'He put his heart into this team': CVC football honors late coach Kris Ritchie

Kris Ritchie started coaching high school football at Central Valley Christian in 2019 and in those few short years, he left his mark.

Ritchie died in May after a short battle with a staph infection following a routine biopsy.

He was 44.

Although he spent only four seasons coaching Cavaliers football, his impact on coaches and players lives on.

CVC head coach Mason Hughes added Ritchie to his staff as an offensive line coach and the ladder played a key role in helping develop championship-quality players — on and off the field.

In 2021, the Cavaliers won the Central Section Division III plaque and even advanced to the state title game.

That season, the CVC offensive line helped pave the way for more than 4,500 yards of total offense. The Cavaliers scored 55 total touchdowns in an 11-win campaign.

"Just his energy, excitement and love, he loved players," Hughes said. "Every single Wednesday, he hosted the linemen at his house. He immediately was doing that every Wednesday after practice. We're still doing that to this day. They all go over to his house."

Playing for dad

Ritchie got the privilege to coach two of his sons at CVC — Jeffrey and Jackson.

Jeffrey was a member of the 2021 section and CIF State regional title teams. Jackson is a junior offensive lineman on this year's Central Section Division II championship squad.

Ritchie coached Jackson as a freshman and sophomore.

"That was pretty great to have," Jackson said. "He coached me my whole life including other sports, baseball and football."

This season has been different, though.

Jackson no longer physically shares a sideline with his dad but he cherishes the moments they had together.

When his father died in May, it was CVC's outpouring of support that helped him stay positive.

"It's extremely difficult but this school is special," Jackson said. "It's such a family. I mean, I never had a moment where I felt like I didn't have someone to talk to. Like the day after he passed away, I had teammates at my house, in my room with me, talking, helping me. I had people reaching out to me. I mean, every game, during the prayer, during the national anthem, I have coach [Dane] Nelson standing next to me. This school is just such a great community. It's a one-of-a-kind thing."

How does Jackson honor his dad?

"Just play for him," Jackson said. "I have all those memories of him still with me. I just think about what he would want for me."

Making an impact

Two current CVC players whom Ritchie may have impacted the most besides his own two sons are senior guards Tyler Hughes and Caleb Noeske. Tyler is the son of CVC head coach Mason Hughes.

Ritchie coached both players in middle school. Tyler in the seventh grade and Noeske in eighth.

More: CVC's Bryson Donelson explodes for nearly 400 yards rushing, six touchdowns in playoff win

So when Tyler, a three-year starter, found out about his position coach's passing in the spring, he was devastated. His dad delivered the news during a graduation party.

"I was crushed the rest of the week," Tyler said. "Since then, I'm still missing him a lot."

How much did Ritchie impact Tyler's football career?

"A lot," Tyler said. "In seventh grade, he was our O-line coach. That was my second year playing football. I really wasn't experienced with the tough love that football has, and in sixth grade, I was kind of just like the big kid that was just there. Seventh grade, I really had to keep my own and he was a big part of that. He really instilled the fight in me because coach Kris was one of the most intense guys you could meet. He really instilled that fire that I now have in me in high school."

Noeske can attest, too.

The 2022 Tri-County Conference-Kings Canyon lineman of the year is a four-year varsity starter and is one of the top interior linemen in the section.

Noeske started as a freshman and has been a mainstay at guard since his arrival at the private high school.

It was during his first season with the Cavaliers that Noeske built a relationship with Ritchie.

More: CVC outlasts Lemoore by 1 point to win Central Section Division II championship

"He put his heart into this team," Noeske said. "He knew exactly what he wanted out of us. He expected the best out of us and that's what he got just because of the relationship he built with us."

How much did Noeske learn from Ritchie?

"A lot," Noeske said. "He's definitely the biggest influence for my love for the game. Just his passion about everyday football. No matter what was going on in his life, he spent every hour of the day worrying about the season, winning the next game. That kind of influenced me to put everything I have for this team, this school. School's important but right now, it's football season. I got to give this team all I got."

A tribute to coach Ritchie

CVC has paid tribute to Ritchie during its Central Section Division II championship run this season with a "KBR" helmet sticker, representing the initials of the late coach's full name — Kris Brian Ritchie.

"The helmet sticker, it's a small sticker," Tyler said. "It's maybe an inch wide but it means a lot to me, personally, just to be able to know that he's still here with us. It's different not having him here, obviously, but I mean he was physically here for one championship but he's really been here with us for two of them."

The former offensive line coach is still inspiring his position group, too.

The starting offensive line of Jacobus DeGroot, Hughes, Wyatt Rose, Noeske and Karter Oliver helped CVC star senior running back Bryson Donelson set a couple of major records this year.

Bryson exploded for 391 yards rushing in a playoff win over Tehachapi to set a new school record for most yards rushing in a single game.

And in the Cavaliers' semifinal victory, Donelson ran for 281 yards to become the city of Visalia's all-time career rushing yards leader.

Playing for Ritchie has added extra motivation for the team.

"It's definitely special," Noeske said. "Two years ago, going to the state finals with him, it was very fun. He couldn't do it this year but it's very special to carry his name on the field with us every day knowing that he's watching over us."

The Ritchie family established a memorial scholarship fund in Ritchie's name. The award goes to a graduating senior football player who best exemplified everything Ritchie stood for like drive, family, hard work, love and passion. Tyler was the first recipient of that annual scholarship.

"That's Kris' heart," Hughes said. "That's totally what Kris would have done."

CVC will play Simi Valley (9-5) on Saturday for the 2023 CIF State North Division 2-A Football Championship Regional Bowl Game at Cavalier Stadium. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase online at GoFan.co.

The Cavaliers captured a regional crown in 2018 and 2021, respectively, and have played in a pair of state title games.

"Coach Ritchie, there's always something about him," Tyler said. "We look back at all the memories we had with him, all the funny stuff, that we had with him. The last text he ever sent me was in January and he said, 'Super proud of you Tyler. There's one more season. You have one more chance to get hardware and bring it home and lead the younger guys through.' And that's really stuck with me, so I'm pretty glad that we were able to pull it through there in the end against Lemoore to do it for him. It'll be nice to get one more championship for him."

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: 'He put his heart into this team': CVC honors late coach Kris Ritchie