Behind the Glass: The Game Beyond the Field
By ALEX RIZO
The Tower
Coach Eric Reis shouting orders to his players on the sidelines. February 26, 2025
MANTECA – Your senses are filled with the sounds of a bustling crowd, the pounding thunder of footsteps—and, oddly enough, the smell of hot dogs. You look up to the scoreboard as a place to relax your eyes for even just a moment. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the score of the intense game unfolding before you. You take notice of the images displayed on the Jumbotron such as advertisements and videos produced by the school’s multimedia team and heartfelt memorials of people from Manteca High who are no longer with us. You get to see live field footage on that same screen. All of this is driven from the press box right on top of the bleachers.
What was once a simple setup of the announcer and scoreboard is now a bustling student-driven media hub thanks to the renovations made to the stadium in October 2024.
Students are consistently learning how to help operate in the press box. There are students operating the Jumbotron, the live camera, replays, and the slides that are presented on the big screen like advertisements.
All of this happens alongside the football game, the band, the cheer team, and the announcer as well as the scorekeeper.
The Tower interviewed Athletics Director Eric Reis about the press box and Jumbotron.
“When a kid’s never done it, they’re going to learn and maybe it’s not someone who’s done it a million times and that's okay. We just make sure that our fans realize that this is a classroom learning kind of experience for the kids, so we’re all trying our best,” Reis said regarding the student operated press box.
The Jumbotron serves the purpose of making football games and any sports event happening in the stadium more interactive and fun for the students.
“You guys deserve to have a great time. It needs to be fun and it’s about the kids so that's why we have a DJ in the box. Then you have the whole other thing now going for the press box and that being the Jumbotron,” Reis added.
The Jumbotron was able to come to fruition because of the charitable sponsors and the massive donation by the student store amounting to $40,000 toward stadium renovations.
In return for the support of so many generous donations, Reis makes sure that the student store gets the props they rightfully deserve, as well as the other sponsors such as Raising Cane’s and Urgent Care.
The students that are involved with the press box have shown and voiced their enjoyment at operating it. After being asked if they enjoy working in the press box and with the Jumbotron, they responded with enthusiasm.
“I like contributing to the press box, it gives me a sense of leadership and control. It just feels like I'm running a show and able to control everything that happens, so it’s pretty cool,” said Jimmy Burns, a seasoned regular in the press box and with the Jumbotron.
The people in the box put in so much effort for the fans’ enjoyment of the game, yet most of that work is typically gone unrecognized.
“Sometimes, yeah, I do feel like that,” said Burns, in response to being asked if the people and the work done in the box feel underappreciated. “I feel like sometimes we don’t get enough love that we deserve for what we do and the amount of time we put into it, as well as what we sacrifice to do that.”
The press box wouldn’t be what it is today without communication. Communication and teamwork have been a vital part of its success.
“I think as long as we communicate, talk well, and work together, we’ll be alright,” Burns agreed.
The Jumbotron and press box have proved to be a beloved and unforgettable part of the stadium and without it, so much of the fun it brings would be gone with it. Not to mention all the experience and learning happening from within the press box.