Oxford Hills’ Tanner Bickford works for extra yardage against Lewiston’s Jibril Holloman during an October game in Paris. Bickford is one of four Vikings chosen to play in the Lobster Bowl in July. Brewster Burns photo
State champions Leavitt and Oxford Hills each have four players selected to play in this year’s Lobster Bowl.
Those eight players will be led by their respective school’s coach: Mike Hathaway of the Class C champion Hornets is the head coach of the West team, and Mark Soehren, who led the Vikings to their first Class A state title, is the head coach of the East.
Overall, 21 area players and seven cheerleaders have been chosen to participate in Maine’s annual senior all-star football game, which will be played July 15 on Don Roux Field at Lewiston High School.
The players and cheerleaders selected are asked to raise money for the Shriners Hospitals for Children, a network of non-profit medical facilities across North America.
Eli Soehren, the 2022 Fitzpatrick Trophy winner and Mark Soehren’s son, joins Oxford Hills teammates Tanner Bickford, Lincoln Merrill and Zach Louvat, a Gaziano Award winner, on the East roster.
Also selected for the East team are Lewiston’s big-play-waiting-to-happen Eli Bigelow, a Fitzpatrick semifinalist, Edward Little lineman Caden Garry and Mt. Blue’s Isaac Wrigley.
The East coaching staff includes Oxford Hills assistants Nate Danforth and Joe Oufiero, along with Lewiston head coach Jason Versey and one of his assistants, Roddy Doustout.
Hathaway also will have his son, Leavitt receiver Sawyer Hathaway, on the West team. Other Hornets selected for the squad are big-play slot Dayton Calder, tight end/defensive end Brett Coburn, a Gaziano finalist, and Gaziano Award-winning lineman Beau Mayo.
Three players from Lisbon’s Class D runner-up squad will play for the West: Linemen Landon Dewildt and Owen Smith and tight end/defensive end Canaan Cameron.
Other area players on the West team include a pair of athletic quarterbacks, Charlie Houghton of Dirigo and Gray-New Gloucester’s Mikey Ryan; running backs Robert Leveillee of Mountain Valley, Dominic Trott of Winthrop and Reece Davis of Spruce Mountain; and linemen Michael Phillips of Poland and Alex Hinkley of Oak Hill.
Leavitt assistants Dave Botchler, who recently retired, Bill County and Mike Marston will join Mike Hathaway on the West coaching staff. Other West assistants include Lisbon head coach Chris Kates and Skip Capone, who coached at Portland the past few years but recently was hired as an assistant at Lewiston, which he led to the 1987 state championship.
CHEERLEADERS
Seven area cheerleaders also have been selected to participate in the Lobster Bowl.
Leavitt trio Emma Caouette, Alia Bell and Skyla Lapointe are on the West squad.
The East team includes three cheerleaders from Class A state champion Oxford Hills — Kylie Danforth, Madison Striegel and Abby Fickett — and Edward Little’s Alliyah Pelletier.
Edward Little’s Dawna Labonte is an assistant coach for the East cheer squad.
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