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Long snapper Austin Brinkman understands his role

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Long snapper Austin Brinkman understands his role


West Virginia long snapper Austin Brinkman is used to going unnoticed.

Largely because he accepted a long time ago that if he stays incognito to the majority of people watching the games it means that he was doing his job on the field.

“You kind of look at it as a good thing because if you mess up you know that’s going to be what’s talked about and you know that if things are kind of silent or you’re not getting much praise or you’re not getting talked about that’s the best thing that can possibly happen,” he said. “Because you know you’re doing your job.”

But those on the team, and in football circles, have been paying close attention to what the redshirt senior has done at his position this season. Jeff Koonz, who served as the special teams coordinator prior to moving over running the defense, has seen the progression of Brinkman firsthand.

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“Austin has developed a true understanding of how important he is to the impact of our punt and field goal teams. He came here to be the long snapper, and he was recruited to come here and do that, and he knew he had a job. But I think what he has developed is being elite early, really helps us,” he said. “And me being consistent really, really helps us and really it sets up our entire scheme.”

Brinkman is a lead by example player on the roster and has put a lot of time not only into improving his craft but his body. That could eventually lead to an opportunity at the professional level and it’s something that Koonz has heard from those from the NFL this season.

Being a long snapper is a lot like a pitcher where you either have the dimensions, speed and accuracy or you don’t, and Brinkman has taken his game to a higher level this season.

“He loves football, not just snapping,” Koonz said.

It’s something Brinkman has been preparing for early in the life as his father taught him about the position and then during his freshman year of high school he realized he was capable of handling it. Then as a sophomore, Brinkman started taking the role more seriously which has led to where he is right now.

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But it’s still surprising to him how far it’s taken him on the football field.

“I thought I had a chance but the level I’ve gotten and where it’s gotten me you couldn’t convince me in a million years this is where I would be if I was back there,” he said.

When he arrived on campus in Morgantown Brinkman initially believed he could possibly make an impact at another spot such as tight end, but quickly realized he was best utilized for his abilities snapping.

“I wasn’t mad about that at all,” he said.

Brinkman is one part of a unit on special teams and while he’s overlooked at times plays a key role in the success of the overall operation. There isn’t a lot of difference between snapping for a punt or a field goal outside of the distance so it’s a slight adjustment in how you mentally go about it.

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As part of his effort to improve, Brinkman spent a lot of time this off-season working on getting the laces right, the rotation of the ball and the catch point of the holder. And while he has performed well at the college level and is focused on that for the time being, admittedly keeps his eyes on a possible future at the spot.

“It’s definitely gone through my mind, and I try not to look too much into. I try to just go day-by-day, week-by-week because that’s something I struggled with early in my career looking to the future,” he said.



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Register now: West Virginia’s largest yard sale grows with more Webster County sellers for 2026

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Register now: West Virginia’s largest yard sale grows with more Webster County sellers for 2026


Community Bulletin

WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital’s Center for Women’s Health has opened its 2026 prenatal and pregnancy classes — including Spinning Babies, breastfeeding basics and Lamaze — for expecting Upshur County families, with Lamaze offered in person or online. Read more →

This story brought to you paywall-free, courtesy of the My Buckhannon team and our community partners

BUCKHANNON – The West Virginia Largest Yard Sale is getting even larger, with more participants from Webster County this year.

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Cadence Ringer, executive director of the Upshur County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the 2026 West Virginia Largest Yard Sale will take place Friday, Aug. 7, and Saturday, Aug. 8. Registration for sellers is now open through July 26 at 11:30 p.m. Registration can be found on the Upshur County Visitor Center’s Facebook page.

“It’s been going wonderfully. As of last Wednesday, we had 30 applicants, and they keep coming in by the day. They are slowly trickling in right now, but I know we’ll have a big burst of them right before the deadline to register,” Ringer said. “The date set for the map to go live is July 31. I like to prepare for it a week in advance, to give people enough time to map out their own plan for their shopping that weekend.”

The map showing where all the sellers will be located will be available digitally this year on the Upshur County Visitor’s Bureau website. The map will also include brief descriptions of the items each yard sale will offer.

“On our registration form, I have asked them to list at least five things they’re going to be selling. Once I get them on the map, there’s an option for me to add details, so if they click on the actual location of the yard sale and read the details at the bottom, it’ll give them an idea of what that yard sale will be offering,” Ringer said. “There won’t be any photos or anything, but people can at least get an idea of what each seller will have.”

The yard sale has expanded over the year, from Upshur to Lewis and now to Webster County.

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“We decided last year to add Webster County to this and to try and get them going,” Ringer said, but the numbers were low. “This year, we have had quite a few from Webster County, so I’m excited to actually get it spreading into that area as well.”

She said people who go out to shop are all looking for something different, but you can always find a little bit of everything.

[FMG] [2026-02-02] Emergency Weather Repairs 1

“There are people looking for a lot of clothes. That’s what a lot of people prepare for the upcoming school year by going yard saling,” Ringer said. “I’m a yard saler myself, so I go looking for those hidden treasures, and I really think that’s what this is about — finding things they don’t make anymore, or antiques of some sort, some decorations. They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, so that’s what it’s about: just finding the treasure.”

Ringer said the event also brings in visitors from outside the area and encourages them to shop and eat at local businesses in Buckhannon.

“I think the most important thing to highlight is that this is a collaboration between the three counties — it drives our economy,” Ringer said. “I know some people see it as annoying that traffic is going on, or that there’s a bunch of people around, but it also gives families the opportunity to buy things secondhand and to prepare for the upcoming school year. Maybe some families can’t afford to purchase new things. It also drives the economic boost for our restaurants and other locations downtown.”



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Photos show first pieces of West Virginia’s America250 Wheel arriving at state capitol

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Photos show first pieces of West Virginia’s America250 Wheel arriving at state capitol


The first pieces of the America250 Wheel that is set to be a focal point of West Virginia’s Capital City Celebration arrived Thursday morning. Once constructed, the wheel is expected to be the world’s tallest portable Ferris Wheel at 230 feet tall. It will feature 45 gondolas and offer views up to 14 miles from the top. (WCHS)



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Morrisey announces more than $700,000 to support rural domestic violence and sexual assault victims

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Morrisey announces more than 0,000 to support rural domestic violence and sexual assault victims


Community Bulletin

WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital’s Center for Women’s Health has opened its 2026 prenatal and pregnancy classes — including Spinning Babies, breastfeeding basics and Lamaze — for expecting Upshur County families, with Lamaze offered in person or online. Read more →

This story brought to you paywall-free, courtesy of the My Buckhannon team and our community partners

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Governor Patrick Morrisey today announced $701,410 in grant funding to strengthen services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking in rural communities across West Virginia.

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“Every West Virginian deserves to live free from violence and abuse, regardless of where they call home,” said Morrisey. “These grants help ensure victims in our rural communities have access to advocacy, shelter, crisis intervention, and other critical services when they need them most. Supporting victims and holding offenders accountable remains an important priority for our administration.”

The funding, provided through the West Virginia Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program, will help organizations expand victim advocacy, crisis intervention, housing assistance, court accompaniment, community outreach and coordinated local response efforts in rural areas throughout the state.

The grants are administered by the Justice and Community Services Section of the West Virginia Division of Administrative Services.

Recipients include:

West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Inc. — $186,670: Funding will continue services provided by co-located advocates serving victims of domestic violence in rural communities across West Virginia.

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Women’s Aid in Crisis, Inc. — $150,612: Funding will support advocacy, crisis intervention, housing assistance, referrals and court accompaniment for victims in Barbour, Randolph and Tucker counties.

Family Refuge Center — $136,897: Funding will provide victim advocacy, crisis intervention, housing assistance, referrals and court accompaniment for survivors in Greenbrier County.

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Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center — $132,283: Funding will support a Rural Domestic Violence Specialist serving the Eastern Panhandle through victim advocacy, housing assistance, community referrals and coordinated response efforts.

Branches Domestic Violence Shelter (Huntington) — $94,948: Funding will support a Domestic Violence Specialist serving Mason County by providing victim advocacy, referrals to community resources, housing assistance and coordination with local response teams.



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