Carpenter’s Crunch Time Column:The Buccaneers will rise again!

BUCKHANNON – Let me just go ahead and get this off my chest and get straight to the point.

I am a proud graduate of Buckhannon-Upshur (Class of 1990) and I will always wear my emotions on my sleeve for the Blue and White.

With COVID-19 playing havoc with schedules this year and last year, teams have been going out of their way to line the Bucs up on their schedule if they had a chance to, calling B-UHS athletic director Rick Reynolds to see if the Bucs wanted to play their team, so they could get that ‘easy’ win and pat themselves on the back for a job well done.

During this downturn in the football program’s success, I have seen teams pile on and run up the score.

Last week was no exception as Greenbrier East decided it was their turn to run up the scoring, putting an extra touchdown on the board right before the half, keeping their starters deep into the third quarter when the game was out of reach, and still throwing 50-yard passes to — not from — their starting quarterback.

It may not be next Friday or even next year, but there is going to come a time, sooner than later, that somebody is going to call wanting to put the easy-win Buccaneers on their schedule and instead of a sure victory, they are going to get their you-know-what sent packing with a loss wondering what in the hell happened.

And I hope I am on the sidelines when that day happens, because payback is a you-know-what, and there are plenty of teams (looking at you University) that deserve a taste of their own medicine.

That time is indeed coming, and the Bucs will once again be delivering the beatings and not taking them. For the opposition, you’ve been warned. The Jolly Roger will fly high over Freal “Red” Crites Memorial Stadium once again.

One of my all-time favorite movie quotes from Elizabeth Swann in “At World’s End”:

“And what the enemy will see, they will see the flash of our cannons, and they will hear the ringing of our swords, and they will know what we can do! By the sweat of our brow and the strength of our backs and the courage in our hearts! Gentlemen, hoist the colors!”

Now that I vented, let’s move onto our standings and games.

Crunch Time Standings

Brian 7-3 (3-2 last week)

Duane 6-4 (2-3 last week)

Bridgeport (3-0) at Robert C. Byrd (2-1) — Not sure who is running the show at RCB but they had their game with Preston postponed and their brain trust decided to hit the road instead visiting Class AA No. 4 Keyser. They came home with a 35-13 loss and dropped from the top spot in AA to ninth. All that with Bridgeport waiting in the wins. RCB tailback Jeremiah King is the real deal, but I think Bridgeport has the better team. My pick: Bridgeport, 35-29; Brian’s pick: Bridgeport, 35-21.

Elkins (0-3) at Philip Barbour (0-2) — A game where one team will have to get their first win. I think the Colts are a much-improved team this year. The Tigers are a very young team this season. I think the Colts get that first win tonight. My pick: Philip Barbour, 33-14; Brian’s pick: Philip Barbour, 28-14.

West Liberty (1-2) at West Virginia Wesleyan (0-3) — West Liberty has won five of the last six in the series but it’s been close as the Hilltopper’s last two wins were by just three points. To get the win, Wesleyan will have to slow down Isaiah Robinson who leads the MEC in all-purpose yards with 491 (163.6 per game). My pick: West Liberty, 38-31; Brian’s pick: WVWC, 24-21.

Notre Dame (3-0) vs. Wisconsin (1-1) — The game will be played at Soldier Field in Chicago. It’s just one of two games featuring top 25 teams playing each other this week. Tough game to call but I think Wisconsin gets the win. My pick: Wisconsin, 21-17; Brian’s pick: Wisconsin, 14-10.

West Virginia (2-1) at Oklahoma (3-0) — West Virginia surprised me with their win over the Hokies last week despite trying to give away the game in the fourth quarter. I don’t propose anyone betting on sports, but let’s be honest: this is the lock of the century. WVU simply doesn’t beat the Sooners in football and this Saturday won’t be any different. WVU is a 17-point underdog if those sort of numbers interest you. My pick: Oklahoma, 31-14; Brian’s pick: Oklahoma, 42-21.