Oxford Hills football players, coaches win Class A honors after championship

PHOTO: Team cheerleader photo – Oxford Hill Regional High School cheerleaders pose after the Vikings’ Nov. 19 21-7 championship game win over last year’s champions, Thornton Academy. (Bill Van Tassel photo)

SOUTH PARIS — At this writing, most Oxford Hills residents know that their high school football team became Class A state champion after an undefeated season and a 21-7 title game win over Thornton Academy.
Last year’s team lost to Thornton in the championship game, but this year’s Vikings brought a strong defensive game, desire for the school’s first state title and an especially great performance from quarterback Eli Soehren.

The Vikings averaged just less than 40 points a game in 11 outings. Soehren passed 1,776 yards for 24 touchdowns and completed two-thirds of his passes. He ran for six touchdowns, including two in the championship game.
The team effort was led by the coaching of Soehren’s father, head coach Mark Soehren and assistant Joe Oufiero.
Several members of the team and coaching staff earned 2022 Maine Class A Coaches All-State honors and other accolades:
Mark Soehren: Class A Mike Landry Coach of the Year
Assistant Coach Joe Oufiero: Class A Guy Lajeunesse Assistant Coach of the Year
Eli Soehren: Class A All-State Player of the Year, MaxPreps Maine High School Player of the Year, Class A All-State First Team Quarterback, Placekicker and Punter
Zach Louvat: Class A All-State Lineman of the Year (along with Thornton’s Brent Paulin), Class A All-State First Team Offense and Second Team Defense
Finn Winning (defensive tackle), Jake Carson (lineman): Class A First-Team Defense
Teigan Pelletier, Tanner Bickford (receivers, defensive backs), Lincoln Merrill (tight end, defensive back) and Holden Shaw (lineman, defensive end): Class A All-State First Team Offense and Second Team Defense
Trey Morrison: (running back), Alex Bartlett (center): Class A All-State Second Team defense.