First-year Bangor High School football coach Al Mosca didn’t get any sleep Sunday night.
“I’m pretty excited. I’m like a child before Christmas,” he said.
Brian Higgins, who is starting his 42nd year as the Ellsworth High School boys soccer coach, didn’t have that problem.
“I haven’t had any trouble sleeping since I got back from Vietnam in 1969,” said Higgins, who was in the U.S. Marine Corps.
That doesn’t mean Higgins doesn’t look forward to the first day of practice, which began for most high school fall sports teams on Monday.
Some schools in Aroostook County had started earlier because of the potato harvest break in September.
“I’m excited. I really look forward to it,” said the 70-year-old Higgins. “I always enjoy seeing the freshmen … the new kids who haven’t played for us yet. They come up through our (soccer) camps in Ellsworth beginning at 7 or 8 years old.
“I’ve known them for seven years so it’s kind of fun to see where they fit in,” added Higgins, who has guided the Eagles to 18 Eastern Maine championships and four state titles in 41 seasons.
Ellsworth, which won five EM Class A championships before moving to Class B, captured the regional title in B last fall before losing to Yarmouth 1-0 in the state final.
“Whether we win or lose, our last game (of the season) is normally on the road so when we’re coming home, I’m starting to plan for next season,” said Higgins. “I never look back. I look ahead to new challenges.”
Mosca, who turns 43 later this month, has come full circle.
He was an offensive tackle at Bangor High before joining the Rams coaching staff as a college sophomore. He left for three years to pursue a teaching career before returning to Bangor in 2002 and rejoining the coaching staff.
He became the head coach of the Bangor freshman team before taking over as the offensive coordinator for the Bangor varsity the past two seasons under Mark Hackett.
“I love football,” Mosca said. “I’m excited on a lot of different fronts: excited to see and work with the kids and work with the staff, also.”
Mosca said having been a head coach at the freshman level was advantageous because he had to deal with a lot of the responsibilities he’ll encounter at the varsity level, “only on a much smaller scale.”
“You have to deal with the administrative piece, which is one part, and then there is practice planning. So much of the planning occurs before we start. I’m a firm believer in planning things out ahead of time,” said Mosca. “We met a lot as a staff so we’re not as overwhelmed. We’ve already put a lot of things into place.”
Mosca, who was named to replace Hackett in April, said his coaching philosophy involves taking bits and pieces from coaches he has played for and coached under.
Those coaches include Hackett, former Bangor High and current Husson University of Bangor coach Gabby Price along with Steve Vanidestine and Bruce Morse. Mosca played for Vanidestine and Morse.
Vanidestine is the athletic director at Bangor High.
Higgins said he keeps his early season practice regimen intact from year to year.
“We have two or three days of general training so we can evaluate the kids. We have a lot of small-sided games and do some skill drills. We see how they fit in,” said Higgins. “(Bad) habits have to be broken early. For example, we like to have the kids keep the ball on the ground. They always seem to want to chip the ball because it’s prettier.”
Higgins schedules his practices for 4:30 p.m. to help beat the heat.
“We practice until dark. I tell the parents the good thing is that it’s dark at 7:45 now but by Sept. 1, it’s dark at 7:10. The practices are shorter and shorter every night,” he quipped.
Retirement is not on the horizon for Higgins, who is closing in on 550 wins.
“I just can’t picture myself not coaching,” said Higgins. “What would I do with my time? Would I go to games? I don’t know.”
Mosca said he is thankful to be coaching his alma mater.
“I can’t tell you how much of an honor it is to have this position. I’m thinking about the kids we have had in the program and the gentlemen who have had this position before I have. Not only have (the coaches) had success on the field, but also the way they molded and worked with young people off the field. That is such a huge part (of coaching).”
Bangor players are looking forward to playing for Mosca.
“He’s really energetic,” observed junior tight end Steven Smotherman.
Junior wide receiver Noah White said Mosca has a “great personality” and junior guard Onesimus Laraway called him a “great coach.”
Bangor football opens its season by hosting Edward Little of Auburn on Sept. 4. Ellsworth boys soccer, which will have a young team, according to Higgins, opens Sept. 5 against Presque Isle.
The defending state champs in the fall sports are: boys soccer, Cheverus of Portland (A), Yarmouth (B), Maranacook of Readfield (C) and Richmond (D); girls soccer: Windham, Waterville, Sacopee Valley of South Hiram and Ashland; field hockey: Scarborough, York and Winslow; boys cross country: Scarborough, Freeport and Merriconeag Waldorf of Freeport; girls cross country: Scarborough, Greely of Cumberland Center and Orono; football: Thornton Academy of Saco, Marshwood of Eliot, Winslow and Oak Hill of Sabattus.