The Rochelle Township High School wrestling room has one wall dedicated to recognizing the program’s top individuals over the last several decades. Hub senior Jacob Fore sees this wall in practice almost every day, and he’s working to become the next RTHS grappler to have his name posted on the wall.

While the west side of the wrestling room has old photos of past state medalists and state qualifiers, the south wall has the Rochelle wrestling big board, filled with names of former Hubs who recorded at least 25 victories in one season. Entering his fourth and final season with the RTHS wrestling program, Fore could very well be the next name on the big board.

“I’ve been setting little goals to accomplish each year,” Fore said. “I’m pushing myself to go to state and place this year… We have a 25-win club and there’s a sign in our wrestling room. I was pushing myself to achieve that goal last year, but I fell a few matches short. It’s my senior year, and I figured that I should push myself to the maximum.”

Fore has started his route to the 25-win club by going 7-3 over his first 10 matches this season. The senior has wrestled at several weights throughout his time with the Hubs, beginning at 113 pounds during his freshman season before bulking up to 152 pounds this winter. He said he enjoys wrestling 152 the most because of the challenges that stronger opponents present.

“Shooting is something that I don’t use often so I’m definitely working to improve in that area,” Fore said. “I want to improve my agility and keeping myself at this weight… The competition at 152 is more upbeat so you always have to be ready. The kids are more experienced and it’s always a battle.”

Fore certainly has the experience to wrestle at the higher weights. The senior began wrestling when he was 5 years old under the guidance of his father Jason, who coached with the Rochelle Wrestling Club when Fore was younger and who now works as an assistant coach with the RTHS wrestling program.

“Our relationship is the same inside and outside of wrestling,” Fore said. “I feel a lot of pressure when I’m wrestling, but I like the pressure because it pushes me to go harder. I like my dad being a coach because he’s able to be here with me and we’re able to accomplish great things in life through the sport.”

Those great things can be traced back to this past season, when Rochelle won back-to-back regional championships while winning its team sectional match for the first time in school history. The Hubs earned their first-ever trip to the IHSA State Dual Championships, where they placed fourth and brought home Rochelle’s only state trophy in any sport.

Fore contributed at both 138 and 145 throughout last year’s run to the state championships, and the experience of wrestling against the top grapplers in Illinois will be one that both he and his father won’t forget.

“I love the bond we’ve been able to form as a team and I love making memories together,” Fore said. “Taking fourth place at state last year was crazy, and it was the best experience of my life… The momentum and the intensity of the matches were crazy. I was facing the toughest kids I’ll ever see in my life.”