Bay State teams will make plenty of postseason visits to Manning Field

Whatever the costs, and however long it took, nobody can say the new Manning Field is sitting there idle now that it’s complete.The field, which finally became fully operational in time for the fall high school sports season, isn’t anywhere near ready for a rest.The field will host an MIAA Eastern Massachusetts soccer doubleheader tonight. First up is the state Division 3 girls soccer semifinal, with Newburyport playing Cohasset, at 5 p.m.Immediately following, at 7 p.m., is the Division 1 boys state semifinal, with Framingham – which defeated St. John’s Prep Sunday – playing Brockton.Tickets are $7 for adults, and $5 for seniors and students.That’s not all, however. Site director John Kasian of the Lynn Community Development Office confirmed Monday that the field will be used for an Eastern Mass. football playoff doubleheader on Tuesday, Dec. 2.”It’ll be a few more days before the final pairings (are) unveiled and made public,” Kasian said. “But it looks as if we’re getting some love from the MIAA.”The field, with its 4,000 capacity, would figure to play a prominent role in the MIAA’s plans for postseason play. For one thing, it has state-of-the-art artificial turf. That is essential in case of unseasonably cold weather, where a natural surface would tend to freeze and be hampered by the unevenness of the field due to wear and tear.The new facility also has ample parking, not only off Ford Street but along Locust Street as well.And it has ample room in its press box for media that would want to cover the game, and for coaches who need to be up high to call plays and see the whole field.Although the field was only fully operational this year, it saw plenty of use while it was being constructed.