Coach: Mark Soehren (fourth year)
Conference: North Class: A
Last year’s record: 4-5, lost in Class A East quarterfinals
Returning players: Seniors — Matt Smith (QB/S); Kyle Dexter (RB/LB), Gunnar Docos (T), Kaleb Currier (DE), Jake Spinhirn (RB/DB), Caleb Jewell (WR/CB), Cordell Stewart (WR); Juniors — Ryland VanDecker (FB/LB), John Bowen (WR).
Key losses: Brady LaFrance (QB/CB), Malik Geiger (FB), Davis Turner (FB/ILB), Brennan Gillespie (C), Creighton Medeiros (RT), Patrick Macro (WR/SS), Jacob Doyon (RG), Ian Lejonhud (WR).
Promising newcomers: Senior — Marcelo Mazariego (G/LB), Blake Slicer (WR/DB); Juniors — Bill Mazariego (T/DT), Nate Cleveland (G/LB), Adaryan Ray (C/DT), Jon Blake (DT), Connor Bickford (TE).
Season outlook: It’s easy to focus on what the Vikings lost to graduation, namely Turner, the conference defensive player of the year now at the University of Maine and Geiger, a mainstay in the backfield. But the experience of learning how to win and contributing to Oxford Hills’ first playoff berth in nine years should give the veterans a boost. Smith returns at quarterback after taking over the job early in his junior year. Spinhirn, Stewart, Dexter and Jewell give him a variety of weapons. Slicer should make an impact, also, after making the transition from soccer. Docos is the only returning starter on the line. VanDecker is the heir apparent to Turner at linebacker. Even the 2014 losses were closer than they had been in recent years for the Vikings, indicating that Oxford Hills overcame a big mental hurdle and began believing it can compete year-in, year-out in the new-look Class A.
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