By Brad D. Bates
C & G Sports Writer

It’s no secret what Utica Eisenhower senior Brett Correll is looking for in his final wrestling season.

After placing third in the state at 215 pounds as a sophomore and again as a junior, Correll is looking for the one wrestling prize that has eluded him — a Division 1 state championship.

“It’s like you’re on a path you’ve already been down,” Correll said. “Except this time you’re going for perfection — trying to think about what happened in the past and learn from it.”

While Correll is hoping the major difference between this season and those in the past is a championship, there is another big different — his weight class.

After wrestling at 215 since his freshmen year, when he broke out with a 35-12 record and qualified for the first of three trips to the Palace of Auburn Hills, Correll moved up to heavyweight this year.

“I bulked up to 245 getting in shape for football,” Correll said. “Thirty pounds was too much weight to cut, so I just decided to keep it.”

With the added weight, Correll now faces opponents as big as 285 pounds, so he has had to tweak his technique, as well as adjust to the added weight.

“I knew I wasn’t going to be able to beat the bigger guys with my strength,” Correll said. “I’ve been working on my footwork all year hoping to be more agile, because once you can get in on a big guy’s feet, you’ve got him.”

Correll recently passed 150 career wins. But its not the wins that are driving him as much as its the one loss, which he suffered against Oak Park High senior Marcel DuBose, who is slated to wrestle at 215 in the state tournament.

“We’re not really thinking about wins,” Eisenhower coach Dave Drath said. “We know (Correll is) going to have the No. 1 seed at district. After that, it doesn’t matter. As long as Brett can stay healthy, there’s not a guy out there that can take him.”

Correll will begin his quest when the Eagles compete in the Division 1 individual district Feb. 16 a Rochester High.

You can reach Sports Writer Brad D. Bates at bbates@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1029.