Wrestling: Hubs throttle short-handed LaSalle-Peru squad

Rochelle can clinch third straight conference title with victory over Ottawa next week.

By Russ Hodges, Sports Editor
Posted 1/16/25

A short-handed LaSalle-Peru team stood no chance against the Rochelle Hubs, who moved one step closer to clinching an Interstate 8 Conference championship after their dominant varsity wrestling victory against the Cavaliers at RTHS on Thursday evening.

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Wrestling: Hubs throttle short-handed LaSalle-Peru squad

Rochelle can clinch third straight conference title with victory over Ottawa next week.

Posted

ROCHELLE — A short-handed LaSalle-Peru team stood no chance against the Rochelle Hubs, who moved one step closer to clinching an Interstate 8 Conference championship after their dominant varsity wrestling victory against the Cavaliers at RTHS on Thursday evening.

Rochelle accepted seven forfeits and earned five pins to cruise over LaSalle-Peru 72-12 and remain undefeated in the Interstate 8 with only one dual match remaining. The Hubs (19-6, 4-0 Interstate 8) can seal their conference title next week, when Rochelle travels to face Ottawa on Thursday, Jan. 23. A win would bring the Hubs their third consecutive Interstate 8 crown.

“It would mean a lot, especially for the seniors,” said junior Roman Villalobos, one of five Hub wrestlers to record pins on Thursday. “I hope that we can keep it going after they graduate.”

Freshman Aidan Lopez delivered Rochelle’s first pin of the match, building an 11-1 lead behind two takedowns and two near falls before sealing his first-period fall against Nicholas Gomez at 120 pounds. Junior Brenden Voight followed with a pin at 157 pounds, turning a first-period takedown into a fall against Zach Pocivasek. After a quick takedown, senior Grant Gensler showed off a guillotine technique to earn a first-period fall over Walter Haage at 165 pounds.

Pins continued to come for the Hubs late in the match, as Villalobos took down and pinned Logan Miller in the first period to win at 190 pounds. Villalobos, who medaled in third place at the recent XLIX Sycamore Invitational, is seeking his first trip to the state championship meet.

“I think my junior season is going pretty good,” said Villalobos, who earned his 25th win of the season on Thursday. “I’m hoping to keep winning some matches and my goal is to get to 100 wins. I’ve been doing a lot of hand fighting so I can set up my takedowns. Coach [Tyler] Baker has been working with me in the room so I can improve my setups and get to my shots.”

Senior Kaiden Morris bumped up to 285 pounds and sealed Rochelle’s dual victory over the Cavaliers, scoring two first-period takedowns and turning a big throw into a pin against Eric Mateika. Hub wrestlers who received forfeits on Thursday were AJ Milan (113), Freddie Hernandez (120), Xavier Villalobos (132), Deegan Schabacker (138), Frank Nasca (144), Josh Lassiter (150) and Matthew Lynn (175). Rochelle is one dual win away from 20 this season.

“Our team goal is to make it to team state,” Villalobos said. “We want to have a lot of state qualifiers. Our goal is to get past regionals and we’ll see how things go from there. My goal is to get down to state and potentially place. I’m going to do my best and see where I end up.”

LaSalle-Peru won the first match of the evening, with Gianni Verucchi clinching a back-and-forth bout with a third-period pin against freshman Jonathan Hernandez at 106 pounds. LaSalle-Peru also took the win at 215 pounds, where Endrew Sell turned a second-period takedown into a fall over senior Matieyko Rodriguez. Rochelle will travel south for the Marty Williams Invitational at Mahomet-Seymour this weekend before facing Freeport on the road next Tuesday evening.