{"id":3831,"date":"2023-06-28T09:49:24","date_gmt":"2023-06-28T13:49:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/?p=3831"},"modified":"2023-06-29T07:56:51","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T11:56:51","slug":"meet-the-staff-rex-brewer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/28\/meet-the-staff-rex-brewer\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Staff: Rex Brewer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For two decades, Rex Brewer has been the lead voice on high school sports broadcasts on WZBD. His journey to the microphones of 92.7 FM has taken many twists and turns, but when it comes down to it, there is one truth – Brewer has a true love for broadcasting and the sport is irrelevant, it\u2019s the thrill of being live and calling the action that keeps Brewer coming back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brewer became a well-known sports figure in Adams County as a 16-year-old wrestler for the Bellmont Braves, reaching the championship bout of the 119 pound weight class at the IHSAA State Finals in Indianapolis. That success propelled him into a collegiate wrestling career in Michigan and eventually a career in officiating. After many years in stripes, including multiple trips to the IHSAA Individual and Team State Finals, Brewer stepped away from the sport and began working for WZBD. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy wife says I am a show-off,\u201d chuckles Brewer, \u201cbut she\u2019s probably right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Rex Brewer interviews Delta assistant wrestling coach David Locke after a match at Adams Central. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now 20 years into his tenure, Brewer says his motivation is quite simple. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s certainly not for fame and fortune,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve been around this community long enough to know that there are people out there who care, but they can\u2019t be at the game or at the match. That\u2019s why I do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Rex Brewer and Dave Nathan braved the elements to call a postseason game in November, bringing the action to the airwaves for those who could not make the trip. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Brewer also works full time during the day, often working his hours around the station\u2019s broadcast schedule. He entered the industrial world directly out of college over 40 years ago as a draftsman. Nowadays, he procures materials and items for the aerospace industry at a company in Fort Wayne. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he\u2019s not on the air or at work, Brewer is with family. Whether it is being grandpa or still sharing some fatherly wisdom, Brewer is a busy man. He keeps a small garden on the back side of his house and enjoys riding his bike or driving his golf cart through the golf course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One well-known hobby for Brewer is his love of good food, something his broadcast partner, Dane Fuelling, often jokes about when the pair are on air. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Brewer’s love of food and hospitality rooms at sporting events is always a topic of discussion during broadcasts. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we play an ad for a local restaurant, I like to know what I am talking about and what they have to eat,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rex hosts the weekly football coaches show and he turned that program into the idea of a wrestling coaches show, which he hosts weekly in the winter with Fuelling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brewer says a lot has changed in the 20 years he has spent at the station, but it still comes down to delivering great, original content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the beginning, we were striving to be the only media outlet at these events,\u201d he recalls. \u201cAs technology evolved, though, we had to evolve ourselves. I think WZBD has adapted and we have not missed a step. We are broadcasting more events and more sports than ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One initiative that Brewer is most proud of is the elevation of girls’ sports to a level playing field as the boys\u2019 at the station. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have had the opportunity to call some great girls\u2019 games in the last five years and I think we have become a leader across the state in that area.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The success of High School Wrestling Weekly over the past few years has brought Brewer some added notoriety in the sport where his true passion lies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s more than I have ever dreamed it could be,\u201d says Brewer. \u201cThe only reason that show has been successful was because the station was willing to have an open mind and let us put it out there, knowing there was a need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That willingness to step into uncharted waters has led Brewer and Fuelling to break new ground in the state of Indiana in broadcasting, becoming the first broadcasters to call the IHSGW State Finals on the radio a few years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
WZBD has been the only radio station at the IHSGW State Finals for the past three years. Brewer has been the lead voice at each of those tournaments. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have gained the respect of the IHSAA commissioners and that has been a real honor for me through the show and our work with WZBD.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Assistant IHSAA commissioner Robert Faulkens, shown doing an interview with AJ Kalver and Brewer, has become a regular guest on WZBD. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Brewer, along with Fuelling, were recently announced as the 2023 honorees for the IHSWCA Hall of Fame Distinguished Media Award for their work on High School Wrestling Weekly and in the girls\u2019 state tournaments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Rex Brewer and his broadcast partner, Dane Fuelling, are set to receive the Distinguished Media Award from the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association in 2023. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat I love is the freedom we have on the air,\u201d says Brewer. \u201cDane and I are there to entertain our listeners. You have to enjoy what you are doing or it is not worth doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brewer will be awarded the Distinguished Media Award at the next induction ceremony for the IHSWCA Hall of Fame. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can listen to Rex Brewer this fall in football and volleyball and soccer, when WZBD presents its biggest fall sports schedule ever on 92.7 FM.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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