Sanford High senior football players from left, Jayden Franco, Brady Boissonneault, Perrin Shaw and Andrew Nickerson pose at a July 16 practice. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer)
Editor's note: This story contains mentions of suicide and suicidal thoughts.
Jony Hunter spent a spring night on Wells Beach with one of his closest friends and teammates, listening to music, eating doughnuts.
The next night, the texts started to come in to friends and family.
"I love you so much, I'm so sorry, I promise this is for the best," he told his mother.
As teenagers sometimes do, Hunter's friends tracked his phone to the Piscataqua River Bridge that connects Maine to New Hampshire.
"There were cops surrounding the place and Jony's car was there and I just broke down immediately on the side of the road," Hunter's friend Andrew Nickerson said.
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His body was recovered the next day -- just 10 days shy of his 17th birthday.
Months later, Hunter's Sanford High School football teammates are learning how to move forward. The school opted not to have any official memorial or celebration of his life -- its policy aims to treat any student death with "sensitivity and consistency" and mental health professionals often advise against formal school memorials when students die by suicide.
The team went through summer workouts preparing for a season that should have featured the nimble and athletic 6-foot, nearly 300-pound, two-way lineman.
He was their emotional leader, morale booster and arguably the Spartans' best overall player, having earned second-team all-Class A honors on both offense and defense.
"He was such a big part (of) our team and all our friendships, and him being gone, 90% of our friendship is gone. It's a huge hole," said Perrin Shaw, one of Hunter's classmates.
People write on a birthday card for Jony Hunter during a May 21 celebration of life service for the teen at Sanford Memorial Gym. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer)
Todd Hildebrand came on in March as Sanford's new head coach and has tried to help the team work through its grief.
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"My whole thought after this happened back in May was to make sure I'm looking after these kids," said Hildebrand, the father of a 9-year-old son. "They're trying to navigate this as teenagers and there's no way to really kind of navigate it, right? So at the end of the day it's about being able to express how you feel."
'ALWAYS BRINGING EVERYBODY UP'
Most of Hunter's friends said they had little or no idea that he was struggling with depression and seeing a therapist. His grandmother, Susan Spinney, said he was open with her about his feelings of anxiety, depression and lacking a sense of belonging. His mom, Amanda Spinney, acknowledged he had been taking medication.
"I know he knows how much he was loved, but when you struggle with depression and stuff, sometimes you can't necessarily feel it," Amanda Spinney said. "I hope he can feel it now."
Data from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services shows approximately 28 people between the ages of 10 and 24 die by suicide in the state each year, about one-tenth of the statewide total.
The Maine Integrated Youth Survey found that 9% of high school students self-reported attempting suicide in the previous year. While girls are 2.5 times more likely to be hospitalized because of self-inflicted injuries, boys account for 89% of the deaths.
Hunter's coaches and teammates said he consistently displayed the traits associated with leadership and being a good teammate. He knew his responsibilities on the field as well as everyone else's. He worked hard in practice and the weight room. He was earning straight Bs in the classroom, Hildebrand said.
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Most of all, if someone else was struggling in practice or looked like they were having a down day, Hunter was the person who would offer a helping hand or words of encouragement.
Brady Boissonneault reacts during a celebration of life for Jony Hunter on May 21 at Sanford Memorial Gym. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer)
"I never met a bigger captain than Jony," Nickerson said. "He was always bringing everybody up."
Jayden Franco, a senior running back and defensive back, said he recognized that Hunter was down at times, but even then, he would take on the role of being the supportive friend.
"We definitely talked a lot about mental health but nothing like actually (choosing suicide) or anything," Franco said. "We just talked about everything in life. He had stuff going on. I had stuff going on. We always talked about it."
MEMORIAL SERVICE
Hunter had grown up in southern New Hampshire and moved to Sanford in 2021 ahead of his eighth-grade year. Football was his immediate entry path into the community.
At a private celebration of his life in late May at Sanford's Memorial Gym, it was evident how football, community and his concern for others were important linchpins in the teen's life.
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"Jony's parents know that if they need anything, this community will have open arms for them, just like they knew five years ago when they came to town," said Mark Boissonneault, a former Sanford assistant and the varsity head coach in 2024. "That was one of the things that they always talked about to me, was how this community embraced Jony and just took him in as one of their own.
Jony Hunter is pictured wearing a hat and jersey of the Los Angeles Rams during a celebration of life service. (Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer)
"He will sorely, sorely be missed," Boissonneault said.
Posters adorned with photos of Hunter were taped up to the walls. Attendees were asked to write down a favorite memory.
"You were always there for everyone else when we should have been there for you," one read. "You made everyone smile," and "I pray your story impacts others and they are never alone," said two others. Another said "I hope there's an NFL in heaven."
EXPRESSING FEELINGS
The team began formal preseason practices on Aug. 18, with the season opener scheduled for Sept. 4, at Biddeford.
At all times, the Sanford players said, they will try to emulate Hunter's work ethic and his kindness.
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"I think everyone on the team has something to play for. Every single one of us," said teammate Brady Boissonneault. "No matter what happens, I think, Jony will be proud of every single one of us. As long as we are putting in the hard work and that's what I do every single day."
They want to honor their friend by encouraging people to have difficult, but important conversations about mental health. They want others to express how they're feeling and listening to others.
"To get other people into the loop that it's OK to talk to other people. Never to be scared to open up, even if it's someone you don't know entirely, or the closest friend that you have, or the closest relative, sibling," Shaw said. "It's great for other people to know what's going on in your life."
Nickerson hopes people learn that by being more open other premature deaths can be prevented.
"I just think, the person that loves you would rather you cry with them than cry at your grave," he said. " I think that's a big part."
IF YOU NEED HELP
IF YOU or someone you know is in immediate danger, dial 911.
FOR ASSISTANCE during a mental health crisis, call or text 888-568-1112. To call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org.
FOR MORE SUPPORT, call the NAMI Maine Help Line at 800-464-5767 or email [email protected].
OTHER Maine resources for mental health can be found by calling 211.
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