UNION, NJ — This is a season so far that the Union Farmers are proving they are no pushover, no pun intended.
Major success continued for Union High School’s wrestling team at the Parsippany Hills Tournament on Monday, Dec. 30, where the Farmers did well to place second as a team behind four champions, one second-place finisher and one-third-place qualifier.
“We’ve shown much improvement,” Union head coach Dino DeBellonia said. “This was our highest finish ever at this tournament, since I’ve been here.”
Winning titles for the Farmers, who entered the Wednesday, Jan. 8, match at home against Abraham Clark High School in Roselle with a 5-1 record and the only loss by a single point, were senior Gabe Hargrove at 126 and juniors Ariel Azeredo at 138, Aidan Cross at 150 and Obreight Ingram at heavyweight.
Placing second was junior Nick Bertolotti at 190 and third was fellow junior Hermelo Verga at 113.
Hargrove won a 12-3 major decision against Cedar Grove High School junior Richie Galioto in the 126 final, while in the 138-pound championship bout, Azeredo defeated Wayne Valley High School junior Dominic Lally 13-5.
Wayne Valley won the team title with 190 points. Union’s second-place finish was a 149-point team effort.
Cross won by fall in 1:37 in the 150 final against Wayne Valley senior Cole Perry. Ingram also won by fall in the heavyweight title bout, downing Benedetto Cooper of Wayne Valley in 1:43.
All four Union champions went 3-0 in the tournament.
Bertolotti won by fall and then by decision before he was beaten by Pope John of Sparta junior David Thomson by fall in 3:43 in the 190-pound championship match.
Verga defeated Wayne Valley freshman Shelby Tuhari 10-0 in the bout for third place.
Bertolotti and Verga both finished the tournament with 2-1 records.
“There were a solid group of teams in the tournament,” DeBellonia said. “Our kids wrestled well.”
The tournament consisted of 13 teams, with the other Union County representation being Summit High School’s team, which is shared with Morris County school Chatham High School. Summit–Chatham finished 13th with 9.5 points.
Rounding out the top five were Morris Knolls High School, third with 132 points; host Parsippany Hills High School, fourth with 109 points; and Pope John XXIII Regional High School, fifth with 90.5 points.
In last year’s tournament, Hargrove was first at 132 and Azeredo first at 138. Bertolotti was second at 215.
“As a team, we finished in the middle of the pack last year,” DeBellonia said.
Ingram is coming off an injury and now excelling as a 285-pounder.
“He’s a promising heavyweight,” DeBellonia said.
At Edison High School on Saturday, Jan. 4, Union was edged by the host Eagles, 41-40.
In Union’s convincing 55-19 win against Marlboro High School at Edison High School, winning by technical fall for the Farmers were Jaydon Robles at 120, Hargrove at 126 and Azeredo at 138. Triumphant by fall were Jonathan Camargo at 150, Cross at 157, Bertolotti at 190 and Mark Belfleur at 215.
Union is next scheduled to wrestle at Westfield High School on Friday, Jan. 10, at 6 p.m.
The Farmers have a quad at Nutley High School scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 11, at 10 a.m., and will then participate in the North Bergen Tournament in Hudson County on Sunday, Jan. 12, at 9 a.m.
The Union County Tournament at Union is scheduled for all day Saturday, Jan. 18, at Louis J. Rettino Gymnasium.
“The month of January rolls,’ DeBellonia said. “We’ve got to keep moving along.”