Leon Boulware has heard the phrase “once a Lion always a Lion” since he became the head football coach at Lewisville two years ago. Last Friday, he really understood it however.
“I wanted to tell the kids I was leaving and not have them see it on social media. It was one of the hardest conversations I’ve ever had,” he said.
Boulware informed his team he was stepping down. Four days later, the Kershaw County School Board officially approved his hiring as the new head football coach and athletic director at Lugoff-Elgin High School.
Boulware had actually had his name pop up in relation to a number of coaching searches, including Union County and Fort Dorchester. He said he would only have left Lewisville for what he considered a special opening and believes that’s what he found at Lugoff-Elgin.
“It reminds me a lot of Lewisville when I got there,” he said. “I think they have the athletes to turn things around quickly. There is talent there and potential there”
There were other things that made the job attractive. Lugoff-Elgin is moving up to the AAAAA classification and Boulware said he has never been one to shy away from a challenge. He also said “the number of A’s” didn’t really didn’t matter anyway. Being named athletic director on top of football coach equates to salary increase, but the school is also 10 minutes from Boulware’s Blythewood home. He said he has spent a lot of time talking to his players at Lewisville about wanting them to be great citizens and great family men down the road and said it would be hypocritical to not consider an opportunity that put him so much closer to his own wife and children.
Boulware had enormous success in his two years leading the Lions. His first team went 11-2, won a region championship and advanced to the third round of the playoffs. This past season, the Lions went 10-2, won another region crown and consistently won by such large margins that the team played in seven games that featured running clocks. It wasn’t just about wins and losses on the field, though, with Boulware also fondly recounting a summer bus tour during which he took his team to multiple college campuses for camps and seven-on-seven tournaments in multiple states.
“It seems like I’ve been with this group forever, not a couple of years,” he said.
Boulware made it a point to attend most athletic events at the school and had members of his staff do the same thing. He also had some of the school’s all-time great (like Sheldon Brown and Mike Barber) come back and be a part of the program.
The Lewisville High School Athletics Department thanked Boulware for his work at the school on social media.
“On behalf of all players, coaches and teachers/administrators, we would like to thank Coach Boulware for everything he has done at Lewisville High School. He not only brought back the tradition of LHS football but also built relationships that last a lifetime,” the school posted.
Shortly after Boulware’s hiring was made official, the school announced that Trent Usher, Lewisville defensive coordinator, would serve as interim head coach. He has previous experience as a head coach at Central of Pageland.
Boulware believes that the program is built for long-term success and expects the Lions to be a contender for a state title this year. He said he would be cheering for them and will continue to be there for players individually.
“Lewisville will always have a piece of my heart,” Boulware said. “It’s a special place. There is so much I could say about it. I may be at another school, but I’m still their coach. If players need me I’m never more than a phone call away.”
Once a Lion, always a Lion.
February 21, 2024 | Chester News & Reporter (SC)
Author/Byline: Staff Writer | Section: News