RAMBLING ROSE: Princeton High wrestler Cole Rose, top, controls a foe in recent action. Last Saturday, freshman Rose won the 106-pound title at the Mercer County Tournament. Rose’s heroics helped PHS finish fourth in the team standings at the MCT with Robbinsville taking first. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

While the pandemic limited wrestling opportunities for plenty, Cole Rose just headed to his basement to get in bonus work.

“Over COVID, when a lot of wrestling programs were shut down, my dad, sister, and brother, really helped me,” said Rose.

“My dad bought a wrestling mat, and he brought it into our basement. We did private workouts watching videos and going through moves. I would partner up with my sister and my brother. We’d do that for an hour and an hour and a half. It showed me a lot of new moves, a lot of new techniques that helped me improve.”

That work with junior sister Ava and sixth-grade brother Forest had the Princeton High freshman primed for his first season at the varsity level. Rose remained unbeaten on his way to the 106-pound division title at the Mercer County Tournament last Saturday to join 150-pounder Aaron Munford as individual champions for the Tigers.

“I felt pretty confident because I kind of dominated all the kids going in,” said Rose. “I felt pretty confident. I felt like I was going to win it.”

Only once this season before counties had any opponent escaped being pinned by Rose, and Rose won that match by major decision. Rose won a 9-1 major decision over Luke Caldwell of Hopewell Valley for the county title, becoming what is believed to be just the second PHS freshman besides current Rider University wrestler Alec Bobchin to win a MCT crown.

“My dad before it was telling me how many kids had won it as a freshman,” said Rose.

“That was hyping me up. After, I was flabbergasted, like, ‘wow, did this actually happen?’ I know that not too many freshmen have done that. All my teammates congratulated me and that was also really cool having a good team that supports me. That helped me.”

The Tigers placed fourth in the team standings with 168.5 points. Robbinsville won the title with 238 points and Hopewell Valley was second with 212. Hightstown, which PHS defeated in a dual meet, was third with 206 points.

“I was pleased overall with our performance,” said PHS head coach Jess Monzo. “Most of my guys wrestled very well. We had some guys that came back and won matches we had lost earlier in the year, which is great. Then we had some matches that went the other way – we won earlier in the year and then we were beaten.”

Munford won the second title of his career. He controlled Hopewell’s Tim McKeown, 3-0, to wrap up the expected championship as the top seed.

“We knew Munford was a little bit stronger, more powerful than that kid,” said Monzo.

“We knew he wouldn’t be out of position, but we thought if we continued to push the pace on him he would wear down and that’s what we did. He took it to him from first whistle to the last whistle and just grinded out a good match.”

Junior Martin Brophy placed second at 132 pounds. Ava Rose was fourth at 113 pounds. Harrison Ehee was fourth at 138 pounds. Senior Matt Ellsworth placed fourth at 165, and junior Jordy Paredes came in fourth at 215.

“Overall, it was a good matchup,” said Cole Rose. “A couple kids weren’t there and they would have helped us. I think we could have gotten third if we had wrestled our best.”

The Tigers finished up a difficult stretch on Monday in the state team tournament as they fell 68-6 to Brick Memorial in the Central Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals to move to 15-4 in dual meet action. PHS lost a dual, 55-18, to Hopewell Valley last Thursday and after one day of practice were into counties.

“It’s definitely a gauntlet that we have to run,” said Monzo.

“We have to do it in a very short time. The dual meet with Hopewell was great for us. I think even if you spoke to coach [Mario] Harpel at Hopewell, he’d probably say the same thing. It’s very tough to wrestle in conference, in division matchup two days before counties. In a couple of those matches, we ran it back, and they went the other way or same way. The kids know each other now. It’s very tough to get that second win over the same kid two days later. Seeing that right away and hitting the tough aspect of our county tournament and then Sunday off and having Monday to go down to Brick Memorial, which is a dominant, you can’t ever count them out, they’re one of the best teams in the state year in and year out and they have really, really tough individuals.”

Rose went into Monday knowing he would face one of his toughest challenges of the year and he succeeded, remaining undefeated by edging Gavin Martin 5-3. He has consistently been best on the mat in matches in the county. He showed it again from the start to his final match in which he won going away, even though it wasn’t by pin.

“He came from cross country where he was constantly running,” said Monzo.

“He came in conditioned at a level where you want to be. He needed a match like that where he was going to get pushed a little. He totally dominated in every aspect of the match — top, bottom, neutral — and he came out on top. He’s doing some good things and peaking at the right time. You want him wrestling at that level coming into sectionals and the week after that we have districts. He has to be on top of his game come next weekend.”

Over the past four years, Rose has been on the rise. The county tournament was more confirmation of how far he has come in a short time. He saw some of the same competition that he struggled against in a middle school tournament.

“Two of the kids that were in my bracket this year had beaten me in sixth grade,” said Rose.

“They had pinned me and overall dominated me. In seventh grade, I beat one of the kids. In sixth grade, I think I placed third and in seventh grade I won it. I won like, 4-2.”

Putting more time into his training has been a key to Rose’s progress. He moved on from Princeton Wrestling Club to Rhino Wrestling Club, which also afforded him more opportunities over the pandemic.

“I got a lot better,” said Rose. “It’s kind of cool seeing how those kids pinned me many times in the past and now I’ve gotten a lot better. Now I’m pinning them and tech falling them.”

Rose is thrilled by the start to his high school career. He is anticipating some bigger challenges ahead. The district figures to present more competition for him, but he is confident that he can compete.

“For districts, I know there are a couple tough kids from St. John Vianney,” said Rose. “There are two other tough kids, but I think I can beat them. I think I’ll make it past districts. But it’s going to be a tough bracket. There are a couple kids I’ve seen before and I’ve seen wrestle. The kid I am wrestling on Monday was in my state bracket in middle school. Districts is going to be pretty tough. That’s probably going to be the toughest competition out there.”

The Tigers are looking at facing the top wrestlers in the county and a top state team like Brick as a way to push the program forward. PHS is looking to climb in the county rankings each season.

“When you can put nine guys in the top six, you know your team is going to turn out well and perform well,” said Monzo.

“It would have been great for Princeton and great for the kids if we were able to place in the top three. Now it’s something to strive for next year. We’re never going to be satisfied and end right there. We want to be the team that takes home the trophy. With some of these young guys and some of these beliefs we’re
starting to build, and the tradition that we’re starting to develop in Princeton, that can be us in a couple years.”

Rose already has proven he can be a solid building block for the PHS program. He has adapted well to the high school level. It has helped to have his sister in the program already. They avoid each other in the practice room, but have been steadfast teammates.

“It’s really cool,” said Rose. “She’s been there for a long time. She has experience. When I need to know something, I can ask her. We’re like friends. I get to have somebody I can talk to. Our whole team is like a family. We’re all really connected. We’ve known each other a long time. Having my sister there is reassurance. She can always help me if I don’t know what to do. She’s always there for me, which is kind of cool.”

Rose is grateful to his family and the PHS program for the way that he has developed as a wrestler. The county title was just the latest confirmation of how his extra work has paid off.

“I never really thought I would win the county my freshman year,” said Rose. “I knew that I’d do pretty well. Being undefeated is kind of mind-blowing to me. I never thought I wouldn’t lose a match. It’s overwhelming how much I’ve improved throughout the season.”