BREWER – Sit for a while with Charlie Milan III and Russ Nealey and you’ll hear story after story. Some of them can even be printed.

But the latest story coming out of the Bangor-Brewer Bowling Lanes is that the house’s own, Nealey, will be bowling for the men’s State Open Candlepin Championship Sunday afternoon at Vacationland Lanes in Saco.

Nealey has seen this movie before. At 58 years young, Nealey has won the title six times. The last time came three years ago when he beat his son.

“That was a good match. Nate [Nealey] is a good young bowler,” Russ Nealey said. “One of my other state titles I beat Jerry Sparks. Now, I will bowl his son on Sunday.”

Fourth seed Nealey will face Kevin Sparks, the tournament’s top seeded bowler. Sparks, of Westbrook, defeated Chris Petrin of Saco in the semifinals. Nealey downed Al Joy of Saco in the other semifinal match last Sunday in Saco.

In the women’s final, Karen Matero of Saco, who has won the championship three years in a row, will take on the 15th seed Amanda Davis of Saco. Matero, the third seed, beat LeeAnn Arey of Saco in the semifinals while Davis downed Casey Murray of Pittsfield.

It’s the second straight year a Nealey will be in the championship final. Last year at Bangor-Brewer Lanes, Shawn Morrison of Orrington defeated Maine Heat teammate Nate Nealey. Matero beat Russ Nealey’s wife, Sharon, for the women’s title.

Each fall Russ Nealey joins Milan, Morrison, Nate Nealey, Jerry Scott of Brewer, Tim Matero of Saco and Milan’s son James, to form Maine Heat. The team competes in the World Candlepin Team Championships. Last November the team reached the quarterfinals of the tournament before bowing out.

Nealey said he enjoys the team competition but prefers going solo.

“We have a lot of fun but I’m such a slow starter. In individual tournaments I keep bowling and get into a rhythm. In team tournaments, we bowl two boxes and then sit and wait. It’s hard to get into a rhythm,” Nealey said.

Nealey started bowling in his late teens while attending what is now the University of Southern Maine. Along the way he has been part of several world championship teams and is the only Maine bowler to have been named bowler of the year on the New England professional tour.

He has owned several bowling houses and currently owns Oxford Hills Bowling Lanes but says he has leased it out with an option to buy. And in January he sold the Otis General Store.

While Milan jokes that Nealey now spends most of his time sitting on his derriere, Nealey protests that he works out to stay in shape. And indeed Nealey looks like he could run a drill sergeant into the ground. But the physical pounding he puts himself through is about a fire he has for the game and about keeping up with the youngsters at the lanes.

And he’ll have the chance to show he can keep up on Sunday.

“[Sparks] was seeded number one in the open. I know he’ll be ready. It’s his home lanes, his crowd. But I’ll be ready too. I feel good.”

And that’s no story.