Bangor High School’s first ever JV hockey team will have 12-13 players and a couple of swing players who will play both varsity and JV, according to first-year Rams coach Bill Schwarz.

There are 31 players on the two teams and Schwarz will have 18 on the varsity. Fifth-year Bangor assistant Jea Chung will assist Schwarz and will serve as the head coach of the JV team.

“We’re happy with the numbers,” said Schwarz. “Next year, we’ll have more players coming in and we’ll lose only three or four seniors.”

The varsity team will be on the ice six days a week, including games, and the JV players will practice with the varsity twice a week on the average, Schwarz said.

The varsity team will play 20 games and the JV team will play 10, with the JV games scheduled prior to the varsity games. The teams will travel together to reduce the cost.

“When we have games and they don’t, they will practice by themselves,” said Schwarz.

A JV program was added to accommodate large numbers of hockey players entering Bangor High School this year and in upcoming years, according to Bangor athletic director Steve Vanidestine. It also was added so the Rams can compete against the other Class A schools, which have had long-established JV programs.

“We need to have three [good] lines just like everybody else,” said Vanidestine, who added that the cost will be minimal.

Vanidestine said he is dead-set against cutting freshmen if it can be avoided.

He wants them to have the opportunity to play a sport and said it is difficult to gauge how a player will eventually develop when he or she is a freshman.

Vanidestine said he is also giving serious consideration to adding a second JV team for boys and girls soccer and for cheering to accommodate the high numbers of participants.

Chung said he likes the challenge of being the head coach of the JV team and preparing the young players for future varsity action.

“They will learn the same systems [as the varsity],” said the 26-year-old Chung, who added that he’s looking forward getting more experience under his belt.

Presque Isle’s wrestling team is attempting a comeback after a year off.

“We didn’t have wrestling last year because we didn’t have enough interest, and this would be the last attempt,” athletic director Eric Waddell said. “It’s interesting what kids will do when given the ultimatum.”

Cary Grant, a former wrestling standout at Caribou who has served as the middle school’s wrestling coach for the last two years, is the varsity coach.

“A few seniors came back this year and really got motivated,” Grant said of the team’s revival. “[Senior] Shane Cote really was the one behind this.”

In addition to pride, family bragging rights will be at stake this winter also.

Grant’s twin brother Carl was the Presque Isle coach but moved over to Caribou this season.

The two schools meet Dec. 16 in Caribou, and again in Presque Isle on Jan. 21.