Wesley Brown hadn’t wrestled for quite some time before he decided to compete for the Rochelle Township High School team during his freshman year. Brown immediately made a positive impact on the program, earning a first-place medal from the Rockford East Freshman Invitational and becoming a spot starter at 126 pounds for the varsity lineup.

Brown will be among multiple lower-weight grapplers vying for varsity matches when the Hubs return to action this coming year. Brown recorded a top-4 finish at the JV level during the Interstate 8 Conference Championships and was one of several underclassmen who battled in the IWCOA Fresh-Soph Rochelle Regional earlier this year. Now a sophomore, Brown said one of his goals for next season will be to become a leader for the incoming freshmen.

“I felt that my role was to do the best I could and help the team wherever I could,” Brown said. “I want to be a leader for the new freshmen. I enjoyed competing at the different schools we traveled to and I thought I wrestled well considering it was my first time wrestling in years.”

Brown saw limited varsity bouts as a freshman, receiving a forfeit victory during Rochelle’s triangular meet at Sterling and wrestling an extremely close match when the Hubs faced the Kaneland Knights, ultimately conceding a 5-4 decision at 126 pounds. Brown, who first tried wrestling in sixth grade, could be a significant contributor this coming season.

“When I first tried wrestling in sixth grade, I really enjoyed it,” Brown said. “I think I can improve a lot of my techniques. I thought I was a good sport last year, whether I won or lost.”