Editor’s note: The Lobster Bowl would have been played Saturday, had the annual Maine high school football all-star game not been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Throughout this week, the Sun Journal will recognize the football players and cheerleaders from the area who were selected to participate in the game.
Jeffrey “J.J.” Worster, Oxford Hills
J.J. WORSTER, OXFORD HILLS
What does it mean to be selected to play in the Lobster Bowl?
“It means a lot to be selected for the Lobster Bowl. I’ve wanted to play in the Lobster Bowl since I knew it was a thing. It’s been a goal of mine that I can check off.”
Which opponent were you looking forward to being on the same team as?
“I was looking forward to being on the same team as Eric Benner From Madomak. I’ve wrestled him before and I was looking forward to seeing if he was as good at football as he is at wrestling.”
What was your favorite on-field football moment?
“My favorite on the field football moment was my junior year at home against Bonny Eagle. They were pushing inside our 10 yard line and our CB Michael Bonang picked it off to seal the game.”
DAVID DINGLEY, OXFORD HILLS
What does it mean to be selected to play in the Lobster Bowl?
David Dingley, Oxford Hills Brewster Burns photo
“It has been a goal of mine to participate in the Lobster bowl since my freshman year, looking up to all the football players and upperclass who have played in the Lobster Bowl before me. The Lobster Bowl is more than just an opportunity to play in a special game, but it’s an opportunity to raise awareness for children with needs. It’s an honor to be selected to play in the Lobster Bowl.”
Which opponent were you looking forward to be on the same team as?
“An opponent I was looking forward to suit up with would be either Bangor or Brunswick. The players from there work very hard and are coached well. Tough group of kids and very respectful.”
What was your favorite on-field football moment?
“I mean, the whole time the team and I are out on the field, I really enjoyed. I take it all in. The brisk air, giving it 100% with your teammates, playing under the lights, and knowing the town and community are there to support you. There’s nothing like seeing a special person in the stands and knowing that they are there to support you. And there’s just nothing like football.”
COLBY VANDECKER, OXFORD HILLS
What does it mean to be selected to play in the Lobster Bowl?
Brewster Burns
“To be selected to play in the Lobster Bowl was quite an honor. Even though there was no game, it still felt good to collect money for Shriners Hospitals. Also, just knowing that my hard work and dedication throughout my high school career was acknowledged and rewarded felt pretty good.”
Which opponent were you looking forward to be on the same team as?
“I wasn’t looking forward to playing with any one teammate in particular, I was mostly looking forward to meeting players from different teams and playing alongside them.”
What was your favorite on-field football moment?
“My favorite football moment was from homecoming my senior season. Seeing the home stands packed full of the Oxford Hills community cheering us on as we won our homecoming game gave us all good spirits.”
McKENNA MULLDOON, EDWARD LITTLE
What does it mean to be selected as a cheerleader for the Lobster Bowl?
McKenna Muldoon, Edward Little cheerleader Studio 17 Photography
“It’s an honor. Just looking back on my last four years, seeing how much I’ve improved from freshman year, which was my first year cheering, to senior year. Knowing that my coaches have seen that growth and improvement and wanted to give me the opportunity means everything to me. Knowing that the money was going to a good cause just made it that more special.”
Which cheerleaders from other schools were you looking forward to cheering alongside at the Lobster Bowl?
“I actually did not know many other cheerleaders, but I was excited to be able to meet cheerleaders from other schools and just learn from them.”
What was your favorite fall cheering moment?
“My favorite moments would probably be after football games, my friends and I would meet back at EL and just hang out and listen to music in the parking lot for hours together. It’s definitely going to be the thing I miss the most.”
KYLE STILKEY, OAK HILL
What does it mean to be selected to play in the Lobster Bowl?
Kyle Stilkey, Oak Hill
“Being selected to play in the Lobster Bowl was one of the things I had strived to achieve since the beginning of high school, so it really means a lot to be even chosen to play with and against some of the best players of my class. Also, it means a lot that I got to raise money for a great cause and also to represent my community.”
Which opponent were you looking forward to being on the same team as?
“I was looking forward to playing with the boys from Lisbon. We may be rivals but just playing against those players that were selected, seeing how hard they worked and to see what they had achieved, I was looking forward to being on the same side of the ball as them.”
What was your favorite on-field football moment?
“My favorite moment moment of my high school football career had to have been my junior year. Our playoff run was something I will remember for the rest of my life, having come out with two upset wins as a seventh seed over Lisbon and Madison. Those will be games I will remember forever.”
RACHEL NEWCOMB, OXFORD HILLS
What does it mean to be selected to be a cheerleader for the Lobster Bowl?
Rachel Newcomb, Oxford Hills
“For me, being selected for the Lobster Bowl meant a lot. I’ve always felt under-valued in sports, so an opportunity like this was very exciting for me.”
What part of the Lobster Bowl week were you looking forward to most?
“I was really looking forward to game day where my family could see me in the uniform. My sister, who is now overseas for the Marines, was the only senior her graduating year that went to the Lobster Bowl from Oxford Hills, so it was going to be something special that her and I could have shared.”
What your favorite moment was from the football season?
“I really enjoyed senior night this year. It was one of the first times I actually felt special and genuinely cared for in the cheering community.”
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