By Joe Shinners It’s been a long and trying road that Milwaukee Custer senior wrestler Davion Willis has walked. At times, he’s stumbled. But as he enters the stretch run of his final wrestling campaign, Willis can say he has straightened up and regained a steady footing in life over four years of effort. He’s excelled on the mat, in the classroom and in the community thanks to his determination and drive. He can thank wrestling, a saving grace for the young man who once never thought of goals or following a path to success that he is now on. It wasn’t always rosy for Willis, one of the top 171-pound wrestlers in the state. Life can be and was cruel to him early on. His mother died when he was only 7 years old. His relationship with his father has been distant, to say the least. It was tough sledding when he was growing up in Chicago. Nothing came easy. When he enrolled at Custer after moving in with his grandmother, Bernice Travice, four years ago things slowly began to change. Willis was a problem child at the time, prone to fights, suspensions and trouble in the classroom. His 0.7 GPA at the time is testament to the trouble he was in. “I was just angry at the world,” said Willis during a recent Custer practice. “Wrestling taught me to deal with anger in a different way. I came in with a lot of anger. I see a lot of people wrestle. But I’m different. I do this as a Zen moment to get away from everything. This is my Zen moment when I wrestle.” Willis’ changes are vivid. He now boasts a 3.3 GPA and is on the Honor Roll at Custer. He was aiming for a 4.0 this year, he said. He is considering three colleges to attend in Northern Illinois, Augsburg (Minn.) and the Stevens Institute of Technology (N.J.). He’s learned how manage his temper and has become a role model for the wrestlers in the City Kids Wrestling Club, a youth program run at two both Custer and Milwaukee Bradley Tech. He’s teaching, as he explains, more than wrestling moves. He teaches life skills as well as mat skills, helping young kids avoid the situations he encountered growing up. “We help teach them about life and the different strategies or a different point of view to deal with situations,” Willis said. “We tell the kids about what we would do in certain situations to help them avoid problems with a different life strategy or a different point of view.” Willis, who won a summer state title in Greco-Roman and finished second in Freestyle, is carrying the torch the remainder of the year for the Milwaukee City Conference and the City Kids Wrestling Club, which began when he arrived at Custer. It only makes sense that he will be the marquee wrestler at the City Conference tournament, scheduled to be held at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Milwaukee Riverside. He is the top draw in the City and a contender for the 171 D1 title this year. Willis will carry a 42-0 record into the City tournament. Willis is a two-time conference champion and two-time state qualifier. He finished fourth a year ago at 160 with a record of 46-10 in a showing that put him on the map. Since joining the varsity as a sophomore, Willis has posted a career record of 126-20. This year, Willis has 29 pins and 10 technical falls. His only close match this year came at the Oshkosh on the Water Classic, where he gave up the only takedown he has relinquished this season in the final at 189. Willis, ranked No. 3 in Division 1 at 171, has posted 112 takedowns in his other matches. Mosinee senior Dylan Iczkowski, ranked No. 1 at 189 in D2, pushed Willis at the OTW. Willis needed a late takedown and a solid ride in the final seconds to pull out the victory. “It was really close,” said Willis of his match against Iczkowski. “It was really intense. The fans were into it and I was into it.” Willis walked of the mat a champion, but not impressed after giving up a takedown, recalled his coach Cory Husher. “He came off and was pissed and I asked him what was wrong,” Husher recalled. “I mean he just won. But Davion said, ‘He got in on my legs.’ That’s what I mean about Davion. He’s driven and he’s more motivated than anyone I’ve seen.” Willis thrives on being a physical wrestler, one who brawls and subdues his opponents physically and mentally. “I know when I’ve defeated a guy,” said Willis. “I can see it in his eyes.” Willis also knows who his competition is. Muskego sophomore Roland Dunlap, ranked No. 2 in the state at 171, and Wisconsin Rapids sophomore Devin Peterson, ranked No. 1, are the main competitors for the state 171 title in Madison. Willis isn’t worried, though. Earlier in the year he felt the pressure. Now, he has a cool confidence in his ability to physically dominate an opponent. “At first, people were expecting so much from me this year. I was nervous. Now I’m living up to it. I’m very confident,” said Willis. “I know they’re good wrestlers. But no one is working as hard as I have been working on takedowns, riding. I know they think I’m just another City kid. I hear what people say. But this is my medal. Someone’s going to have to take it from me.” Go Back to the Home Page Read More Articles by Joe../../../Archive.htmlshapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1