Father, son go for titles at different schools
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
By JOHN RABY - The Charleston Gazette

Bernie Buttrey’s wish came true.

Parkersburg High’s football coach had talked over the years with his youngest son, Williamstown standout Travis Buttrey, about how nice it’d be if their respective teams could play for a state championship in the same season.

Voila!

On Saturday at Wheeling Island Stadium, Parkersburg faces Martinsburg in the Class AAA championship game and Williamstown meets Wheeling Central in a rematch of last year’s Class A title contest.

One family. Two title chances.

“Oh man, it would be crazy,’’ the younger Buttrey said this week. “I’m fired up. I’m telling you, I think we’ll be able to do it. I can’t wait.’’

The dad will coach Parkersburg in a noon kickoff, then head to the stands for his son’s game at 7 p.m. Williamstown’s bus trip precludes Travis Buttrey from arriving too early at the stadium, so he’ll likely be unable to watch much of Parkersburg’s game, if at all.

When asked who they were more excited for, each chose their own side.

“I’ve watched my son a lot. I’ve never been to the finals. So I’m very excited about having our team in the finals,’’ Bernie Buttrey said. “But he and I have talked over the years that it would be so nice if both of us could be in there, knowing that he is in single-A and we’re in triple-A, we’d be playing on the same day. We’re pretty excited about that.’’

Travis Buttrey said he is happy for his father and “I wish them the best of luck, but I’m a Yellowjacket and that’s where I’m focused.’’

For good reason. He doesn’t want to repeat losses in the finals to Moorefield in 2003 and to Wheeling Central last year.

“The other two I’ve always heard, ‘Well, you’ve got another year.’ I don’t this year. It’s my senior year,’’ the younger Buttrey said. “We need to get it done, for sure.’’

Bernie Buttrey spent three seasons as Williamstown’s coach before taking over at Parkersburg in 2002, the year after the Big Reds won their last state title. An older son, Jason, played for him at Williamstown.

When the father went to Parkersburg, Travis Buttrey remained loyal to his friends and his father couldn’t blame him.

“I got the opportunity to move to triple-A football, and I thought I should take advantage of that,’’ Bernie Buttrey said. “And we had discussed at one point him coming down, but with the success of Williamstown and his love of his teammates and school, he made a very wise decision to stay right there and play football.’’

Travis has been a four-year starter and leads the team in tackles. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound lineman was an all-state selection in 2005 and is an invited walk-on next year at West Virginia University, but defense isn’t his only specialty. Travis scored on a short run in a 21-6 semifinal win over Mount Hope last week.

The 18-year-old’s parents have been divorced since he was a toddler. He lives with his mother, about 5 miles from his dad. Father and son are typically together on the weekends during football season.

Bernie Buttrey was there for his son’s two previous title appearances and, despite the coach’s busy schedule, has seen five of Travis’ games this fall.

“I spend my life in my office down here,’’ Bernie Buttrey said from the high school this week. “During the football season, it’s very difficult for us to get together. We talk on the phone every once in a while and he’ll come down and eat dinner with us. And that’s about the extent of it.’’

Bernie Buttrey admits the lost opportunity for the pair to share the sidelines, but he’s always been the type who doesn’t look back. And he tries to avoid giving advice to Travis because he knows Williamstown’s program is in good hands.

“I just try to act like a dad and not a coach,’’ Bernie Buttrey said. “I’m just like any other parent and hope for the best for him.’’