By Thomas Lawrence
Record Staff Writer
Posted Sep. 15, 2015 at 8:50 PM
Updated Sep 15, 2015 at 8:55 PM
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Eric Reis’ fusion of parenthood and sports doesn’t end after football practice.
Reis, Manteca’s football coach since 2002, has his son Kyle, a sophomore lineman, on his squad as a starter. Yet, when the Buffaloes’ Sept. 8 practice ended in the early evening, he didn’t head home for dinner and a “Seinfeld” rerun.
His daughter Payton is a 5-foot-9 freshman on Manteca’s volleyball team, so he had a match to attend.
True as ever, sports bind parents and children everywhere.
Kyle grew up as the Buffaloes’ water boy and ball boy, and made a lasting impression on Reis’ former players. Last week, members of Manteca’s 2003 section championship team, who were around in Kyle’s pre-kindergarten years, showed up to practice.
And boy, were they surprised to see the 6-foot-3, 245-pound high school sophomore.
“They were like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s little Kyle,’” Eric Reis said. “Obviously, his body has changed a little bit since then.
“He’s lived and breathed Manteca football his whole life.”
While Eric and Kyle Reis are believed to be the only head coach-player duo in the area, it’s not the only connection.
La Te’f Grim, a former Franklin High football star, who played at the University of Pittsburgh and briefly with the Washington Redskins, is McNair’s offensive coordinator. And Derrion Grim, La Te’f’s son, might be as good as his old man.
Derrion leads the state with 706 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.
“When we’re on the field, it’s like, we try our best to just be player and coach,” Derrion Grim said. “He tries not to call me son, I try not to call him dad. He’s just the offensive coordinator, and I’m just another player.”
It has been difficult, Derrion said, for his pops to restrain himself when his son scores a touchdown. He’s improved this year, but he almost lost it when Derrion returned the season-opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown Aug. 28 in Calaveras.
“He said his senior year, he did the same thing,” Derrion Grim said. “When I scored, he was trying his best not to jump around.”
Derrion could be following in La Te’f’s footsteps in heading to NCAA Division I football. He took an official visit to Nebraska this weekend and has verbally committed to be a Cornhusker, though he had a previous verbal to Boise State. La Te’f played his college ball at Pitt for former Pacific coach Walt Harris, and scored a preseason touchdown for the Redskins before an injury derailed his chance at making an NFL roster.
Like most parents and teachers who mentor their kids, if anything, La Te’f is harder on Derrion than he is the other guys.
“That’s how he is all the time,” Derrion said.
Reis, a three-time section champion with the Buffs, knows how La Te’f feels.
“My son,” Reis said, “I’m going to be tougher on him probably more than anyone else.”