This is the thirteenth, and final, installment in a series recapping the 50th anniversary of the Oxford Hills 10-1 1971 football season. In addition to this contribution from Bob Moorehead detailing the expanded all-state team chosen by the various Pine Tree Conference coaches, a similar article published in 1971 by the Advertiser-Democrat focusing on just the Viking selections is presented.

This year’s expanded Class B Pine Tree Conference came up with an expanded 1971 all-state team this week dominated by title winner Morse High of Bath, once-defeated Oxford Hills of South Paris and powerhouses Winslow and Skowhegan. The team, picked by a panel of conference coaches, numbers 28 seniors and four juniors—ten players more than usually are selected for such “dream teams.”

“It simply boiled down to a case of too much talent,” said Oxford Hills Coach Bob Fallon. “It was one of those years when almost everybody came up with outstanding players.”

A number of college coaches on hand at last Wednesday’s all-state team dinner at Winthrop were in agreement. One talent hunter said it was possibly the most outstanding crop in the Pine Tree Conference’s history.

In the key quarterback position, the coaches honored both Brad Cummings of Oxford Hills and Morse’s Johnny Bussey, a pair of 5-11, 155-pound senior field generals with equally sparkling credentials.

Cummings threw for over 1,400 yards and 19 touchdowns, completing 49 of 91 aerials for the 9-1 Vikings. While passing was Cummings’ special forte, Bussey got the nod on the strength of his running game. The three-year QB starter had 524 yards rushing and 889 in the passing department. Both quarterbacks are considered college prospects.

The coaches also named three halfbacks to the offensive squad, and rounded out the backfield with a fullback and a utility back. For a total of seven players instead of the usual four.

Sharing the HB honors are brilliant runners Larry Durgin of Oxford Hills, Jim Soule of Morse, and Stan Lapointe of Winslow.

Durgin, a 5-6, 160-pound senior, recorded over 1,100 yards rushing and scored 11 touchdowns for the Vikings. He was also on the receiving end of 349 yards worth of passes from Cummings.

Soule, a 5-11, 165-pounder, led the conference in scoring with 116 points and accumulated some 900 yards rushing. Like Durgin, he was the bread-and-butter runner for his team most of the season and a constant breakaway threat.

Lapointe, a six-foot, 180-pound junior, accumulated 711 rushing yards despite sitting out two contests because of injuries. His yardage total including punts, kick-offs, and pass receptions came to 1,869 for the season as the Raiders posted an 8-2 record. Lapointe scored 13 TDs and had 14 extra points.

Coaches pointed out that Durgin and Lapointe also had enough backing to make the defensive all-state team. Both were key men in their teams’ secondaries.

Skowhegan’s John Lawson, 5-11, 185, won high praise as a blocker in the Indian attack. A converted tackle, he was voted his team’s most valuable player and captained the Inland Division champs.

Named to the offensive utility back position was Lawrence’s fine senior Paul Cairnie. A “do-everything” football player, the 5-7, 155-pound senior was always considered by the opposition as the man who had to be defensed in the Lawrence attack. Cairnie tallied 11 touchdowns and four extra points.

Oxford Hills’ Bill Brooks, 5-11, 155, and Rockland’s Frank Mace, 5-11, 160 were named the all-conference ends.

Brooks, a transfer from Wellesley, Mass, was the perfect complement to Cummings’ sharp passing. The lanky speedster caught eight touchdown passes and had 554 yards worth of catches.

Mace was the favorite target of Rockland QB Terry Kenniston, another of the league’s outstanding passers. Cut from the “flyer” mold, he was cited by coaches as one of the prime reasons for Rockland’s strong finish in the conference.

The six players named to offensive interior line positions on the all-state team average 193 pounds and are impressive for their speed and abilities to go both ways for their respective teams.

At the tackle positions are big Bill McKellar, 6-4, 230 pound veteran from Morse, a senior; Bob Drouin, 6-4, 215-pound Winslow senior: and 6-1, 170 pound Dan Albert of Gardiner, one of the four juniors on the team.

Guard positions belong to Gardiner senior John Cole, 5-8, 160, and Rockland’s Tommy Boothby, 5-9, 165-pound senior.

Coaches pointed out the personnel named to interior positions possess the classic physical attributes—height and poundage at the tackles and speed and mobility at the guard posts.

Winslow’s John Paquet was named all-state center, but as observers pointed out, could have made the team at tackle or on defense. Paquet, 6-3, 220, was a one-man gang in the big Winslow front which challenged Morse in overall size.

The six members named to the defense front line (including three ends) averaged 189 pounds and includes two juniors.

The ends picked were Claude Desrosier, six-foot, 190-pound Winslow junior, senior Jerre Bryant, six-foot, 190-pounder from Oxford Hills, and Stan Watson, six-foot, 170 pound Skowhegan standout.

Desrosier’s brother Rene, 5-9, 185, and Morse’s Wayne Perkins, a six-foot, 195-pound junior, were named to the defensive tackle positions. The middle guard post went to Skowhegan’s Denis Dunbar. The six-foot, 205-pound senior transferred from Pittsfield to Skowhegan this year and became a mainstay in Coach Keith Lancaster’s defense.

The coaches also named four linebackers to the defensive squad, two of whom it is felt have the size and speed to become outstanding college players.

Morse’s Jack Parker, six-foot, 195-pound senior, and Oxford Hills’ Ron Somers, 5-10, 190 pounds, (also a senior) are figured as the sure college bets. Parker came off a broken leg suffered during the 1970 season to perform brilliantly for Morse. Somers, pointed toward a medical career, is one of the two or three outstanding defensive players in Oxford Hills’ ten-year history.

Belfast’s Jim Richards, 5-9, 170 and 5-11 165 Bob Herrin of Skowhegan got the coaches’ nods as linebackers because they were “just too outstanding to be overlooked,” according to one coach.

Richards performed magnificently for a so-so Belfast team which finished 2-6-1, and Herrin combined with Dunbar to make the middle of the Skowhegan line very difficult to run against.

Each of the top four teams in the conference placed a representative in the defensive backfield, with Winslow’s fine passer Pete Siviski coming over from the offense to find a slot.

Siviski, a 5’10”, 170-pound senior came to the secondary job after establishing himself as an outstanding pass defender and sure tackler throughout the season.

Speed rather than size turns out to be the outstanding characteristic among the other three secondary all-stars. They are Lou Kingsbury, 5-9, 155-pounder from Morse; Ned Johnson, 5-10, 140 Skowhegan defender, and Oxford Hills’ Hal Edwards, a sure tackler and constant threat running back punts and kickoffs. Edwards is the smallest member of the squad at 5-6, 136 pounds. The three are seniors.

Named as utility defensive backs were Rockland’s Dan Cowan, six-foot, 165-pound senior; 5-11, 170-pound Tom Hendsbee of Madison, and 5-9 180-pound Tom Ward of Mt. Blue. Hendsbee and Ward are also seniors. The defensive unit averaged close to 173 pounds per man, with the offensive squad balancing at just over 178 pounds each. Players receiving honorable mentions on this year’s Class B all-state squad were:

Skowhegan: Dick Lagasse, HB; Brian Nickerson, C; Jude Sirois, T; Bill Nemer, DHB.

Winslow: Gary Zemrak, HB; Gary Gilbert, HB; Cal Vashon, FB; Pat Nadeau, T.

Lawrence: Steve Libby, C; Mike Poulin, G; John Waldron, FB; Lenny Cole, E.

Oxford Hills: Paul Ricci, C; Steve Raasumaa, DMG; Pete Brown, LB.

Belfast: Dan Small, T; Dan Neal, G; Mike Hooper, T; Hal York, HB; Paul Wood, LB; Dennis Hooper, LB.

Gardiner: Kerry Spurling, HB; Pete Shepard, DHB; Dan Houdlette, LB.

Rockland: Terry Kenniston, QB; Gary Salo, FB; Jim Raye, DHB; Jim Diehl, DMG.

Mt. Blue: Leroy Ireland, DE; Dick Ward, LB; Dave Robbins, E; Almon Kennedy, G; Rick Carlton, C; Rick Karkos, HB; Tom Whittier, QB.

Morse: Lee Bryant, DMG; Ken Stailing, DHB; John Darling, DHB; Walt Longley, G; Frank Gallagher, DE.

Old Town: Alan Nye, FB; Art Murphy, G; Ron Marquis, DE; Marty Thorne, C.

Madison: Bruce Young, DE; Tobie Malo, T; Larry Willette, HB.

Bob Moorehead covered the 1971 Oxford Hills football team as a general assignment reporter for the Portland Press Herald and Sunday Telegram. He later served the Guy Gannett Newspapers as a sports editor, city editor, managing editor, and general manager. Paul Ricci and Brian Partridge (both OHHS Class of 1972) conceived the idea for the series and provided extensive research. Although this installment is the final one in the series, readers who would like to share any favorite memories or stories from the 1971 season are encouraged to E-Mail either of them at paulricci@hotmail.com or brianpartridge@comcast.net.

COACH PERSPECTIVE
By Carl Fitzgerald (assistant coach on the 1971 team)
Bob Fallon, Coach: One of Bob’s mantras was, “Get Organized!” Everything we taught was on paper. Bob was a great teacher of football. A voracious consumer of knowledge of the game. Offense, defense, kicking game. Bob always had a clipboard with him. Highly organized practices. Bob had a huge personality. Loved teaching and coaching. And the community returned that love. Every time he spoke at an assembly or football rally, everybody present gave him a standing ovation. He was truly a legend.

The Team and the Community
Very smart. Hard workers. Excellent students. Not big, but quick! They were completely devoted to the fundamentals of football. Our teaching plan for practice was simple: tell them once, make ‘em do it 1000 times.

Team Leaders – every single one had great character. QB Brad Cummings and his kid brother, Gary ( I know his sad story), OT and LB Ron Somers, Receivers Billy Brooks and Hal Edwards, Center Paul Ricci, OT DE Jerre Bryant, FB/LB Peter Brown, and the always reliable running back with a huge smile, Larry Durgin. They were so much fun to coach. Never a bad attitude among them or any hesitation to do what we asked of them. 100% commitment! But, the season wasn’t just about the football players. It was about the whole community. Oxford Hills was a school made up of eight towns and recent memories of the demise of the Norway – South Paris rivalry were still around. The ’71 football team brought everyone together and Oxford Hills High School became united.

Ron Somers
I coached several outstanding linebackers in my career. Ron was the best, hands down. He had a great nose for the ball" and a knack for making the big play in critical situations. Opposing coaches would tell me that they couldn’t believe how suddenly their backs went from moving forward to backward when jolted by a Ron Somers tackle. In addition, I recall Ron as the most “coach-able” player I ever had. He was smart, he meticulously studied the scouting reports, and he listened intently to every word coaches said. Can’t say enough about his toughness and durability as our best defensive player.

And from Advertiser –Democrat that week….

Six Vikings named to Class B All-stars

Oxford Hills High School’s 10-1 football team recently placed six of its members on the 1971 State Class B all-star team. In addition, three members of the local high school grid combine were selected as honorable mentions.

Selected by a panel of coaches from the state’s all-B Pine Tree Conference were quarterback Brad Cummings, halfback Larry Durgin, end Bill Brooks on offense, linebacker Ron Somers, defensive end Jerre Bryant, and defensive halfback Hal Edwards.

Named on the honorable list were center Paul Ricci, tackle Steve Raasumaa, and fullback-linebacker Pete Brown. All but Raasumaa are seniors.

Cummings was picked as one of two quarterbacks on the 32-man first team, sharing the post with state champion Morse High’s Johnny Bussey.

Votes for the QB position were scattered between Cummings, Bussey, Winslow’s Pete Siviski, and Rockland’s Terry Kenniston.

The Oxford Hills field general passed for more than 1,400 yards this season and 19 touchdown aerials. He connected on 49 of 91 passes and added luster to the high-scoring Viking offense with his running.

Durgin capped three years of first-string halfback play by recording more than 1,100 yards rushing, the most in the history of the school, and scoring 11 touchdowns.

His list of sparkling statistics combined with outstanding years as a junior and sophomore singles out Durgin as probably the finest running back in Oxford Hills football history. In addition to his offensive prowess, the 5-11 160 pounder was a key defensive back with four interceptions during the past season.

End Bill Brooks and linebacker Ron Somers were unanimous choices for the first team.

Brooks, a six-foot 160-pound transfer from Welleslley, Mass. was Cummings’ favorite target. The glue-fingered speedster was on the receiving end of eight touchdown passes good for 554 yards. Most observers rate Brooks with Dave Bryant of the 1966 Viking team as the school’s outstanding receiver. Like Durgin, Brooks was also a highly valuable member of the defensive secondary.

Somers, a 5-11 185 pounder, was the key man in the Viking defense at middle linebacker. He and Bryant, a six-foot, 190 pound end who also played tackle, combined quickness and experience with punishing tackling abilities and intelligent play. They join a list of outstanding Viking defensive linemen and linebackers going back several seasons.

Edwards was the smallest Viking starter and smallest member of the All-State team at 5-6, 135 pounds. Opponents, however, knew him as a sure, jarring tackler who operated with as much power as some of his 180-pound teammates. He combined with Brooks as the Viking offensive end duo and joined Brooks and Durgin on defense to give the Hillsmen their best defensive secondary in years. (Attested to by their 22 interceptions on the year and the fact that the Vikings gave up touchdowns on passes only three times all season.)

Ricci and Brown joined Somers to give the Vikings excellent linebacking throughout the season. In addition, both were outstanding on offense.

Brown was the perfect complement to Durgin in the backfield, serving as an inside threat who consistently was worth three or four yards per carry. In the one game he missed (due to illness) during the season, the Vikings experienced a difficult time establishing a ground attack.

Ricci had three fumble recoveries and an interception on the season and was perfect in 11 games in delivering the ball to the quarterback and to the punter.

Raasumaa, a junior, could further the Viking tradition of outstanding Viking defensive linemen next season. (He also plays offensively at tackle.) He recovered two fumbles during 1971 and on a number of occasions was among the top in the list of individual tackles per game.

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