RIPLEY – Buckhannon-Upshur head coach Zach Davis preached all week long that last week’s Bridgeport game was in the rear-view mirror and the Bucs were ready for the next challenge.

Were they ever!

The Bucs were dominate in all three phases of the game against Ripley in a non-conference contest Friday night as they cruised to a 42-3 win.

The Bucs came out with a 15-play drive that covered 65 yards and chewed up seven minutes and ended with a four-yard touchdown run by Bryson Johnston to start the game, and on their first defensive series, Carter Zuliani sacked Ripley quarterback Tyson Pritt for a 14-yard loss and forced a fumble that Daniel Hedrick scooped up and returned it 38 yards for a defensive score.

That gave the Bucs a 13-0 lead and they never looked back en route to the 39-piont win.

“We gave a fantastic effort tonight,” remarked Buckhannon-Upshur head coach Zach Davis. “That first offensive drive really set the tone for the game. We were focused in and did what we do best.”

The Bucs ran the ball at will against the Ripley defense as they piled up 283 yards on the ground while adding 15 more through the air for 298 yards of total offense.

“We didn’t really need the passing game tonight,” stated Davis. “Dawson Tenney through some good balls and we had some guys that were open, but we just missed them. That’s okay though because it is always good to lean on your running game.”

The Bucs put one more scoring drive together in the first half on a 13-play, 66-yard drive that culminated with Wyatt Morris scoring from seven yards out.

Morris has a monster game on the ground leading all rushers with 147 yards on 20 carries and two scores.

The Bucs made it a 27-0 game with 4:52 remaining in the third quarter when Luke Yardley scored on a four-yard run.

That series was set up by another Zuliani sack and fumble as he took down Pritt for a 14-yard loss and fumble that was recovered by Kayson Ball.

“This is the game I have been waiting for,” stated Zuliani. “The past couple of years they had me at outside linebacker with the ability to rush, but this year they have put me on the outside of the line and it allows me to just get after the quarterback.”

“Carter is just coming on strong and learning how to play defensive end,” added Davis. “He is really doing a good job for us.”

Ripley avoided the shutout on a Devin Rader 30-yard field goal with 3:05 remaining in the third quarter.

The Bucs added two more scores in the fourth quarter, a one-yard run by Morris and then Drake Davis picked off a pass from Peyton Kellar and returned it three yards for the second defensive touchdown of the game for the Bucs.

The B-U defense limited Ripley to just 10 yards on the ground on 26 attempts and forced the Vikings into four turnovers for the game.

“You don’t get wins like this very often,” concluded Davis. “We are going to enjoy this one. We never get too up with the highs or too down with the lows.”

Ripley fell to 0-2 on the season while the Bucs improved to 1-1.

The Bucs will be back in action next Friday making the trip to Philip Barbour a Big 10 Conference battle.