SPOKANE, Wash — Lake City’s Jerry Louie-McGee is one of the most electric football players to come out of the Inland Northwest. The 5’9 receiver seemed to always find a way to get to the end zone.
One of his most famous touchdown trots came against Couer d’Alene High on a kickoff return in 2014.
"We weren’t supposed to kick to him at all and our kicker kicked to him," said Couer d'Alene High School head football coach Shawn Amos. "You work all week to kick away from someone like that and they punt it right to him and certain words come to your mind."
Coeur d'Alene had just tied the game up at 28 when the ball went careening in Louie-McGee's direction.
"I’m thinking, 'Well, the ball’s going to roll out of bounds. We’re going to get the ball at the 35. That’s great!'" recalled Van Troxel, Jerry's high school coach at Lake City.
JLM never turned down an opportunity to make some magic though. He proceeded to pick up the ball, dodge seven Coeur d'Alene players within a matter of a few seconds, and take off up the field.
"All the sudden he comes shooting out of, this is about on the eight-yard line, and I’m panicked on the sideline. He takes it 91, 92 yards for a touchdown and you’re just going, ‘Oh my god," said Troxel, years later still with a look of bewilderment on his face.
"That was an amazing athletic play. We thought we had him hemmed in. It’s still in my nightmares," said Amos with a smirk.
The play proved to be pivotal as Lake City ended up beating Coeur d'Alene on a field goal in overtime.
Jerry's dominance in high school was no fluke. He ended up becoming Montana's career leader in receptions
"That was the way he played. He was fearless. In my 40 years of coaching, he’s one of the top three kids that I’ve ever coached," said Troxel.