The winning tradition at Hanover Park runs deep.
With eight sectional titles in the last 10 years, and a multitude of All-Americans, the Hornets are formidable nearly every year.
“There’s a big sense of pride to be a part of the team,” Hanover Park head coach Tyler Branham said. “There’s a lot of people that are involved that are giving back to the program.”
Despite the years of past success, expectations were lower for this year’s iteration of the Hornets after graduating 10 starters from last season.
Hanover Park has proved that while even without the talent of past teams, it can perform at a high level. The Hornets’ have just two losses this season, both against teams ranked in the NJ.com Top 20.
Hanover Park defeated Boonton 62-9 on Thursday night in East Hanover to improve its record to 6-2.
“You grow up through it, you graduate and then you come back and you teach what you knew,” Hanover Park senior Nick DiFrancescantonio said. “It’s a repeating cycle of kids that want the younger ones to do good and better than they were.”
Boonton’s Jayden Colon (113) earned a pin in the second bout of the night to tie the match at 6-6, but Hanover Park dominated the match from there.
Boonton only earned three more points in the last nine contested bouts. Boonton forfeited four bouts on the night.
“[Hanover Park] got a really strong team,” Boonton head coach Dave Hughen said. “It’s a good atmosphere for our kids, I was really proud of their effort.”
The match was highlighted by the 138-pound bout between Hanover Park’s Nick DiFrancescantonio and Boonton’s Isa Kupa.
DiFrancescantonio, who normally competes at 132 pounds, bumped up to take on Kupa. He earned a 10-0 major decision against Kupa to extend the Hornets lead to 19-9.
“Treat every match the same, I always look for the best competition,” DiFrancescantonio said. “One of their better guys was at 138 so I said ‘You know what, we’ll bump up.’”
Hanover Park junior Joey Monticello (157) claimed a win with a pin just 18 seconds into his bout against Maxwell Strelkoff. Monticello is currently ranked No. 32 in NJ.com’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Monticello spent the first two years of his high school career at Don Bosco Prep. The 157-pound junior is enjoying his decision to join the public school power.
“This is definitely more of a family here,” Monticello said. “Here you have your boys who you grew up with, and you know your brothers have your back.”
Hanover Park cruised the rest of the night en route to the victory. Monticello, Ronny Madera (190) and Aedan Hamilton (215) all recorded pins for Hanover park.
The Hornets will face off against a talented Caldwell team on Saturday.
“It’s refreshing, it’s nice to get a little bit of a warm up match,” Monticello said. “It’s going to be a good match on Saturday.”
After losing the likes of Vincenzo LaValle, Santino Danise Giovanni Conte and more to graduation a season ago, Branham has been pleased with the performance from his team.
“There is a couple guys that have been pleasant surprises.” Branham said. “Ethan Kaup has done a really good job and Jayden Madera has taken some steps forward.”
Hanover Park has been exceeding expectations this year, but there is a lot more that the coaching staff and wrestlers hope to accomplish.
“As a team, the goal always has to be groups,” Monticello said. “Anything short of that, in all of our minds, it wasn’t a fully successful season.”
Even in what many might call a “rebuilding” year, the culture at Hanover Park once again continues to deliver success.
“You can never count us out,” Monticello said. “It’s in our blood, in our DNA to be hard nose, gritty guys.”
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