Round Lake’s William Cole shouldn’t be a secret these days. The sophomore heavyweight is the real deal.

It might be hard to imagine a 6-foot-5, 250-pound wrestler sneaking up on anyone.

But that is exactly what Round Lake sophomore William Cole has done this season, according to coach Mike Hruska.

“Because William did not wrestle on the varsity level last season as a freshman, not many people knew about him,” Hruska said. “I think he’s snuck up on quite a few doubters this season. He’s sort of a secret weapon for us.”

Cole (29-8) isn’t much of a secret anymore. He won championships at 285 pounds in the Lake County Invitational and the Class 3A Grant Regional. He also placed fifth in the prestigious Al Dvorak Invitational at Harlem and seventh in the Mid-States Classic in Whitewater, Wisconsin.

Cole, whose older sister Amari was a basketball standout at Round Lake, said he didn’t mind sitting behind senior Erik Tellez last season because he got a chance to improve mentally and physically.

“I really had not wrestled much for two years before my freshman season because of COVID,” Cole said. “I had been wrestling since third grade, but before high school started, I didn’t know if I was even going to go out for wrestling.”

Cole eventually returned to the mats, getting into shape and setting the foundation for what he hopes is a long career in the sport.

“I like playing football, but I think wrestling is my future,” he said. “I like it because it’s a sport that the only person you have to count on is yourself on the mat. There is no one else to blame if something goes wrong in a match.”

Cole has had a couple of mental lapses in matches that cost him victories this season. Hruska said Cole has learned from those mistakes and avenged a few losses.

“You have to remember he is still young and still learning,” Hruska said. “That’s what makes him so scary … that he is not a finished product yet. I have never had a wrestler so big and so talented at such a young age.”

Cole, who turned 16 on Tuesday, is known as a gentle giant off the mat. He wants to turn that image around during matches.

“I’m sort of laid-back when I’m not wrestling,” he said. “I can get angry on the mat but not too angry. I try to channel that into intensity that I can use to my advantage.”

Cole said he also wants to change the way he wrestles compared to many opponents in the heavyweight division.

“You see a lot of heavyweights just stay in the middle of the mat and try to use their leverage to win,” he said. “I want to move around more to try to use my speed. Those are the type of wrestlers I have been studying lately.”

Hruska, in his 20th season at Round Lake, said Cole’s strength and athleticism make him a favorite to qualify for the state meet. Cole’s chance will come at the Barrington Sectional, which begins Friday.

“He’s getting better with his hands and technique, so the experience of big meets like sectional and state is going to help him on his road to being a great wrestler,” Hruska said.

Cole said he knows the atmosphere at the sectional and the state meet will be new to him, but he isn’t concerned about being overwhelmed.

“I’m going to approach it as just another match,” he said. “I have a job to do, and that’s advancing by winning one match at a time.”

Hruska said Cole could find himself on the podium with a medal at the State Farm Center in Champaign on Feb. 18.

“He just has a fantastic attitude,” Hruska said. “I don’t think the moment is going to be too big for him.”

Cole hopes his coach is right.

“Sectionals are going to be a challenge, but if I make it to state, I don’t see a reason that I can’t make it to the podium,” he said. “If I don’t have confidence in myself, I shouldn’t be out there in the first place.”

Darren Day is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.