| 1 | 1 | | 88R8869 CW-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hughes S.R. No. 41 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Joe Willis is retiring as head football coach at |
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| 7 | 7 | | Legacy High School in Tyler in 2023, drawing to a close an |
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| 8 | 8 | | exceptional career in education and school athletics that has |
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| 9 | 9 | | spanned three decades; and |
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| 10 | 10 | | WHEREAS, After taking the reins of the Legacy gridiron |
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| 11 | 11 | | program in January 2020, Coach Willis helped the Red Raiders claim |
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| 12 | 12 | | their first playoff victory in more than a decade and to win two |
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| 13 | 13 | | bi-district championships, and the team was a state finalist for |
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| 14 | 14 | | the 2021-2022 National Football Foundation High School Excellence |
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| 15 | 15 | | Award; moreover, several of his players have received full |
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| 16 | 16 | | scholarships to play college football; he has further benefited |
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| 17 | 17 | | Legacy students through his work as campus athletic coordinator; |
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| 18 | 18 | | and |
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| 19 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Coach Willis first joined the head coaching ranks in |
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| 20 | 20 | | 2004 at Iraan High School, and he guided the Braves for three years |
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| 21 | 21 | | before becoming a member of the coaching staff at Cedar Park High |
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| 22 | 22 | | School; rising to the post of head coach in 2012, he led the |
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| 23 | 23 | | Timberwolves to the UIL 4A Division 2 championship during his first |
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| 24 | 24 | | season and to another state title game appearance in 2014; he next |
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| 25 | 25 | | took the head coaching job at Colleyville Heritage High School, |
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| 26 | 26 | | producing playoff berths in each of his five campaigns, including |
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| 27 | 27 | | trips to the regional semifinals and state quarterfinals; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | WHEREAS, Over the course of his 14 years as a head football |
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| 29 | 29 | | coach, Coach Willis compiled an outstanding career record of 113 |
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| 30 | 30 | | wins and 62 losses; moreover, his teams went 25-10 in postseason |
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| 31 | 31 | | action, with a combined total of six district titles; among his |
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| 32 | 32 | | accolades, he was honored as the 2012 Dave Campbell's Texas |
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| 33 | 33 | | Football 4A Coach of the Year; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Joe Willis has served as an inspiring mentor and |
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| 35 | 35 | | role model to countless young Texans, helping them to excel both on |
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| 36 | 36 | | and off the gridiron, and he may indeed reflect with pride on his |
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| 37 | 37 | | many achievements as he embarks on the next exciting chapter of his |
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| 38 | 38 | | life; now, therefore, be it |
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| 39 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature |
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| 40 | 40 | | hereby congratulate Joe Willis on his retirement as head football |
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| 41 | 41 | | coach at Legacy High School in Tyler and extend to him sincere best |
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| 42 | 42 | | wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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| 43 | 43 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 44 | 44 | | prepared for Coach Willis as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 45 | 45 | | Texas Senate. |
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