2008 in Review: An old friend made a comeback, and it was better than ever

In four years, the property known as Manning Bowl/Field has gone from a godforsaken crumbing stadium to a state-of-the-art facility capable of multi-faceted sporting events.And in 2008, upon completion of the facility, Manning Field ran the gamut, hosting major state tournament events in both high school soccer and football.The original bowl, built during the Great Depression as a WPA project, became too unsafe to inhabit, and too costly to repair, during the 2004 season. The electrical system was so antiquated, and so dangerous, that the facility could not hold night games.It was razed in 2005 and painstakingly put back together again in increments. There was no football at the Bowl in 2005, but it was back by 2006, although the bulk of it was unfinished. In 2007, it was further along, but it was not completed until the middle of 2008, in time to hold the Agganis Classics for the first time since 2004.This fall, Manning Field was the site of a state semifinal in girls soccer, and two Eastern Massachusetts football semifinals: Gloucester vs. Masconomet and Everett vs. BC High.Going forward to 2009, site director John Kasian is hoping for more tournament games in high school lacrosse, and perhaps one of the signature outdoor track tournaments as well.