Calvary Chapel Football Coach Quits Despite Making Playoffs

Bill Lapes has resigned as football coach at Calvary Chapel High after guiding the Eagles into the Southern Section playoffs for the second consecutive year.

Lapes, 52, made his decision Thursday after Calvary Chapel’s 20-18 loss to Ontario Christian. He learned the players were told at a meeting Monday that the school’s administrators wanted to go in a different direction with the football team.

Athletic Director Joe Walters will take over coaching duties Saturday night when the Eagles, who received an at-large berth, play their first-round Division XI playoff game against second-seeded Ventura St. Bonaventure at Ventura High. Walters is an assistant coach.

“We didn’t think we were going to make it into the playoffs after losing [to Ontario], so Bill told me in the locker room after the game that he was not going to coach anymore,” Walters said. “Bill did a good job for us. He got us into the playoffs two years in a row and he should get credit for that.”

Hired in 1996, Lapes coached the Eagles to an 0-9-1 record his first season. They improved to 7-3-1 record in 1997 and were 4-4-1 this year. He had previously coached at Inglewood High and was a football and baseball coach at Mater Dei and Capistrano Valley.

“I’m sad,” Lapes said. “Calvary Chapel is a great school.”