Community Bulletin
Fred W. Eberle Technical Center in Buckhannon is enrolling students in its commercial driver’s license (CDL) training program, an accelerated course that can be completed in five to seven weeks. Both daytime and limited evening sessions are available. Read more →
This story brought to you paywall-free, courtesy of the My Buckhannon team and our community partners
BUCKHANNON – You hate to kick a league when it’s down, but the Mountain East Conference is slogging through a rough football season.
And that’s not a shot at West Virginia Wesleyan, which has been one of the league’s few bright spots. Under first‑year head coach Mike Kellar, the Bobcats have been a pleasant surprise. At 2–2 overall and 1–0 in the MEC, they’re tied for first place and could derail defending champion Frostburg State this weekend. A win would push Wesleyan to 2–0 in league play and could put them alone atop the standings.
But the broader picture isn’t pretty. Only two of the MEC’s nine teams have winning records — West Liberty at 3–1 and Concord at 2–1. No MEC program is ranked in the AFCA coaches poll, and none are even receiving votes.
With most nonconference games complete, the league sits at 9–15 outside MEC play, a 37.5 percent winning clip. Last year wasn’t much better at 12–16 (42.9 percent).
The conference has enjoyed success since forming in 2013. Shepherd, the league’s former anchor before departing for the PSAC in 2018, made four playoff runs and reached the national championship game in 2015. Charleston carried the torch with postseason appearances in 2015, 2023 and 2024. Notre Dame College — before closing — made four playoff trips between 2018 and 2022. Frostburg State broke through last fall with its first Division II playoff berth.
The history is there. The pedigree is there. But the MEC doesn’t look like a playoff threat in 2026.
As noted in last week’s column on Class AAAA playoff rankings, Parkersburg South this week currently holds the final playoff spot at No. 16 with this record — 0–4.
Crunch Staff Leaderboard
Name | Overall | Last Week
Duane | 23–5 | 5–2
Brian | 23–5 | 5–2
Katie | 17–11 | 2–5
Monica | 14–14 | 5–2
Week Four’s winner is Stephen Crider, who posted a 6–1 record and won the tiebreaker over Shane Barnes, also 6–1. Stephen earns a $20 gift certificate to a local restaurant. The season leader is Todd Ware with 26 points.
As always, readers will see seven games each week, with Game 7 serving as the tiebreaker. Picks are due by 7 p.m. Friday before kickoff. Click here for this week’s slate.
Week Four Games
Philip Barbour (2–2) at Elkins (3–1)
A pivotal matchup with plenty of bonus points on the line. Philip Barbour has dropped two straight after a 2–0 start, though those losses came to North Marion and Bridgeport. Elkins still carries that surprising defeat to Moorefield. If you enjoy old‑school, run‑heavy football, this one fits the bill. Expect a tight game with the Tigers edging it out.
Duane: Elkins | Brian: Elkins | Katie: Elkins | Monica: Elkins
West Virginia Wesleyan (2–2) at Frostburg State (1–2)
Frostburg State went 10–2 last season and reached the Division II playoffs. Now the Bobcats already have two losses and sit 0–1 in the MEC after falling in overtime to West Liberty, 30–24. Wesleyan has a chance to bury Frostburg’s season and seize early control of the conference.
Duane: Frostburg State | Brian: Frostburg State | Katie: Frostburg State | Monica: Frostburg State
Oklahoma State (2–1) at West Virginia (3–0)
One of the biggest games to hit Mountaineer Field in years. I’ll admit it — I was wrong last week. I thought Virginia would roll WVU, and for a quarter they did. But credit Rich Rodriguez and his team for flipping the script. A 4–0 start would be remarkable and likely push WVU into the top 25 for the first time in a long while.
Duane: West Virginia | Brian: West Virginia | Katie: West Virginia | Monica: West Virginia
The Final Four
Robert C. Byrd (4–0) at Bridgeport (3–1)
Duane: Bridgeport | Brian: Bridgeport | Katie: Bridgeport | Monica: Bridgeport
University (4–0) at Fairmont Senior (1–3)
Duane: University | Brian: University | Katie: University | Monica: University
Garner‑Webb (1–3) at Marshall (2–1)
Duane: Marshall | Brian: Marshall | Katie: Marshall | Monica: Marshall
Oklahoma (2–1) at Georgia (3–0)
Duane: Georgia | Brian: Georgia | Katie: Georgia | Monica: Georgia
