In case you just tuned in, this Saturday will be the sixth football game for the ETSU football team. The 3-2 Bucs will meet a fifth-ranked 3-1 Appalachian State team in the Mini-Dome at 6 p.m. Both teams are undefeated in the Southern Conference.
“Good receivers. Fast running backs. They’re fast and they’re good,” ETSU defensive back Montreal Harkley said.
With the Mountaineers picked to win the SoCon, the Bucs are about to embark on their greatest test of the season and to find out who will take top spot in the league.
The Bucs have been steadily improving from week to week.
“I think as a team . we are all settling down and realizing from the games that we played, even though we put them behind us, we know we are a better team than we were at the beginning of the season,” QB Jatavis Sanders said.
When asked why the team is improving so much, wide receiver Cecil Moore said, “It’s more of a comfort zone . everybody knows the quarterback is your leader, you go as he goes. By Jatavis getting into the starting role . settling down and knowing this offense like he does, I think that’s helped out a whole bunch.
“We felt more comfortable,” Moore said. “Jatavis got his chance and everybody saw what happened.”
The recent win streak has made the team re-evaluate themselves and their outlook is a positive one. When asked what the rest of the season may have in store, former Dobyns-Bennett standout Gerald Sensabaugh, Tony Tiller, Sanders, Moore and Harkley agreed that they control their own destiny.
“It’s just another game,” said Sensabaugh.
Although there isn’t much fan support the Bucs continue to play hard and learn as a team.
ETSU has begun to “forget about the wins just like we forget about the losses,” Harkley said.
“I think the biggest thing we are learning how to do is go with success. Everybody can lose a game and want to be up for the next game. Everbody can’t come out week after week and win and still be up and practice like champions,” he said. “That’s one thing were picking up, is how to practice.”
This Buc team has some fans very excited. In just five games the Bucs have gained 764 yards rushing and eight touchdowns. They have also achieved 585 passing yards with three quarterbacks. Sanders, who has taken over that role, has 464 of those yards in only 43 completions.
This season Gavin Varner and Scott Carter have carried the ball 102 times for 494 yards and six TD’s and in the past two games have combined for total 309 yards. Moore caught 12 passes for 148 yards leaving him a 12.3 yards per catch in the past two matchups.
While the offense has come on strong as of late, the defense has stayed consistent.
Don’t call the secondary the best, call them “the Ruff Riders on a whole new level,” said Harkley.
The Ruff Riders have been terrorizing the offenses they have seen.
“I don’t think we showed anybody what we could do until the Western Carolina game. The great thing about that, is that’s not even our peak. N.C. State, Mars-Hill, Gardner Webb, VMI,” Harkley said. “I mean at VMI we had a little spurt. They hadn’t seen the pursuit and intensity that our defense brings to the table and we still haven’t shown them week by week.”
Harkley had two interceptions and returned them for 80 yards and a touchdown in the Bucs 27-7 win over VMI.
“I don’t think we have a limit where we can go on the defensive side of the ball,” he said.
The Buc defense has had nine interceptions for 112 yards and a TD over the season, while Appalachian only has three interceptions for four yards.
The backs would also like to give credit to the linemen, offensive and defensive.
“All we have to do is get the ball. Those boys in the trenches, that’s what makes a team,” Harkley said. “If you don’t give all the credit to them there’s something wrong, ’cause they deserve all the credit. They don’t get all the lime light like we do. They deserve all the credit ’cause you can’t do anything without them.
“And that’s a team effort. The thing the SoCon hasn’t seen is both sides of the ball go out there and execute. When that happens it’s going to be a rude awakening,” Harkley said.

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