Williamsburg football finds inspiration in new tradition

WILLIAMSBURG — Twenty years ago, Curt Ritchie instilled a Williamsburg football tradition.

The Raiders began to raise four fingers in the air as a reminder to finish strong. They weren’t the first or last to adopt the gesture, which has become en vogue for programs.

Williamsburg took another step in the ritual after an 0-3 start, attempting to further inspire players for the late-game push. The Raiders began to invoke the memory of the late Tate Schaefer in a 62-0 romp over Central Lee at home Sept. 17. Schaefer, a Williamsburg student-athlete and son of boys’ golf coach Brad Schaefer, was the motivation for the TaterTough effort. He died in March at the age of 13 after more than a two-year battle with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG).

“We thought this is something that we could tie together for the idea of staying strong and finishing strong,” Ritchie said. “It’s something, hopefully, will last for a while.”

The Raiders are 3-0 since adopting the new routine to stir up the same fight, resilience and perseverance to close games that Schaefer demonstrated against the deadly disease. Williamsburg remained unbeaten in district play, topping Mid-Prairie, 24-21, Friday night at Bob Murphy Stadium.

Jake Weber hauled in a 33-yard touchdown pass from Cade Ritchie, which proved to be the decisive score. He immediately thought of Schaefer.

“Tate Schaefer was with me on that,” Weber said. “He’s been with me and this team all year. That was the first thought that went through my head. The second thought was that I love this team and Raider football.”

Players hold four fingers, point upward and say, “Nobody’s better” during the final break.

“We just take so many things for granted and that’s what we talked to the guys about,” Ritchie said. “We had been through a tough stretch of going 0-3 and been through some difficult times. You think about things like that and it puts things in the proper perspective of enjoying it a little bit more, working a little bit harder and caring for people around you a little more. Good things will happen.

“Tate’s legacy puts a lot of things in perspective for people in this community.”

The famous “Kinnick Wave” from the crowd to children at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, done after the first quarter of Hawkeye games, influenced Ritchie. He attended the season-opener against Indiana, meeting a Hoosier fan that attended just to witness the display.

The idea was created by Ritchie’s daughter, Kiley. She and husband, Austin Blythe, the former Raider, University of Iowa and NFL player, are neighbors to the Schaefers. Kiley babysat Tate when he was growing up. Tate’s mom, Darcy, babysat Kiley and was a member of Ritchie’s Williamsburg softball teams in the 1990s.

“Tate is pretty important to her and all of us,” Ritchie said. “He’s impacted so many different people in so many different ways.”

The first time made a tremendous impact. A video played on the scoreboard between the third and fourth quarters, honoring Tate. It ran longer than the normal minute-long quarter break, but Central Lee players and coach and officials patiently waited — something Ritchie and the Raiders appreciated.

“To see all the people pause and do that, it was a lot more powerful than I expected to be,” Ritchie said. “It was emotional for all of us.”

Williamsburg has maintained its tradition of a tough non-district slate to prepare for the rest of the season. The Raiders opened with three straight losses to Class 1A third-ranked Iowa City Regina, 1A No. 1 Van Meter and 3A No. 4 Solon. They rebounded by beating Central Lee and Centerville by a combined 110-3.

“I think our whole thought is we want to be at our best at the end, if we can,” Ritchie said. “It has held true a few times. The big thing is if you can keep your unity during those tough times you learn a lot about your football team. It puts them in a position to fully grow and learn some things like persevering.”

This season, they have done that without rusher Carson Huedepohl, who reinjured a knee before the season, and with 20 new starters, including four sophomores and a freshman. Ritchie praised players for not backing down, producing some good and bad moments and learning what needs to be done better.

“It was definitely a challenge,” said Ritchie, noting the defense with an experienced line and secondary leads the way. “To these guys’ credit, they’ve battled through and stayed close. Hopefully, it will pay off for us.

“Our goal is always to win a district title. Those non-district games are there to prepare you for that.”

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