THE SCOOBINATOR...BUCCS' #1 FAN!
He is a Covington Icon, a Legend, a Hall of Famer…and “The Buccs’ #1 Fan!. He is Dennis “Scooby” Willoughby.
You don’t have to ask him, he’ll tell you…”I am the Buccs’ #1 Fan!”. If that’s not convincing enough, he has a sign in his yard to remind you.
He is Dennis Willoughby, better known as “Scooby”.
“I am the Buccs’ #1 Fan,” proclaims Scooby. “I don’t care what Glen (Hollopeter) says.”
He lives for Covington sports, although his favorite is watching his beloved Buccaneers on a Friday night.
“Football,” says Scooby. “That’s my favorite sport. I like all sports, but football is number one.”
Scooby is close to the football program as he attends many of the practices and rides the team bus to away games. He even sets kids straight who may get out of line.
For instance, a player showed up late for practice as the other players had their helmets on and were headed out to the practice field. Scooby followed the player into the locker room and scolded him for his tardiness.
“Where you been?,” Scooby asked the player. “You’re late. What, you think you’re a star?”
Scooby went on as the player headed out to the practice field, drawing a chuckle from some of the coaches who heard the entire conversation from outside the locker room.
After Scooby’s tongue lashing, there was no need for the coaches to address the issue further with the player.
“I guess that’s taken care of,” chuckled assistant coach Dave Tobias. “He (the player) won’t be late again.”
The players aren’t the only ones who have felt the wrath of “The Scoobinator”.
During Kevin Finfrock’s tenure as Buccs’ head football coach, Scooby proclaimed himself as a volunteer football coach. Jokingly, Finfrock stated that he worked around the clock, arriving at 5:00 am to set up for practice.
The next day as Finfrock drove into the school parking lot at around 6:30 am, Scooby was sitting next to the locker room door. As Finfrock got out of his car, Scooby gave him an ear full.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Finfrock told some of the other coaches what had happened, obviously feeling bad about the misunderstanding. “Scooby was sitting out there (by the locker room) since five this morning. I didn’t think he thought I was serious.”
“I told Kevin, ‘Where you been?’,” laughed Scooby about that morning. “I called him a slacker for being late.”
The Legend that is “The Scoobinator” has done it all. He’s called a couple plays from the sideline (one going for a touchdown). He’s thrown out the first pitch at a Covington baseball game at Fifth-Third Field. He’s been interviewed for the 11 O’clock News. He has a meal named after him at the End Zone – called “The Scooby Special”. And, he’s invented the most recognizable dance in the town of Covington – “The Scooby Shuffle”.
In 2013, Dennis “Scooby” Willoughby was inducted into the Covington Athletic Hall of Fame as an honorary inductee due to his undying support of Buccaneer athletics.
He is “The Scoobinator” – The Buccs’ #1 Fan!
SCOOBY'S HALL OF FAME INDUCTION - SEPTEMBER 13, 2013
THE SCOOBINATOR CLOSES THE SHOW!
Dennis “Scooby” Willoughby ended all doubt as to who the “Buccs #1 Fan” is by dispatching one final challenger to his throne in historic fashion.
JANUARY 28, 2018 – COVINGTON
The battle is done – it’s over – and a legend strolls off into the sunset unbeaten and for all intensive purposes, untested.
Dennis “Scooby” Willoughby put to rest all doubts Sunday evening on who has been, still is and always will be the “Buccs’ #1 Fan” by dispatching one last challenger to his throne, Glen Hollopeter, in a tag-team wrestling match at Covington High School.
And immediately after, Scooby retired from the ring.
“I can’t do this no more,” Scooby said while having his hand wraps removed in the locker room. “I’m too old for this crap.”
Scooby, who turned the age of 48 this past November, has always proclaimed himself the “Buccs’ #1 Fan” over the past forty-plus years due to his undying support for Covington athletics. He’s been a fixture at any and all Covington sporting events over the years, an interest that was developed as a youngster through attending games with his late father, Dennis Willoughby.
Soon, Scooby became a household name in Covington and a role model for the kids who have grown up in the community. He has been invited to be a part of many of the sports teams over the years as a volunteer coach and even as a motivational source.
Scooby’s popularity grew beyond the school and into the community where he has meals named after him at local restaurants and t-shirts have been printed with his likeness.
The highlight came on September 13, 2013 when Scooby was inducted into the Covington Athletic Hall of Fame.
Yet, through it all, there have been challengers to Scooby’s throne as the “Buccs’ #1 Fan” beginning with his long-time neighbor Todd Owens in the fall of 2012. That dispute was settled in a BuccsWeekly segment in the Covington wrestling building with a handful of spectators on hand to witness Scooby deliver his finishing move “The Slacker Smacker” on Owens for the win.
Immediately after that match Scooby called out former Bucc Booster President Glen Hollopeter, who had been relentless in his indifference of Scooby proclaiming himself as the “Buccs’ #1 Fan”.
It took over five years, but FINALLY, Scooby was able to settle the score and clear all doubts as to who was the one and only “Buccs’ #1 Fan” in a Wrestle Mania style grudge match as part of a Bucc Boosters fundraiser on Sunday.
In what was the headliner of an eight-match, two-hour event, Hollopeter teamed with Alexander Drago with Bill Wentzel as the cornerman, while Scooby teamed with “Big Jim” Hutchinson and his life-long friend Ben Wolfe in their corner.
The match started with Hutchinson and Drago trading blow-for-blow for nearly ten minutes, while Scooby took every opportunity he could to have an impact on the match from the ring apron by punching Drago every time Hutchinson forced him into the corner.
With Hutchinson holding the upper hand, Hollopeter got into the act and “cheap shotted” Hutchinson from the outside – infuriating Hutchinson, who brought Hollopeter into the ring the hard way.
With both Drago and Hollopeter dazed, Hutchinson tossed both into the corner on top of each other and then tagged Scooby into the ring. Scooby assisted Hutchinson with a whipping splash into the corner on top of the two other wrestlers.
Scooby’s cornerman, Ben Wolfe, slid a frying pan into the ring and as Hollopeter staggered to the center Scooby delivered the knockout blow – “The Slacker Smacker” with the pan to the face of his soon-to-be-defeated opponent.
As the Covington gym erupted in approval and chanted his name, Scooby gave a knocked-cold Hollopeter his famous “You-Can’t-See-Me” wave before pouncing on his defeated opponent for the three count.
Scooby then rose to his feet and was awarded two Pepsis from his cornerman, Ben Wolfe. Scooby did his best imitation of Stone Cold Steve Austin by smashing his two drinks together and chugging what was left from the eruption of the soft drinks.
All the while the entire crowd stood chanting Scooby’s name and celebrated his victory with him.
“I want to thank my mom and dad,” Scooby said after his defining match. “I miss my dad so much. I wish he could see this.”
Once leaving the ring – for the final time – Scooby had his “Buccs’ #1 Fan” championship belt on his shoulder while taking pictures with family and friends. He also signed autographs on programs for several youngsters who requested.
Tired and emotionally drained, “The Scoobinator” left the building for the final time with his mission accomplished – to prove once and for all – he is “The Buccs’ #1 Fan”.
