ROCHELLE — Sophomore Keagan Albers kicked off the Rochelle Hub varsity wrestling team’s dual match against Belvidere North with a dominant win in the 113-pound bout. Albers scored 11 first-period points, earning two 3-point near falls before pinning Belvidere North’s Aiden Nebiu.

The win was one of seven that the Hubs recorded by fall on Thursday, when Rochelle cruised over the Blue Thunder 54-21 in a nonconference head-to-head match. The Hubs will head into winter break having won 15 of their last 16 dual matches. Rochelle (16-2, 3-0 Interstate 8) will return to the mat on Dec. 29 and 30, when the Hubs travel for the Flavin Invitational in DeKalb.

“We’ve had a really good season and our team is stepping it up this year,” Albers said. “We’re working hard in the room and it’s showing out here. I did freestyle and greco-roman wrestling over the offseason and that’s helped me a lot, but our coaches are always pushing us to do the best we can and that really helps. We listen really well and we’ve been putting in the work.”

Rochelle claimed the first five bouts of the match against Belvidere North on Thursday. After Albers defeated Nebiu in the 113-pound bout, senior Tommy Tourdot returned from an illness and made quick work of Piven Johnson in the 120-pound bout, winning with a first-period takedown and fall. Junior Xavier Villalobos followed with a first-period takedown and fall over Bryson Tenuissen in the 126-pound bout, giving the Hubs an 18-0 lead in the match.

The first toss-up went to the Hubs, who won the 132-pound bout after sophomore Frank Nasca outlasted Geren Stapleton for a 6-4 sudden victory in overtime. Nasca scored two takedowns, but conceded a 4-2 lead in the third period after allowing a stalling penalty and an escape. Pushing the pace, Nasca secured a third takedown early in overtime to win the bout.

Freshman Josh Lassiter kept the Hubs moving in the 138-pound bout, notching a first-period takedown and fall over Keegan Thrall to put Rochelle ahead 27-0. Belvidere North avoided the shutout with victories in the 144-pound and 157-pound bouts, where Nicolas Alvarez and Andrew Bucci scored first-period falls over freshman Brandin Kirk and junior Matthew Lynn.

Sophomore Brenden Voight turned a first-period takedown into a fall against Arturo Alvarez in the 150-pound bout. Junior Grant Gensler extended Rochelle’s lead in the 165-pound bout, compiling five near falls, including four 3-point near falls, during his 16-0 technical fall over Ryan Zupon. Another toss-up went to the Blue Thunder in the 175-pound bout, where Juan Cervantes clinched a 9-6 decision over sophomore Roman Villalobos with a takedown in the third period.

Senior Brock Metzger quickly took down and pinned Malachi Heath in the first period to win the 190-pound bout and give Rochelle a 44-15 lead. Junior Kaiden Morris recorded two takedowns and three near falls during his 14-1 major decision over Zander Martinez in the 215-pound bout. Belvidere North’s Manny Pizano received a forfeit in the 285-pound bout, but the Hubs closed the dual with a win, as sophomore Freddie Hernandez erased a 2-0 deficit with a first-period escape, takedown and fall against Brayden Culvey in the 106-pound bout.