Yukica Profile: Oceanne Skoog

By rbrown
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Updated: May 6, 2020

NOTE: The 2020 Joe Yukica New Hampshire Chapter of the National Football Foundation Scholar/Athlete banquet was cancelled this year because of COVID-19. Each Scholar/Athlete will be recognized with a commemorative program, a plaque and a personal profile that will appear in the program, on the New Hampshire Football Report, the Joe Yukica/New Hampshire Chapter web site (joeyukicafootballfoundation.org) and the Joe Yukica/New Hampshire Chapter Facebook page. This is one in a series of 39 profiles. Once published, each profile can be accessed by clicking on the athlete’s name at the bottom of the page.

OCEANNE SKOOG
Newfound Regional High School

Each winner of the Joe Yukica/New Hampshire Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar/Athlete Award is unique in their own way. Perhaps none more so than Newfound Regional High School’s Oceanne Skoog.

What sets Skoog apart?

For one thing she’s only the second female to win the Scholar/Athlete award, joining 2019 winner Madison Lucontoni of Bedford High School. Skoog is also the only junior among this year’s 39 winners. She will graduate in June — a year early — and pursue a career in the medical field.

“On the field she tightened her chin strap and it was ‘let’s go.’” Newfound head coach Ray Kershaw said. “Off the field the skirt comes out with the high heels. When she stepped off the football field she was a lady, but when she was on the football field she was like one of the guys.”

Unlike Lucontoni, who was a place-kicker, Skoog played a position that required her to mix it up with the boys. She was selected as a First Team All-State offensive lineman in Division IV following the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Newfound assistant coach Josh Kershaw (Ray’s son) said he was hesitant to play Skoog as a freshman, but did so when it became clear she would be an impact player for the Bears right away.

“It was obvious she was going to be good from Day 1,” Josh Kershaw said “She pushed kids in the weight room. She’s one of the strongest players we have. She’s a bright kid, but academically she also worked very hard.

“She’s an all-around great kid. Did all the right things on and off the field. She was a good role model for everybody else to follow on the offensive line.”

Skoog, who also competed in track and field, spent last summer shadowing a doctor at Lakes Region General Hospital. She has also volunteered at the New Hampshire Veterans Home. Her football career began in seventh grade.

Ray Kershaw said having a female on the team never caused an issue of any kind.

“She was accepted by her teammates the first time she stepped on the field because of how tough she was,” he said. “She’s a leader on and off the field. She truly is.”

And definitely one of a kind.

Q and A with Oceanne Skoog

Q: Please describe the most memorable moment of your high school football career.

A: The most memorable moment of my high school football career was preseason camp, which took place at Vermont Academy. It was the hardest conditioning and training we had ever endured, especially for the linemen, but we all became closer as a family and ate great food in the process. Coach also introduced us to “Hold the Rope.” This motto carried us through our season. Secondly, being awarded the title “Hometown Hero,” was a highlight of my high school football career.

Q: Tell us about someone who has had a significant influence on your life.

A: My mother and my coaches have impacted my life in astounding ways. My mother has always valued education, and even though she wasn’t sure if I would like football, she supported me 100 percent and pushed me to always strive to be the best version of myself on and off the field. My coaches have done the same, and show that they do value education as the most important aspect of our young lives. The guidance of these role models has definitely turned me into the outgoing and social athlete I am today.

Q: What is your favorite subject in school and why?

A: My favorite subject in school is definitely either economics or biology, as they both come easy to me and are very complicated and interesting. I took both as my AP classes sophomore and greatly enjoyed it.

Q: What life lessons have you learned from football?

A: There are an immense amount of life lessons that can be taken from football. Football teaches you to work with other kids from all different backgrounds, and make close-knit connections that truly turn you into a family in and out of the season. Every player on the field knows that if they need anything, no matter if it’s football season or not, they can call a teammate or coach and they will always be willing to help. Football teaches you mental and physical strength, endurance, and that pushing on even in the hardest times can make a huge difference in the future.

Q: What is your dream job?

A:: My dream job is to become a nurse anesthetist, which I will be working to become this fall by starting nursing school at the age of 16.

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2020 Scholar/Athletes: Keith Albergo (Winnacunnet), Thatcher Allen (Exeter), Cole Ames (Lebanon), Mason Belsky (Windham), Patrick Brust (Bishop Brady), Jaedon Cliche (Exeter), Riley Desmarais (Windham), Bobby DiCicco (Windham), Jared Dyer (Merrimack), Casey Gladu (Portsmouth), Owen Gormley (Salem), Jack Grogan (Bedford), Steven Guerette (Bow), Evan Haskins (Pelham), Samson Hodges (Milford), Ethan Holt (Bishop Guertin), Jack Jones (Bedford), Charlie Kneissl-Williams (Bedford), Hunter Lassard (St. Thomas), Joseph Lupo (Bishop Guertin), Jake MacInnis (Pinkerton), Braden McDonnell (Nashua South), Will MacLean (St. Thomas), Hayden Moses (Bishop Guertin), Riley Mulvey (Salem), Kyle O’Connor (Nashua South), Nolan Pafford (Portsmouth), Wade Rainey (Lebanon), Ismael Rivera (Bishop Brady), Oceanne Skoog (Newfound), Caleb Smith (Lebanon), Rolando Sylvain-Stott (Newfound), John Thibault (Trinity), Zach Twardosky (Merrimack), Gavin Urda (Milford), Carter Vedrani (Campbell), Jacob Wenger (Trinity), Jon Willeman (Lebanon) and Devin Wood (Merrimack).