This one was for you, Luke Riordan. You too, Jason Grzymala. And here’s a shoutout to you, Mike Borrello, and any other gone-but-not-forgotten recent Hanover Park Hornet football players.

Your memory lives on in the locker room and at the school’s field. 

You may have graduated, but your example lives on. 

You helped lay the foundation for this year’s Hornets. You taught this group how to prepare, how to compete, and how to win. 

And now the 2024 team is headed to a sectional championship game.

This year’s team deserves to take a bow, of course, but so do Hornets from season’s past.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is what a football program is all about.

“Those guys taught the current group how to be a football player,” Hanover coach Dan Fulton raved. “We play as though we don’t want to let those guys down. They taught this group of kids, ‘You better show up to play.’”

Oh, the Hornets showed up to play against Ramsey in the sectional semifinals, all right. Fulton’s team rolled up a 28-0 lead at the half and built it up to 34-0 in the North 2, Group II semifinals and will head to top-seeded Glen Rock for the sectional championship Friday night.

The Hornets are bidding for their second state title and first since 1990.

“We handled our business,” receiver Jack Kovacs said. “Last week, (a 27-14 win over Newton in the first round of the playoffs) we started off slow. We were a little tight because it was the first round of the playoffs. 

“This week, there was crazy energy in the locker room and in the pregame. We were fired up. From the moment we got onto the field, we were hurting people.”

They sure were. Joey Tantawi began the onslaught when he returned a Ramsey punt 44 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0. Quarterback Joey Borrello added a 3-yard touchdown run later in the second quarter to make it 14-0, connected with Tantawi for a 2-yard TD pass, and then added another 9-yard touchdown run to make it 28-0.

The sectional semifinal battle was no battle at all.

It all started with Tantawi.

“Whenever we get the ball in his hands, it’s special,” lineman Jimmy Casola said.

“That punt return by Joey T got us started. Give him props,” Kovacs added. “What an awesome return. We were firing in every aspect, special teams, offense and defense.”

The Hornets put it all together, just the way they have during their entire season.

“It shows what type of team we really are,” Casola said. “It shows how hard we have been working in the offseason and how we have come together as a family. It shows that we can compete with anyone in the state.”

The Hornets O-Line was banged up but dominated a much bigger Ramsey team.

“They gutted it out,” Fulton said, referring to a group that included Frankie Falco, Angelo Chirchiello, Gianmarco Cantiani, Casola (subbing for starter Dan MacDougall), George Abdy, Frank Iossa, and Rocco Zirpoli). “Joey B played another flawless game. He made a mistake, said, ‘My bad,’ and then reeled off a bunch of points. Azmir Parks and Flip (Joey Filippone) played great. Joey T is a stud. P.J. (DiMaiolo) is a stud. We did a lot of good things. 

“The biggest thing I liked is that the kids handled themselves the right way.”

Hanover Park football has always been good, but Fulton’s team is 9-1 and entering Rare Air territory. 

The team has only been to a sectional final three times: the 1990 club, 1999 under John Liberato (14-8 loss to a powerful Pequannock team at Kean) and a 44-14 loss to powerhouse Caldwell in 2021 under Fulton (a 6-5 Hanover team that was so-so during the year but peaked late).

Now you know why this year’s team is special. And the recent group of players in the program deserve a little credit. 

“This doesn’t happen a lot,” Kovacs said. “We are trying to make history. We have been talking about this year forever.”