Bryan Brown already has had a productive high school tennis career.

As a freshman, Brown played a huge role in leading Bangor High School to its first Class A state team championship.

In the 2002 state final, Brown rallied from a set down and an 0-5 second-set tiebreaker deficit to defeat that year’s state singles champion, Pat Conway of Deering of Portland 2-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, at first singles and help the Rams rally from an 0-2 match deficit.

Last spring, he became the first Bangor player to win the state schoolboy singles crown, defeating top-seeded Garret Currier of Cape Elizabeth 6-0, 6-3 in the semifinals and outlasting second-ranked Eliot Potvin of Hampden Academy 6-4, 0-6, 6-3 in the title match.

Now he’s back as the reigning state champion, hoping to cap off his high school career in similar fashion.

“It’s my senior year, so in terms of the team we hope to have a good year, hopefully we can go quite a ways in the tournament,” said Brown, who opened his 2005 season with an 8-3 victory over Josh Warren of Hermon on Monday. “As far as the state singles, I hope to play well. There’s still a lot of good competition out there.”

Brown anchors a Bangor team that reached the Eastern Maine Class A final last spring before dropping a 3-2 decision to two-time defending state champion Lewiston. Senior Nate Cutshall returns as the Rams’ No. 2 seed, while junior Eric Pelletier rounds out Bangor’s singles tandem. Seniors Justin Turcotte and Drew McDermott play first doubles for the Rams, with freshmen Ricky Segal and Adam Bernstein at second doubles.

Brown’s chief competition in the state singles field likely come from Potvin, a sophomore at Hampden Academy who went on to place second at the 2004 New England championships. Given that they live in neighboring towns, they play fairly regularly – about once a week during the winter, Brown said.

“We probably know each other’s games real well,” Brown added.

Garret Currier, who has helped Cape Elizabeth win three consecutive state Class B team championships and was undefeated last spring until falling to the fourth-seeded Brown in the semifinals, also is back to contend for the singles title.

Brown began his tennis career primarily as a baseliner, but in recent years has developed his serve-and-volley game.

“Bryan’s a lot better this year, just his approaching game and coming to the net,” said Bangor High coach Cindy Howard. “He’s a lot more competent at it. He’s also really worked on his kick serve since last year.”

For Brown, being able to find success either at the net or from the baseline makes facing him even more of a challenge for his opponents.

“It gives me that option of going to a different game,” said Brown. “I think I’ve gotten more consistent in my game.”

Brown will continue his tennis career next year at Colby College in Waterville, where he plans to study environmental science and art. He currently is taking advanced placement art courses at Bangor High.

XC a likely MPA topic

The issue is not on the official meeting agenda, but the topic of allowing state championship high school cross country team to compete in New England competition is expected to be brought up Thursday during the Maine Principals’ Association’s spring business meeting at the Samoset Resort in Rockport.

MPA executive director Dick Durost said the association’s Interscholastic Management Committee opted not to place the issue on the agenda because it had been addressed twice in the last the last three years, but that a member principal had requested that the issue be raised during the meeting.

During last November’s MPA business meeting, members voted 36-29 to defeat a proposal that would have allowed qualifying Maine high school cross country teams to compete in New England meets.

The proposal also was defeated by the MPA membership in 2002.

The Council of New England Secondary Schools Principals’ Associations is the governing body for all interscholastic sports competed at the New England high school level. At present, the council sponsors championship events in cross country, golf, gymnastics, indoor track, outdoor track, tennis, and wrestling, but only qualifies full teams to compete in cross country.

While Maine does send top individuals from its state meet to the New Englands, it is one of two New England states that doesn’t send its top teams. Massachusetts doesn’t compete because the meet conflicts with its all-class championship meet.

MPA officials have cited such issues as cost, lost school time and travel considerations as reasons for not sending full teams to the New Englands.

Since the most recent MPA vote against the proposal last fall, a bill has been introduced in the Maine Legislature by Sen. John Nutting of Leeds to allow championship cross country teams to attend the New Englands.

A public hearing on LD 1130 was held before March 31 before the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, and a legislative work session on the bill was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, according to the state of Maine Web site.

Ernie Clark can be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or eclark@bangordailynews.net