Crestview's Fowler named wrestling coach of year
By RANDY DICKSON
randyd@nwfdailynews.com
The success of this year's Crestview wrestling team speaks for itself.
The Bulldogs finished second to Mosley in the District 1-2A tournament, the best finish in team history. Two Crestview wrestlers, Daniel Johnson at 112 pounds and Nick Panucci at 171 pounds, won district titles. And six other Bulldogs qualified for the regional tournament.
But the greatest victories for the team might have come off the mat as Bulldog coach Jeff Fowler battled Crohn's Disease and his wife, Carrie, fought cancer.
The Fowlers refused to let their illnesses keep them from being around the sport they love.
Jeff Fowler is the Daily News wrestling Coach of the Year.
"It's an honor, obviously," he said. "But this says more about our team than it does me - this year in particular.
"We went through a lot of stuff and stuck together. That's why we had the success."
Fowler said wrestling and his family's faith have been positives during a difficult time.
"Honestly, wrestling is part of our family," Fowler said. "My wife loves it and my kids love it and are involved in it. We kind of gear our year around coaching it.
"I say ‘we,' because we are a team. We coach T-ball, football and wrestling together. It was therapy for me to be able to go out there and yell at, teach and hug the kids."
It has taken a while, but as he finishes his seventh year at the helm of the Bulldog wrestling program, Fowler is starting to see the program establish itself at the school and in the community.
"It's been a growing process," he said. "One the biggest differences has been in the support and number of boosters.
"When we travel we have parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters travel with us. When their family is there, kids want to wrestle even harder."
The success of the 2007-2008 season is already carrying over into next year.
"There's a different attitude now - not just with the wrestlers, but with the managers," Fowler said. "They want to be there.
"Since the end of the season one of the assistants has opened up the room (to practice) twice a week and we have several kids show up every session.
"The wrestling team really is a family."
