MOUNT OLIVE — Anthony Piemonte reclaimed lost gold and Mount Olive wrestling rewrote history.
After finishing third at last year’s Morris County Tournament, Piemonte returned to the top on Saturday when he captured his second individual crown while leading the Marauders to their first-ever wrestling team title in front of the home crowd on Saturday at Mount Olive High School.
The Marauders finished with a team-high 285 points, outdistancing runner-up Hanover Park (205) and third-place West Morris (150.5). Morristown (135.5) and Montville (115.5) finished fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Delbarton, which had won the last 16 MCT team titles, skipped the event this year to wrestle at a national quad at St. Edwards, Ohio.
More:What to watch for at the 2025 Morris County Tournament
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“Last year I took a big mental break from wrestling and I came back this year really focused. I grinded for this,” said Piemonte, one of three Marauders to win individual titles. “The biggest thing with wrestling is having that strive for something. I think that kept me level-headed, a part of the team and ready to keep fighting.”
Final results:2025 Morris County wrestling tournament
Piemonte won a MCT title as a freshman two years ago, but fell short of repeating last winter when he was pinned by Nick DiFrancescantonio of Hanover Park in the 120-pound semifinals. On Saturday, the junior flipped the script, scoring a 4-3 decision over DiFrancescantonio in the 126-pound championship.
“I think this win will help me with seedings come February. I’ve never been big on seedings though,” Piemonte said. “I just go out there and face whoever and wrestle to the best of my ability.”
Mount Olive sent eight of 14 competitors to the championship round with Piemonte, Justin Bullock (150) and Niko Gonzalez (215) coming out on top.
“Our kids have bought into a team philosophy when it comes to dual meets and tournaments. Today we emphasized advancing and scoring bonus points as we go,” Mount Olive coach Sean Smyth said. “The kids follow the recipe and it worked really well.
“Winning a county title and trophy doesn’t come often. The fact that we were able to come together is a win, not just for our program, but it’s a win for our school district and community.”
In the best match of the finals, Bullock pulled off an 8-5 overtime win over Charlie Bacinsky of Roxbury.
Trailing 3-2 with 30 seconds left in regulation, Bullock jumped to a two-point lead on a takedown at the edge. But Bacinsky got a reversal with six seconds left to force overtime and then got another takedown with seconds left in the extra period.
“I believed in myself and I believed in my training. It was a tight match, but I had to keep grinding. I knew I had the better gas tank,” Bullock said. “This is a great start. It’s the start of the end of the season. I’m starting to hit my peak, but I’m not there yet. I’m getting better every day.”
Hornets swarm
Hanover Park finished tied with three champions, led by three-time winner Vincenzo LaValle. Teammates Joey Tantawi (144) and Nando Ott (157) won for the first time.
After losing in last year’s title bout, LaValle reclaimed the 190-pound crown when he pinned Tyler Cumming of Mount Olive in 1:03. The Princeton pledge dominated with falls in all four rounds, including a 21-6 technical fall in the semifinals. Earlier in the day the three-time state placewinner became the winningest wrestler in Hanover Park history with 138-career victories, passing Hornets great and three-time state champion Joey Olivieri (2017-2021). LaValle was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Ott stunned the home crowd when he defeated Tanner Perez of Mount Olive on a defensive pin with three seconds left in the second period.
Trailing 14-1 and Perez in clear control, Ott leaned and caught Perez on his back.
“I may have said a little prayer and asked for a miracle heading into the second period. I definitely got one today,” Ott said. “This feels awesome. I was able to get a good look this weekend at some of the competition at 157 pounds. It’s going to pick up from here.”
Double up
West Morris and Parsippany Hills had two winners apiece.
Wolfpack sophomore Brody Neill (120) and junior Tommy Borgia (285) won for the first time along with the Vikings’ Logan Forgatch (106) and Mario Fornini (138).
“I was looking to move up after taking third last year. Just keep moving up the podium and working hard in the offseason,” Neill said. “This tournament prepares me for what’s ahead.”
Other winners include Francesco Demary (113) of Parsippany, Rafe Fonte (132) of Mendham, Luke Shivas (165) of Morris Knolls and Rinaldo DiGiacopo (175) of Mountain Lakes.
