I have certainly had my differences of opinion with the Maine Principals’ Association on a variety of topics over the years.

I will always feel that they should make Sundays available for make-up playoff games or meets rather than bump them to Monday when it is a hardship for parents and students to attend.

But I have to tip my hat to the MPA for the scheduling of the three state championship football games at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland.

I used to feel that they were slighting Eastern Maine by playing the three state games there instead of having at least one in Eastern Maine.

But it makes perfect sense.

The artificial but grass-like FieldTurf surface is a godsend.

After the rain we had late last week, there were very few natural grass fields that would have been able to provide a decent playing surface for Saturday’s games.

It would have been a shame for the players to have their state championship hopes decided in a quagmire.

Football season is a long, grueling campaign that begins with those exhausting two-a-days in the summer heat.

To reach the state championship game and have your season decided in the mud would be a shame because you wouldn’t be able to exhibit your talents.

There is also a much better potential fan base in Portland due to the population. The Bangor-area just isn’t a rabid football community.

It’s also nice to have three games at one site.

Now, getting back to making Sundays available for make-up sporting events …

Best of luck to Travers Evans in his future endeavors.

Evans stepped down as the University of Maine men’s soccer coach after seven years. He had been an assistant there for four years.

Evans was in a difficult situation because the schools he was competing against in America East had at least five more scholarships than he did.

Maine had 2.5 scholarships when he began and it has been elevated to 3.5.

You are allowed 9.9 under NCAA guidelines.

It’s tough to recruit for the University of Maine due to the geographical disadvantage.

When you add in a scholarship shortage, there’s not much a coach can do other try to get his out-manned team to outwork its opponents, play fundamentally well and keep the games close.

That’s what he did.

He led his team to the America East playoffs for the first time in 10 years in 2003 and was the league’s coach of the year.

But they have struggled of late, going 0-17 this past season.

He is a quality coach and brought several in-state players into the program.

America East has mandated that its member institutions must expand their scholarships to 5.75 next year, 6.5 in 2008 and 7.5 in 2009. So the new coach will have more of a level playing field than Evans ever had.

Evans and M.J. Ball founded the Blackbear United soccer club five years ago for youngsters 5-18 and the club has significantly helped Eastern Maine youngsters close the gap on their Western Maine rivals.

Bangor High School’s boys soccer team, which won its first Class A soccer championship earlier this month, had several players groomed by the duo.

John Bapst of Bangor, which also had several Blackbear United players, reached the state final in B.

Fortunately, Evans will stay involved with Blackbear United to give local youngsters a chance to develop their skills.

Larry Mahoney can be reached at 990-8231, 1-800-310-8600 or by email at lmahoney@bangordailynews.net.