Mike Lane returned to coach the Sacopee Valley boys’ soccer team for one more season.

Lane, who coached the Hawks for 20 seasons before stepping down in 2007, is filling in for Brian Hink, an Army reservist who was called up to serve 14 months of active duty at a training company in Fort Sill, Okla.

“There’s a strong group of seniors this year and they came and asked me, ‘Could you coach us for one year until Coach gets back?’ ” said Lane, an assistant principal at Sacopee Valley Middle School. “I realized it was a big commitment but it was difficult to say no.”

Lane stopped coaching the boys’ team to watch his daughter, Emily, play soccer. Now a freshman playing for Vermont, she led the Sacopee Valley girls to their first Class C state championship last season. During the Hawks’ title run, Lane served as an assistant to Coach Kevin Murphy.

“I had assisted Kevin (Murphy) with the girls’ team last year and that was the extent that I wanted to do,” Lane said.

Under Lane, the Hawks, who won a Class C title under him in 1991, have gotten off to a terrific start. They haven’t allowed a goal in winning their first four games.

But Lane said he intends to serve as head coach for just one season.

Next season he’ll return to the sideline as a parent when his daughter, Elizabeth, becomes a freshman at Sacopee Valley.

NEW HEAD coaches are walking the sidelines this fall at six of the 16 schools in the Southern Maine Activities Association.

At Biddeford, Jeff Paquette, who coached the junior varsity at his alma mater last season, replaces Bruce Brasier, who left after coaching the Tigers for two seasons.

At Bonny Eagle, Larry Robertson, former coach of the Bonny Eagle Middle School team, takes over for Alan Curtis, who left after coaching the Scots for four seasons.

At Deering, Joel Costigan, who coached the junior varsity at Bonny Eagle for the past three seasons, follows Andy Lefebvre, who left to coach the girls’ varsity at Westbrook.

At Marshwood, Ben Deschene, who coached the freshmen squad at the South Berwick school for three seasons, replaces Martin Young, who left after coaching the Hawks for seven seasons.

At Noble, Matt Foster, who formerly coached the junior varsity at the North Berwick school, takes over for a long-time coach, Bob Brown.

At Windham, former North Yarmouth Academy standout Colin Minte replaces Paul Baber, who coached the Eagles for four seasons.

GAMES TO WATCH: Cheverus will try to knock off unbeaten Scarborough, the top team in Western Class A, at home in Boulos Stadium this afternoon. Friday night, Greely will try to get some traction in Western Class A with a home game against Cape Elizabeth at Cumberland.

Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at:

pbetit@pressherald.com

Twitter: PaulBetitPPH