Returning Class 2A state qualifier Jack Ragan thought Dixon’s dual wrestling match against the Rochelle Hubs would be a close battle.

Not so much.

One of multiple two-match winners for the Dukes, Ragan pinned Rochelle’s AJ Milan at 120 pounds and was one of six Dixon boys to win by fall during the team’s 61-14 victory over the Hubs. It was the second of two dual wins Tuesday night for the Dukes, who had eight pins in a dominant 71-0 shutout against Burlington Central.

“We came in here and thought it’d be close, but we went out and beat them,” Ragan said. “We came in here hot, and we’re starting off 2-0.

“We’re a young team, but we look pretty good right now.”

The match was close after four bouts, with Rochelle (1-1) bringing Dixon (2-0) within a point after Aidan Lopez’s 19-4 technical fall at 132 and Deegan Schabacker’s 4-0 decision at 138. But a hard-fought, 9-0 major decision by Charlie Connors, who overcame nose injuries to beat Brenden Voight at 144, gave the Dukes a spark.

“Our chemistry is our strength,” Ragan said. “We definitely want to go down to state as a team, especially myself and a few others. We want that state trophy, and we want some medals.”

Dixon won the next four bouts, including three by fall, to extend its lead and put the dual out of reach for the Hubs, who opened their evening with a 47-27 victory over Burlington Central. Returning state qualifier Roman Villalobos earned Rochelle’s final win of the dual against Dixon, pinning Seth Shaffer using familiar techniques.

“My sweep and high crotch have been my go-to moves since I was a little kid,” Villalobos said. “Working in that position in practice helps me come out and compete. We’re a good team and we’re going to do a lot of good things. We just have to keep working.”

Dixon lost just three of a possible 28 matches during Tuesday’s triangular. Outside of a double forfeit at 113, the Dukes took all of their matches against Burlington Central (0-2), winning eight by fall. A string of four consecutive pins from Dave Smiley, Shaffer, Dawson Kemp and Dylan Bopes helped seal the shutout.

The Dukes also won a pair of close bouts early to keep the Rockets off the scoreboard. Kaz Barber overcame a 12-4 deficit to reverse and pin Axel Rodriguez at 132 before Adam Staples hung tough to secure a 7-6 decision against R.J. Perez at 157.

Tuesday’s triangular opened with Rochelle taking on Burlington Central. After both teams split forfeits at 106 and 113, Eduardo Vences, a returning IHSA state qualfier, helped the Rockets take their first lead of the match, using multiple takedowns to build a significant lead before pinning Milan in the second period at 120.

“We just have to keep pushing, working through these matches and fixing our mistakes so we can get to the level of competition that moves us forward,” Vences said. “It feels great. There are a lot of improvements that we need to make, but it feels great to be back.”

Freddie Hernandez’s 19-4 technical fall at 126, along with a 14-10 decision for Angel Hernandez at 144, were part of a string of five straight wins that enabled Rochelle to surge ahead early in the dual. In a toss-up bout at 165, Alex Pellicer found a key takedown during the third period to seal a 3-0 decision over Samvir Devineni.

Pins from Chris O’Neill at 175 and Villalobos at 190 allowed the Hubs to seal the victory, their first dual victory of the season. Burlington Central finished strong, however, with Michael Junitz and Logan Gibson recording back-to-back pins at 215 and 285.

“We lost a lot of good guys from last year, but we have a lot of new guys stepping in, and we have younger guys who are fighting for spots,” Villalobos said. “It felt good to come out and compete. ... We’re not really focused on the outcome. We just want to put on [a show] for the crowd. Hopefully, we’ll win the regional and go from there.”