East Hanover, New Jersey (December 16, 2025) – Many reporters and New Jersey wrestling analysts understand the rich tradition of the Hanover Park Hornet program. Regardless of the team losing 10 of its previous starters from a year ago, including four time state medalist Vincenzo LaValle, who is now wrestling at Princeton University, the Hornets showed that they are still a force to be reckon with. With a 38-26 victory over their longtime Morris county rival the Roxbury Gaels, that speaks for itself.
The lineup needed to be adjusted a bit to fit into the needs of what both teams were looking in competition and at times. As the match began at 144lbs, a couple of bouts looked like it was going to keep the overall team score close. With Roxbury holding a 17-9 lead, the Hornet’s Ronny Madera stopped the bleeding as he jumped out to a lightning start with a 7-0 lead before giving up the reversal near the end of the first period. Madera ended up earning that bonus point victory with a 19-6 win at 190lbs. At 215lbs, Aeden Hamilton earned a workman’s like 18-3 technical fall win that gave the Hornets just their second lead of the match, 18-17. At 285lbs, Lucas Andrade showed so much of his upper body strength with a 9-3 decision win to extend the hornets lead to 21-17. Head Coach Tyler Branham, recognized one of his top Freshman wrestlers tonight at 113lbs (which also led for the home gym crowd to go wild), as Marco Panarello showed why he is going to be a force to be reckon with as the length of his arms worked to a near side cradle to get the Hornets the pin in just 26 seconds in the first period. The match clincher come down to Senior Nick DiFrancescantonio as he worked to a 20-2 technical fall at the 3:15 mark where he worked for multiple takedowns and turns to reach to that victory.
A bonus match to highlight occurred at 138lbs where the Roxbury Gael Junior, Jaedon Reilly was trailing 10-1 at the end of the 1st period to the Hanover Park Hornet Junior Kyle Dunn. Dunn got another takedown on Reilly and decided to cut him to make the deficit to 13-2. Reilly got a takedown near the end of the second period. He then escape to start the third period, got another takedown and then caught Dunn on his back after working for a cross face cradle looking to nearly have him pinned. As time expired, the bout is tied at 13 and the clock is set for a 1:00 sudden victory period. After Dunn took a sloppy shot, Reilly countered off that, spun around and got the takedown to win the bout 16-13 and to end the overall match on a higher note for the Gaels.
What’s Next For These Two Teams?
Roxbury will be on the road once again on Wednesday night (12/17) to take on Morristown and will enter the weekend going to the Morris Knolls Tournament on Saturday (12/20). While Hanover Park will make the travel to Warren County to wrestle Belvidere on Wednesday night (12/17) and will send some of their wrestlers to the Beast of the East Tournament in Delaware and send their other wrestlers to the Mountain Lakes Laker Holiday Tournament both on Saturday (12/20). Both of these still have a lot to wrestle for and it would not shock me to hear more about them as the season progresses.
