Nick Mancillas is back in the building mode, except this time it will be from scratch.
Mancillas recently stepped down after three seasons as the head football coach at King’s Way Christian to help launch a high school athletic program at Agape Christian Academy in Camas.
Agape Christian is planning to expand its educational offering from its pre-K to eighth grade model to including all four years of high school education starting in the fall.
In addition to his duties at King’s Way, Mancillas has also spent the past four years as a social studies teacher and athletic director of middle-school athletics at Agape, known previously as Camas Christian Academy.
Now, he’s planning to commit all his efforts to Agape.
“I did what I could do for the three years (at King’s Way), and I felt like things went really, really well,” Mancillas said. “We did a great job of bringing the program back. … Just as that was taking off there, so was the need and the push for (Agape) to start our own high school, which is where we are now.”
After King’s Way Christian made the decision to abandon its high school football program after the 2019 season, Mancillas was hired in the spring of 2021 to bring back the program. The Knights played a winless independent schedule in the fall of 2021 before returning as a full member of the 1A Trico League last fall.
The Knights went 4-5 last season, advancing to the 1A district playoffs.
Mancillas said his experience at King’s Way has prepared him well for the challenges he faces at Agape, where he hopes to be able to field a football team next fall.
“Selfishly, I would love it to be 11-man football,” Mancillas said. “That’s my goal. That’s what I’m gearing up for.” Mancillas said that 22 students have already registered for the high school program at Agape next fall. He hopes that number will climb to around 50 by the fall.
Agape has also worked out an athletic co-op with Cornerstone Christian Academy in Battle Ground, which just expanded its offerings to include a high school program last fall. Cornerstone started with just a freshman class this year, and will add additional classes each year through 2025-26.
The plan is for the Agape/Cornerstone athletic program to field teams in football, volleyball, boys and girls basketball and track and field for the 2023-24 school year.
“Luckily through this partnership we’re doing with Cornerstone Christian, both mascots happen to be Lions,” Mancillas said. “And we both have navy blue in our scheme. So no actual school name has to be involved in our uniforms. We can just put ‘Lions’ on everything.”
Mancillas has been in talks about joining the Central 2B League, although Agape/Cornerstone likely will field only sub-varsity teams in the first year or two.
Agape Christian classes are currently spread over three neighboring churches in Camas — Grace Foursquare, NorthLake and Lacamas Heights Baptist. The high school program will be offered at Lacamas Heights, which is located next to Camas High School.
And while he will be busy at Agape Christian, it would not be a big surprise to find Mancillas at King’s Way this fall, cheering on the Knights football team.
“It was such a great experience,” Mancillas said of his time at King’s Way. “I tried to put as much of myself into the program. But the thing I’m most proud about are the relations I built with the young men. I’m still checking on them, shooting them a text. Coaching is one of those life relationships. It doesn’t end when the season ends.”
For more info…
For more information on Agape Christian and its new high school program, call 360-833-0558, email bteas@goacalions.org or visit the website goacalions.org
