Those last wins at 106 and 113 were key,” DeBellonia said.
The Farmers won nine of the 14 bouts: five by fall, one by major decision, one by technical fall and two by decision.
The Bees won twice by fall, once by major decision and twice by decision.
Cross won 28 matches his freshman year, mostly at 144, and 23 his sophomore year at 144. Cross won 23 again his junior year at 144 and then at 150. Cross began this year, his senior campaign, at 150 and dropped back down to 144. Cross is at 26 victories so far this year.
“It means a lot to get to 100,” Cross said. “I have kind of a funky style and want to end the match as quickly as possible.”
“Aidan has wrestled four years here and to get his 100th win on a night like tonight is incredible,” DeBellonia said. “It’s a great achievement. I know his teammates are happy for him.”
North 2, Group 5 Wrestling
Seeds: 1-Bridgwater–Raritan. 2-Union. 3-Bayonne. 4-Piscataway. 5-Elizabeth. 6-Kearny. 7-Linden. 8-Newark East Side.
Monday, Feb. 16
Quarterfinals and semifinals
At 2-Union
Union 62, Linden 18
Bayonne 36, Kearny 32
Union 45, Bayonne 22
At 1-Bridgewater-Raritan
Bridgewater–Raritan 57, Newark East Side 16
Piscataway 51, Elizabeth 27
Bridgewater–Raritan 58, Piscataway 18
Wednesday, Feb. 18
Final
At 1-Bridgewater–Raritan
2-Union at 1-Bridgewater–Raritan
Friday, Feb. 20
Group Semifinals – At the higher seeds
Sunday, Feb. 22
Group Finals – At Rutgers
Photos by JR Parachini
