VYPE Concordia Lutheran July 2022

CONCORDIA LUTHERAN GOT THEIR MAN. One of the names most synonymous in Houston high school football came out of retirement in the winter to take over 'Sader Nation... Willie Amendola. Amendola won a Class 5A DII UIL State Title in 2011 with the upstart Dekaney Wildcats. Dekaney went 14-2 and defeated Cibolo Steele 34-14 in the championship game. Soon after, he took on a new role overseeing athletics on a macro level as Spring ISD’s Athletic Director. He also ran point for the construction of Planet Ford Stadium in Spring – a state-of-the-art facility on the north side of Houston. But his passion for coaching never diminished, especially after retiring from Spring ISD a few years back. Amendola Brings Energy, Experience, Success to ‘Sader Nation

“Concordia Lutheran is a great fit because their administration supports extra-curricular activities to the fullest,” Amendola said. “The systems are in place; the kids want to work hard and there is tremendous community support.” Amendola hit the ground running this offseason with his signature positive energy and vast experience in program building.

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The systems are in place; the kids want to work hard and there is tremendous community support.

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“We came in with the purpose of instilling the team covenant – Common Purpose, Mutual Dependency and Shared Honor – and we preached it every day during the offseason,” Amendola said. “The kids saw how it translated to be successful.” Amendola laid out four phases of his roll-out that included character education, weights, skill-training and spring training. “There has been great energy and the players are buying in,” he said. “It showed all offseason, leading up to our Spring Game. It carried over into summer workouts. They have been crushing it in the weight room and their hard work will pay off this season.” The long-time head coach had two points of emphasis heading into the spring that needed to be addressed. “We wanted to improve the strength and physicality of our offensive line and our ability to run to the ball and be explosive on impact on defense,” the veteran coach said. “I think we accomplished both of those.” He was also tasked to put together a coaching staff. Jacob Vasquez will stay on to be his offensive coordinator, while Ed Ramirez comes in to be the defensive coordinator. Former Cypress Ridge head coach Gary Thiebaud will coach the defensive line, while John McWilliams will coach the offensive line. “We have some great experience on this staff who have seen it all,” he said. “They are great men. Look, we are all excited to be here with one goal – coaching these kids the right way and getting them to believe that they can be successful.”