Spectators of tonight's Manteca High football game will be welcomed by a familiar face at Guss Schmiedt Field.
A plaque bearing the image of former head coach Eric Reis has been installed near the main entrance to the field and can be viewed by all who enter the stadium from the front gate. Reis and his family will be recognized in between the junior varsity and varsity games against Ripon. It's the Buffaloes' home opener of the short spring season.
“Since he gave up the head coaching position this has been something we've been wanting to do while he is still here at the school,” Manteca Athletic Director Bill Slikker said. “We'd like to bring his family and friends out and recognize them while they're able to do that.”
Reis is still teaching physical education at MHS and back with the football program as a junior varsity assistant. His son Garrison is a freshman quarterback on the team. His oldest son, Kyle, was a standout lineman for the Buffs during Reis' final three years as coach. Kyle and Garrison represent the fourth generation of MHS football players in the family.
Eric Reis coached his alma mater for 16 years from 2002-2017 and compiled a 150-42-2 record. The win total is also the most for any high school football coach in city history.
The Buffaloes missed the postseason just twice under Reis, winning five Valley Oak League titles while going 5-1 in section finals. They've also made three California Interscholastic Federation NorCal Regional Bowl Game appearances.
“He has taken the program to where it is — it's section championship or nothing,” Slikker said. “It's not just about winning league championships anymore. He set that precedent.”
Reis also helped cultivate new traditions while reviving old rituals, from the shepherd stick to the bell. The shepherd stick is passed from one senior leader to the next during the team's year-end banquet.
The bell is a relic from the Buffaloes' old rivalry with Tracy High, and alumni ring it after every Manteca touchdown. The bell is still part of the team's game-day ritual at Guss Schmiedt Field and will be hung near the Reis plaque by members of the school's JROTC.
