Senior wrestler Keith Lee hopes to do this year what he could not do last year.

He wants to win at state competition in the 130-pound weight class.

He was knocked out in the first round of the state tournament by a wrestler from Catholic Central High School, Brent Zdebski, who placed third in the state.

Zdebski is a senior this year but will likely be in a lower weight class than Lee this year .

Lee, who is captain of his high school team this year, tells himself, “It’s easy to dream a dream, but it’s harder to live one.” He’s trying to live his dream this year.

Lee has been wrestling since sixth grade and now it’s his last wrestling season of his high school career. He drives himself on hard work. “I’m the first one there and the last to leave,” Lee says.

Lee’s teammate and close friend Robert Woods, who wrestles in the 125 weight class, has been beside Lee all four years. Woods says Lee is a strong team leader: “He’s a great teammate; he loves to bring the team with him, not just be at the top by himself.”

Wrestling Coach Tim Conley says, “Lee is very tenacious. He’s dominating heavier wrestlers.” That’s partly because Lee has the ability to wer down his opponents, Conley says. “He might not be winning in the beginnong of a match, but he keeps fighting with a bursty of energy.”

Lee had to work hard to get respect and a captain position on the team. His sophomore year he had to wrestle a former senior, James Dillard, for a spot on the the varsity wrestling team.

Lee recalls, “I beat him fair and square, and they still gave him my spot because of seniority. It made me furious, but in all honesty, it also made me fall in love with the sport.”

Lee says he still has to work hard to stay at the top of his sport. He’s forever trying to cut weight, which he does by working out with a lot of layers of clothes, eating small portions and making sure the small portions are healthy.

Even if he’s not state champion this year, Lee says he hopes to wrestle in college for either Indiana Tech or Grand Valley State University. He already has an offer from Indiana Tech.

His record so far this season is 5-0, and the team has a tournament coming up December 21 with 25 Oakland County schools scheduled to attend. Lee says he plans to stay undefeated.