Kentwood’s Antoine Lee breaks records and inspires next generation

It is all said and done for Antoine Lee and his career as a Kentwood Conqueror. The senior has played his final football game for the black and silver — and will go down as one of the best ever to put on a Conqueror uniform.

He also finished his career as the seventh-highest rusher in Washington state high school football history.

“It feels weird,” Lee said about never putting on the Kentwood uniform again. “I am going to really miss playing with my guys and the bond that we built.”

It was a four-year career that saw 11 records broken and highlights galore. Those in attendance couldn’t stop ooh-ing and ah-ing.

Lee set the new top mark for the following statistical categories: single game yards, single game touchdowns, total points, single season yards, single season touchdowns, single season scoring, career rush yards, career total yards, career touchdowns, career points and longest punt return.

“It feels amazing because Kentwood is known for breeding running backs for 20-30 years. For me to be known as one of ‘the best’ running backs to come out of Kentwood is a huge, huge honor,” said Lee.

Despite the records and despite his senior year where he finished with 28 touchdowns on the ground, two receiving touchdowns and over 2,000 yards, Lee did not receive 4A NPSL Player of the Year. That went to Kennedy Catholic’s Derek Colman-Busa.

“I feel like I got robbed. I definitely have a lot to prove. It’s the third year I feel like I should have been given league MVP,” Lee said.

That doubt and disbelief has been a part of Lee’s football career his whole life. And yet, he just keeps pushing through and turning eyeballs.

Lee’s career has been a remarkable one, and he has been a driving factor in building Kentwood into what it has become. From his freshman season of 4-4, to his sophomore and junior year winning a combined five games, Lee was not going to let his career go out with a whimper.

“This is the best team overall I’ve ever played for. We made a huge, huge improvement, going 5-5 this year. That is definitely growth in the making, “ Lee said.

His senior season, he won the most games of his entire career, going 5-5. Kentwood was on the verge of the postseason and was just on the outside looking in as the Conquerors were third in the tiebreaker against Auburn and Stadium.

“I was definitely angry that we didn’t make the playoffs … I was sick to my stomach,” Lee said about missing the playoffs.

But Kentwood did play a non-league week 10 game against Gig Harbor, winning 52-22. In perfect Lee fashion, to embody his whole career, he dominated by rushing for 344 yards. That was a single game record for Kentwood, breaking Kenjamin Jackson’s record of 290 yards back in 2004.

That record was actually broken three times by Lee — the first time in his freshman year in just his third game.

Lee scored five touchdowns in his senior season (vs. Auburn, Auburn Riverside, Gig Harbor) ,which is the first time Kentwood had that happen since 2000.

“I had to go out with a bang. It was personal to me… I knew it was going to be emotional for me,” Lee said.

What was important for Lee was not breaking the records or scoring touchdowns for himself. He was all about the team and the school that he wore on his chest. To see them fight, in that Gig Harbor game, was special to Lee. There was nothing on the line, just pride and ending the season with a win to get to .500. For Lee, that was the pinnacle of the Kentwood program always striving for improvement.

“I really respect and love my guys for going all out for me,” Lee said.

Lee had been with Head Coach Matt Roth from his sophomore season to his senior campaign.

“He’s a very admirable person. You can go to him for help with anything, school, he knows it all. Football, even a super specific thing, he has the answers … We clicked very fast,” said Lee.

The growth he saw from his coach helped him become the player he is today, along with a little help from former Kentwood Athletic Director Kurt Phelps.

“I really appreciate him for allowing me to be who I am and actually listen to me… He was something else. Shoutout to him, I love him,” Lee said.

The oldest record that Lee broke was a record set by Donnie Laborde back in 1992. Laborde recorded 2,010 total yards in one season. Lee broke that record this year with 2,367 total yards this season.

Along with that, the career record for yards was set from 2004-07 by Demetrius Johnson with 3,210. Lee shattered that record with 6,596 yards in his four year career. With that came 62 touchdowns, destroying Carl Bonnell’s record of 46 from 1999-01.

When young Antoine Lee stepped foot in summer camp he never thought he would hold this many records. But as soon as he put on that helmet, all he saw was green grass and the endzone.

“I did have a thought that I had to break one of the records,” Lee said.

Lee played a very similar role for Kentwood football as Boise State standout Ashton Jeanty, who was on a tear early in this college football season. His Kentwood teammates took his nickname “Choc” and combined it with Ashton Jeanty — and was called “Choc Jeanty.”

Lee was born in Seattle, but moved to Indianapolis and lived there until he was in fifth grade. Then he moved back to Washington state, and eventually found his home in Kent.

For the younger generation that will see Lee’s name on the football plaque in the halls of Kentwood, he hopes to serve as an inspiration. Some even got a sneak peak this year at a couple of Kentwood practices.

“We had kids in elementary and middle school just to watch me practice. That was something crazy. I realized that I really mean something to the community. I like to show myself through my football play, but I didn’t know I made that much of an impact on the community. One that I’m not even from,” Lee said.

Lee’s journey isn’t over either. Despite the doubt, despite the overlooking of his talent, Lee will play at the next level. The 5’10” 195-pound running back doesn’t, at least at the time of this interview, have any recruiting stars.

Wherever Lee ends up, he will bring a talent and a work ethic that is second to none. He will be overlooked, he will have doubters. But if his career has shown anything, it won’t affect him. He has proven that there may be hurdles, but he has no problem leaping over them.

He wouldn’t share where he was thinking of playing, but there are a few schools that have his attention. Lee would like to go out of state, but within driving distance: “Close to home and out of the state.”

Kentwood’s Antoine Lee stiff-arms a Raven defender. Ben Ray / The Reporter