Wrestling has been a big part of Joe Bowen’s life for nearly three decades.

He’s wrestled, coached, and officiated at a variety of levels, and now he will share that expertise as the new head coach at Brewer High School.

Bowen replaces Perry Boudreau, who stepped down last summer after guiding the Witches during their first five years as a varsity program.

Bowen, who grew up in Southern California, wrestled on the high school level in the mid-1970s and then at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, Calif. He tried out for the 1980 and 1984 U.S. Olympic freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling teams, and he has continued to be involved in the sport since then as a competitor, coach, and official.

Since moving to Maine nine years ago, he has watched the development of his two oldest sons, Justin and Jeremy, as wrestlers, as well as introduced his youngest son, 3-year-old Jacob, to the sport.

“He was in two tournaments as a 21/2-year-old, and came home with two medals,” said Bowen.

Last winter, Brewer placed fifth at the Eastern Maine Class A meet with three individual champions – Chris Noyes, Jeff Madden, and Justin Bowen – among eight wrestlers who qualified for the state meet.

Noyes, a senior, and sophomore Justin Bowen are among 19 wrestlers signed up for this year’s Brewer team, which began preseason practices Monday. Fifteen of those who signed up have football backgrounds at the school.

“We want to build on what Perry has done,” said Bowen, who ran the middle school program in Brewer last winter. “Perry did a great job, especially for someone who didn’t have a background in wrestling.”

“Bringing the wrestling mentality to the program for the first time at the coaching level will be important,” added Bowen.

Bowen plans to focus on wrestling as both a team sport and an individual pursuit. In that light, funds have been raised for new headgear, uniforms, and warm-up suits. Previously, participants were required to supply their own gear, he said.

“The uniforms won’t make us better wrestlers, but they will make us a better team,” said Bowen, who works for the state Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services.

Bowen plans to emphasize discipline within the program, as well as high expectations for its continued growth. He also will encourage participation in off-season wrestling activities such as regional and national freestyle and Greco-Roman tournaments.

Last summer, for example, Noyes, Justin Bowen, and incoming freshman Alex Smith participated in the State Games of America’s National Championships at Hartford, Conn., with Noyes and Smith earning silver medals.

“I’m big into off-season wrestling,” said Bowen, organizer of the Brewer Wrestling Club. “It’s something you can do 10 months a year if you want.”

Madden joins Calvary Chapel

Josh Madden helped defeat Calvary Chapel Christian School in last February’s Eastern D boys basketball quarterfinals, scoring 24 points and making a 3-pointer with 1:21 left to break a 55-55 tie and propel Bangor Christian to a 62-55 victory.

Now he’s joining the Sabers.

Madden, a 6-foot-1 guard who went on to earn the William C. Warner Award as most valuable player of the 2003 Eastern D tournament, has enrolled at the Orrington-based school for his senior year and is expected to play a major role for the basketball team.

“It’s always very nice whenever you have a quality person join your program,” said Calvary Chapel coach Ross Bradford. “Josh is not only a quality basketball player, but a quality person.”

Calvary Chapel, which opened in September 2002, finished its inaugural basketball season with a 13-3 record before falling to Bangor Christian in its tournament debut. BC went on to win its second straight EM title before losing to Valley of Bingham in the state Class D championship game.

Only one player graduated from that Calvary Chapel team, and top returning players include senior guard Kyle Bradford, senior forward Tyler Gans, and sophomore guard Brock Bradford.

Coach Bradford expects to have 20-25 players out for basketball this season, up from the eight-player roster Calvary Chapel fielded last year and enough so the school will field a junior varsity team.

That increase is in line with the school’s enrollment increase, he said. Bradford said the second-year school’s K-12 enrollment has risen from approximately 130 to 180 this year, with an increase of high school-level students from about 30 to approximately 60.

The school also is awaiting the opening of its new auditorium/gymnasium, which has been under construction since last spring.

“We hope at the end of the season to have some home games there,” he said.

In the meantime, Calvary Chapel will play home games at the YMCA in Old Town and Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor.

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