UNION, NJ — A highly challenging first match went Union High School’s way, courtesy of five wins by fall and another by technical fall.
That early-season momentum manifested itself into a quality showing at the Dover Tournament that the Farmers compete in at this time every year.
Following a season-opening 41-36 triumph at home against Newark’s East Side High School on Thursday, Dec. 12, the Farmers proved to be among the top teams in the Dover Tournament that took place two days later.
Union placed fourth out of 11 teams, entering 11 grapplers.
Gabriel Hargrove, a senior, placed first at 126 pounds, and junior Aidan Cross was also first at 144.
Mark Belfleur, another senior, was second at 215, and finishing third for Union were juniors Ariel Azeredo at 138 and Nicholas Bertolotti at 190.
“Considering we were without three weights due to injury, the team competed well and had a good finish in a tough tournament,” Union head coach Dino DeBellonia said.
The schools that competed in the Dover Tournament included host Dover Public High School, Roxbury High School and Chatham High School out of Morris County; North Warren Regional High School out of Warren County; Lenape Valley Regional High School, Stanhope, out of Sussex County; West Milford High School and Wayne Hills High School out of Passaic County; Columbia High School and West Orange High School out of Essex County; and Union High School, Summit High School and Arthur L. Johnson High School out of Union County. Summit and Chatham High School are a combined team.
Winning by fall for the Farmers in their victory over East Side were Hargrove at 126 in 4:02 against Esteban Romero; Jonathan Cordova at 157 in 4:57 against Edwin Chimborazo; senior Dillon Sparacino at 175 in 4:28 against Idris Vickers; junior Jeremy Rivas at 106 in 4:50 against Jhoan Martinez; and junior Hermelo Verga at 113 in 1:30 against David Moreno.
Azeredo won by technical fall by the score of 17-1 against Matthew Reis at 138. Winning by decision for Union, which captured eight of the 14 bouts, were Belfleur and Bertolotti.
Union kept busy during the summer by competing in a camp at The College of New Jersey in Ewing Township. As many as 27 Farmer grapplers were able to receive an education from TCNJ head coach R. Joseph Galante in a setting that included more than 700 wrestlers, most of them from New Jersey high school districts.
“It was such a well-organized camp,” Debellonia said.
DeBellonia and Union assistant coach Bob Mautone guided 17 UHS wrestlers, all boys, during the four days spent at TCNJ.
“We got a lot of live wrestling in,” DeBellonia said. “As a team, we wrestled 10 matches and went 6-4. Including exhibition matches after their other matches, some kids wrestled close to 20 matches for the four-day period.”
Union’s 2024-2025 campaign continues with a match at Kearny High School on Friday, Dec. 20, at 1:30 p.m. Then the Farmers are at Rahway High School on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 6 p.m.
Union will once again compete in the Parsippany Hills Holiday Tournament on Monday, Dec. 30, beginning at 9 a.m., which closes out its December schedule.
Union will also host the Union County Tournament again, this time on Saturday, Jan. 18, beginning at 9 a.m.
Cranford High School will attempt to become the first school to win 10 consecutive UCT championships.
Union Farmers wrestling 2024-2025 schedule
Dec. 12 (H) Union 41, East Side 36
Friday, Dec. 20, at Kearny, 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 4, at Edison, 10 a.m.
Monday, Jan. 6, at Abraham Clark, 3 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 10, at Westfield, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 11, at Nutley, 9 a.m.
Saturday, Jan. 18, UCT at UHS, 9 a.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 22, Cranford, 5 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 24, at Plainfield, 5 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 25, at Manville-quad, 10 a.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 29, Summit, 5 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31, at Linden, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 5, Roselle Park, 6 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 7, at Governor Livingston, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 8, at Colonia, 10 a.m.
Saturday, Feb. 15, at Bloomfield, 10 a.m.
Photo Courtesy of Dino DeBellonia