LONGVIEW, Texas — Less than a year after becoming the assistant head football coach at his alma mater, Gladewater High School, Jonny Louvier took his talents about eight miles west to lead Spring Hill Independent School District's athletic department and football program.
CBS19 was first to confirm Louvier, 35, had been named the head football coach and athletic director at Spring Hill ISD on Monday, March 18, 2019.
Louvier took over for Kelly Mercer who announced he was leaving the district earlier this year after four seasons at the helm. Under Mercer, the Panthers put up a four-season record of 11-29.
Louvier is the sixth HC/AD for Spring Hill since 2009:
- Robert Bero, 2006-2009
- Bill Poe, 2010-2011
- Bobby Chadwick, 2012
- Mark Sartain, 2013
- Kelly Mercer 2015-2018
Louvier and his staff will look to turn the page with a team that went 2-8 in 2018 and bring the Panthers back to their former glory.
ABOUT LOUVIER
Louvier started his career as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Gladewater and Arp.
He was then named head football coach and athletic director at Frankston ISD. He left the Indians in 2017 to take the assistant head coach position under Kurt Traylor at Robert E. Lee High School. In July 2018, he departed REL to go back to where it all began when he was named assistant head coach at Gladewater High School.
Louvier is a 2002 graduate of GHS where he shined as a four-sport athlete (football, basketball, baseball and track).
As a senior quarterback under then-head coach David Hussman, he earned honorable mention All-State accolades. He was named the District 14-3A Offensive Player of the Year and was a two-time All-East Texas selection.
He threw for more than 4,500 yards and 44 touchdowns during his high school career, while racking up nearly 1,400 yards and 15 scores on the ground.
Louvier also won the Wendy's High School Heisman and was named to the Academic All-State team.
On the basketball court, he earned district MVP honors twice.
He still holds the GHS records for most passing yards (4,502), touchdown passes in a season (18), touchdown passes in a career (44), pass attempts in a season (237) and completed passes (127).
Louvier played QB at Texas A&M-Commerce and earned a B.S. in Kinesiology. He later earned his M.Ed. from the University of Texas at Tyler.
2019 PANTHERS
On Thursday, August 8, the Panthers voted on six players to represent the team as captains.
The team leaders for the 2019 season are as follows:
- GRADE: Senior
- POSITION: Defensive End
- EXPERIENCE: 3rd year on varsity
- GRADE: Senior
- POSITION: Quarterback
- EXPERIENCE: 4th year on varsity
- GRADE: Senior
- POSITION: Linebacker/Wide Receiver
- EXPERIENCE: 3rd year on varsity
- GRADE: Senior
- POSITION: Wide Receiver/Cornerback
- EXPERIENCE: 3rd year on varsity
- GRADE: Senior
- POSITION: Linebacker/Tight End
- EXPERIENCE: 3rd year on varsity
- GRADE: Junior
- POSITION: Wide Receiver
- EXPERIENCE: 2nd year on varsity
This year's varsity squad consists of 13 seniors, 16 juniors and four sophomores.
The Panthers will take on the Center Roughriders (Away) and the Tatum Eagles (Home) in scrimmages, August 16, and August 22, respectively.
Their preseason schedule features the following matchups:
- August 30 - Gladewater Bears (Away - 7:30 p.m.)
- September 6 - Bullard Panthers (Home - 7:30 p.m.)
- September 13 - White Oak Roughnecks (Away - 7:30 p.m.)
- September 20 - Rusk Eagles (Home - 7:30 p.m.)
- September 27 - Malakoff Tigers (Home - 7:30 p.m.; Homecoming)
- October 4 - Silsbee Tigers (Away - 7:30 p.m.)
The Panthers are in District 6 of UIL 4A Division II play. However, their district is better known by its nickname, the "District of Doom."
Their district schedule is as follows:
Being in a five-team district, the top four teams will advance to the UIL Texas High School Football Playoffs.
SPRING HILL - HISTORICALLY BY THE NUMBERS
Since Spring Hill began playing football in 1940, they have only had two losing decades.
From 1980-1989, the Panthers compiled a 42-58-2 record. In the current decade, they have posted a 25-65 record with only the 2019 season left to play.
The team's best season came in 2002 when the Panthers were named Regional Champions and ended the year at 12-2.
Spring Hill's most recent playoff appearance came in 2007 under Coach Robert Bero. They last won a playoff game in 2004 with Coach Steve Gaddis at the helm. Gaddis also led them to their last district championship in 2003.
SPRING HILL VARSITY FOOTBALL RECORDS
- Rushing yards (game): Jerry Ramo - 305 vs. Harleton (1967)
- Rushing yards (season): Demario Thomas - 2,163 (2004)
- Rushing yards (career): Jamario Thomas - 5,007 (2001-2003)
- Rushing touchdowns (game): Jamario Thomas - 6 vs. Van (2002)
- Rushing touchdowns (season): Jamario Thomas - 36 (2002)
- Rushing touchdowns (career): Jamario Thomas - 93 (2001-2003)
- Player points (season): Jamario Thomas - 204 (2002)
- Player points (career): Jamario Thomas - 384 (2001-2003)
- Passing yards (game): Steven Prince - 321 vs. Queen City (2003)
- Passing yards (season): Steven Prince - 2,188 (2003)
- Passing yards (career): Steven Prince - 4,691 (2001-2003)
- Pass completions (season): Steven Prince - 139 (2002)
- Passing touchdowns (game): Dylan Brown - 5 vs. White Oak (2010)
- Passing touchdowns (season): Steven Prince - 22 (2003)
- Passing touchdowns (career): Steven Prince - 41 (2001-2003)
- Longest touchdown pass: Steven Prince to Morris Starts - 89 yards vs. Queen City (2003); Steven Prince to Jamario Thomas - 89 yards vs. Queen City (2003)
- Receptions (game): Chad Mackey - 15 vs. Gilmer (1990)
- Receptions (season): Chad Mackey - 73 (1990)
- Receiving yards (season): Chad Mackey - 1,134 (1990)
- Receiving yards (game): Morris Starts - 190 vs. Queen City (2003)
- Field goals made (game): Troy Duran - 4 vs. Center (2014)
- Field goals made (season): David Brelsford - 16 (2000)
- Field goals made (career): David Brelsford - 28 (1998-2000)
- Longest field goal: David Brelsford - 56 yards (2000)
- Punting average: Kyle Pope - 41.0 yards (2004)
- Longest punt: Troy Duran - 68 yards vs. Brook Hill (2013)
- Longest kick-off return: Carson Fudge - 99 yards vs. Pleasant Grove (2016)
- Defensive points (game): Trent Allen - 36 vs. Queen City (2002)
- Defensive points (season): Trent Allen - 403 (2002)
- Solo tackles (game): Trent Allen - 13 (2003)
- Solo tackles (season): Trent Allen - 133 (2002)
- Total tackles (season): Trent Allen - 213 (2002)
- Total tackles (career): Trent Allen - 452 (2000-2002)
- Interceptions (season): Sonny Dack - 6 (1996); Joey Jones - 6 (1996); Arthur Johnson - 6 (2004)
- Fumble recoveries (season): Scotty Laymance - 5 (1996)
PRIDE: All Hail Spring Hill, brought to you by East Texas Professional Credit Union and John Frazier: Allstate, will air Thursdays at 7 p.m. only on CBS19.tv and the CBS19 YouTube page.