Zach Reis almost wore out his arm ringing “The Bell” Friday night.
It is a tradition harkening back to the 1950s when the big rivalry was Tracy versus Manteca.
Manteca, of course, was “Manstinka” to Tracy loyalists while Tracy was “Trashy” to those who proudly wore Buffalo green and white.
The bell didn’t ring for years but then proud alumni helped it resurface three seasons ago.
“It used to be the team that won every year got to keep the bell until the next year,” Reis recalled. “People just forget about it at one point. But we tell the players Manteca got to keep it because we won so many times.”
John Griggs joined Reis, who is the younger brother of head Manteca High football coach Eric Reis, on Friday in sharing duties ringing the bell after each Buffalo score in the 51-22 victory over visiting Galt High.
“Any alumni is welcome to come out each home game and join us in helping to ring the bell,” Griggs said.
Both Reis and Griggs are 1993 Manteca High graduates. Reis suited up as No. 42 for the Buffaloes handling linebacker and lineman duties while Griggs was a running back who wore No. 9.
Reis remembers as a kid going to Buffalo games where the field would be packed with people lining the fences two to three deep whenever they took on cross-town rival East Union. That does not compare though to the year Manteca traveled to Sonora where crowd estimates were pushing 10,000. Sonora was supposed to be unbeatable that year. Manteca beat them.
The Manteca high football tradition runs strong in the Reis family. Grandfather Nolan Elliott, who is now in his 80s, played for the Buffaloes as did his dad Dennis Reis who retired last year as Manteca’s superintendent of streets. Uncle Joe Reis also donned pads for his school.
The way Reis figures it he was destined to play Buffalo football even before he was born.
The bell - and the roughly 80 years of Manteca High football tradition it represents - is hallowed metal for Buffalo players. They each touch it as they make their way onto the field before each home game. At the end of the season, they will all sign their names on the back side of the bell that has been covered over with white paint just like some of the players’ fathers did.
And one player - this week it was No. 4 Josh Nkwocha - gets the honor of carrying the “shepherd stick” that was made from the old Guss Schmeidt Field House that was torn down. Nkwocha planted it ceremonially in the jump pit near the home team’s bench. That way four generations of Buffalos are on the sideline each home game.
The real reason Reis’ arm night be a little sore today has less to do with the bell ringing than it does with another tradition - hurling a Buffalo spirit T-shirt into the student cheer section after each Manteca High School.
“I’m probably going to throw my arm out doing this,” Reis chuckled. “Normally we have a tube that launches the shirts a good 100 feet into the crowd.”
The 70-strong band -the largest in about a decade - sounded nice and crisp under the leadership of fourth year music instructor Anthony Dahl.
Dahl gives a lot of credit to his student band leadership - drum majors Christina Rodriquez and Natalie Pio as well as assistant Jennifer Munoz. He also said it helps Manteca High has strong feeder school such as Woodward, Golden West, Sequoia, and Lincoln schools.
“I just tell people all I do is stand up in front and wave my arms,” Dahl joked.
‘Kidding aside, Dahl receives a lot of credit for the turnaround for the Buffalo band. When he arrived the seniors at the time has already gone through six band instructors.
Dahl said he remembers well the importance of being part of something like marching band back in his prep days at Fort Bragg High in Mendocino County.
“It’s important that kids belong to something,” Dahl said. “For some of them, the band is ‘the thing” although some are involved in a lot of other activities.”
• FANS: Good solid crowd for an opening game. Better turnout than Sierra High had last week in the Week 0 debut. Of course it helps if you have a strong contingent that has been coming to games for 10, 20, and even 30 or more years that don’t even have any relatives playing. GRADE: “B”
• STUDENT CHEER SECTIONS: The Herd better not be thinned or you might not be able to hear them. Galt cheered louder as did Manteca High’s alumni and parents. It was a fairly good turnout though but the facial game colors were almost non-existent. Nice touch with the Manteca #1 sign cut-out to look like a jersey. GRADE: “C-”
• BANDS: Good numbers, solid sound, and enthusiasm. The marching formations need a bit of work but then again it’s Week No. 1. They did a solid job with the national anthem. The uniforms, by the way, are coming. GRADE: “B+”
• SIGNS: Nice to see that Manteca High isn’t afraid to kill a few trees although six or so signs don’t exactly overwhelm. GRADE “C”
• SPIRIT SQUAD: Sharp, attentive, and able to do stunts with relative ease. GRADE: “B”
• CROWD ETIQUETTE: Cordial and not comatose. GRADE “A”
• NEXT WEEK: It’s for pride and it’s for tradition next week and not just on the football field but in the stands as well. It’s Tracy vs. Manteca. Can the student cheer section step it up or will Tracy be able to go home and claim they were louder and more enthusiastic than Manstinka?
It is a tradition harkening back to the 1950s when the big rivalry was Tracy versus Manteca.
Manteca, of course, was “Manstinka” to Tracy loyalists while Tracy was “Trashy” to those who proudly wore Buffalo green and white.
The bell didn’t ring for years but then proud alumni helped it resurface three seasons ago.
“It used to be the team that won every year got to keep the bell until the next year,” Reis recalled. “People just forget about it at one point. But we tell the players Manteca got to keep it because we won so many times.”
John Griggs joined Reis, who is the younger brother of head Manteca High football coach Eric Reis, on Friday in sharing duties ringing the bell after each Buffalo score in the 51-22 victory over visiting Galt High.
“Any alumni is welcome to come out each home game and join us in helping to ring the bell,” Griggs said.
Both Reis and Griggs are 1993 Manteca High graduates. Reis suited up as No. 42 for the Buffaloes handling linebacker and lineman duties while Griggs was a running back who wore No. 9.
Reis remembers as a kid going to Buffalo games where the field would be packed with people lining the fences two to three deep whenever they took on cross-town rival East Union. That does not compare though to the year Manteca traveled to Sonora where crowd estimates were pushing 10,000. Sonora was supposed to be unbeatable that year. Manteca beat them.
The Manteca high football tradition runs strong in the Reis family. Grandfather Nolan Elliott, who is now in his 80s, played for the Buffaloes as did his dad Dennis Reis who retired last year as Manteca’s superintendent of streets. Uncle Joe Reis also donned pads for his school.
The way Reis figures it he was destined to play Buffalo football even before he was born.
The bell - and the roughly 80 years of Manteca High football tradition it represents - is hallowed metal for Buffalo players. They each touch it as they make their way onto the field before each home game. At the end of the season, they will all sign their names on the back side of the bell that has been covered over with white paint just like some of the players’ fathers did.
And one player - this week it was No. 4 Josh Nkwocha - gets the honor of carrying the “shepherd stick” that was made from the old Guss Schmeidt Field House that was torn down. Nkwocha planted it ceremonially in the jump pit near the home team’s bench. That way four generations of Buffalos are on the sideline each home game.
The real reason Reis’ arm night be a little sore today has less to do with the bell ringing than it does with another tradition - hurling a Buffalo spirit T-shirt into the student cheer section after each Manteca High School.
“I’m probably going to throw my arm out doing this,” Reis chuckled. “Normally we have a tube that launches the shirts a good 100 feet into the crowd.”
Buffaloes make beautiful music
Give the Buffalo band a hand.The 70-strong band -the largest in about a decade - sounded nice and crisp under the leadership of fourth year music instructor Anthony Dahl.
Dahl gives a lot of credit to his student band leadership - drum majors Christina Rodriquez and Natalie Pio as well as assistant Jennifer Munoz. He also said it helps Manteca High has strong feeder school such as Woodward, Golden West, Sequoia, and Lincoln schools.
“I just tell people all I do is stand up in front and wave my arms,” Dahl joked.
‘Kidding aside, Dahl receives a lot of credit for the turnaround for the Buffalo band. When he arrived the seniors at the time has already gone through six band instructors.
Dahl said he remembers well the importance of being part of something like marching band back in his prep days at Fort Bragg High in Mendocino County.
“It’s important that kids belong to something,” Dahl said. “For some of them, the band is ‘the thing” although some are involved in a lot of other activities.”
Week No. 2 The scorecard
Now this week’s rating of the fans and bands.• FANS: Good solid crowd for an opening game. Better turnout than Sierra High had last week in the Week 0 debut. Of course it helps if you have a strong contingent that has been coming to games for 10, 20, and even 30 or more years that don’t even have any relatives playing. GRADE: “B”
• STUDENT CHEER SECTIONS: The Herd better not be thinned or you might not be able to hear them. Galt cheered louder as did Manteca High’s alumni and parents. It was a fairly good turnout though but the facial game colors were almost non-existent. Nice touch with the Manteca #1 sign cut-out to look like a jersey. GRADE: “C-”
• BANDS: Good numbers, solid sound, and enthusiasm. The marching formations need a bit of work but then again it’s Week No. 1. They did a solid job with the national anthem. The uniforms, by the way, are coming. GRADE: “B+”
• SIGNS: Nice to see that Manteca High isn’t afraid to kill a few trees although six or so signs don’t exactly overwhelm. GRADE “C”
• SPIRIT SQUAD: Sharp, attentive, and able to do stunts with relative ease. GRADE: “B”
• CROWD ETIQUETTE: Cordial and not comatose. GRADE “A”
• NEXT WEEK: It’s for pride and it’s for tradition next week and not just on the football field but in the stands as well. It’s Tracy vs. Manteca. Can the student cheer section step it up or will Tracy be able to go home and claim they were louder and more enthusiastic than Manstinka?
