Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
Several questions surrounding a new season's Edmonson County Wildcats were answered last night as the Cats opened up the 2021-22 season at home against Nelson County.

Can they win? Yes. Will they play well together? Yes. Will they be fun to watch? At least according to what fans saw last night.

Prior to the game in a conversation with the Edmonson Voice, newly named Head Coach Brad Johnson laid out his expectations for this year's team, which included plenty of hustle, a fast pace, teamwork, and a team that will be competitive throughout the season. His expectations were met in the 10-point win over the Cardinals, led by seniors Trace Taylor (21pts, 5rbs) and Evan Stice (14pts on four 3-pointers).

Coach Johnson said the team was nervous before the game and thought they might have some trouble getting over the first-game jitters, but when the 3-pointers started falling (11 total for the game) the boys looked much more comfortable and he was pleased with the effort.

"We had guys gutting it out," he said. "We had guys rebounding against somebody taller and stronger then they were. I feel like that was really good and I'm proud of the kids."

Nelson County, a well-matched team against Edmonson, also had plenty of scrap, hustle, and hot shooting early. It was almost a mirror image of the Cats' play in the first half. Edmonson County edged them in most categories early except rebounding, and the Cardinals' opportunities for second-chance points kept the score close. Edmonson led 16-15 after the first and held a 27-22 lead at the half.

Twelve Cats saw playing time in last night's game and nine of them landed in the scorebook.

"All in all, it was a good win and we need that," said Johnson. "It gets the ship headed in the right direction and we have a tough test with Cumberland County. They've got everybody back and we played them this summer. We squeaked by them by one or two points."

Junior forward Braden Wall went down in the first half with an ankle injury and his availability is currently unknown.

"We don't know Braden's status. (Swelling) popped up on him pretty good there. We'll ice the heck out it, hopefully. I hate it for him because it means so much to him. Nobody was more anxious to get out here more than Braden tonight, but we say 'pick your teammate up,' and Braden gets a lot of rebounds so somebody else has to rebound above themselves a little bit."

The Cats out-rebounded the Cardinals 18-8 in the second half.

Other scoring for the Cats was: Will Alexander 6, Tyler Anderson 5, Cole Saling 4, Braxton Highbaugh 4, Braden Wall 3, Jarrett Prunty 3, Zander Bass 2.

The Wildcats are now 1-0 on the season and will take on Cumberland County at home on Saturday.

Darren Doyle, story: Joseph Barkoff, photos:
The Edmonson County Lady Cats started the season off right with a 49-39 win over Warren East in Bowling Green in their season opener on Monday, November 29th.

After trailing all of the first half, Edmonson County was able to gain the lead in a huge third quarter as better defense held the Lady Raiders to only two points.

The Lady Cats had some good looks at early open shots that didn't fall as four 3-pointers from Warren East's Natalie Harrell allowed the Lady Raiders to take a 27-22 lead at the half.

Edmonson County went to a box-and-one defense mixed with a triangle-and-two at times that threw the Lady Raiders out of their offense. Turnovers by Warren East were costly as the Lady Cats capitalized in transition, outscoring WE 16-2 in the quarter.

Coach Bart Weaver discussed the third quarter changes and the effort put forth by his team.

"Listen, the kids did a good job," he said. "They listened. You know, after a really bad scrimmage, we had three really good practices and we all focused on taking care of the basketball every possession. I know we still had 18 turnovers but listen, that's an improvement. I just thought that we really bought in defensively, and that's what won this ballgame. We held them to 39 points. I think defense, and we out-rebounded them pretty good, so defense and rebounding has always been my motto."

Junior forward Lily Jayne Vincent led the Lady Cats in scoring with 11 points while grabbing 5 rebounds. Junior guard Callie Webb added 9 points, senior guard Paige Wolfe had 7 points and 6 rebounds, and senior forward Hallie Cassady had 7 points while pulling 7 rebounds.

Also scoring for Edmonson County was Cariann Williams (6), Jaedlyn Simon (4), Emma White (3) 7rbs, and Maham Shahbaz (2).

Edmonson County shot 43% from the field (17/43), 33% from behind the 3pt line, and 42% (9/19) from the free throw line.

They are now 1-0 on the season and are scheduled to take on Muhlenburg County in the Lady Mustang Classic this Saturday at 7PM.

Edmonson County's boys will open their season tonight at home against Nelson County in a JV/V match beginning at 6PM. The game will be streamed live on the Edmonson Voice.

Edmonson Voice Sports:
Edmonson County High School boys and girls basketball is scheduled to begin each season next week with the girls going on the road on Monday, November 29th and the boys getting things started on Tuesday, November 30th at home against Nelson County.

The Wildcats lost seven seniors from last season's squad, which also means they'll have to find new ways to replace those seniors' 48.9ppg and over 20 rebounds per game.

Coach Brad Johnson will lead the Wildcats this season. Johnson steps in for the departing Mike McClintic, who retired after last season and 43 years of coaching. Johnson is certainly no rookie to coaching. His 30-year career in coaching and teaching boasts many accolades, including over 300 wins, a 2015 NABC Court of Honor Inductee, 3-time 3rd Region Coach of the Year, 3-time Regional Champion, and a 2-time KHSAA Elite 8.

Johnson's first head coaching job was with the Wildcats from 1999-2002, when he replaced Coach Ricky Houchin.

The Wildcats finished the shortened 2020-21 season with a record of 6-13.

They will host visiting Nelson County at ECHS on Tuesday in a JV/V match, beginning at 5:30pm.

Below is the current Wildcat roster for this year, which features 6 seniors and 9 juniors:

• Will Alexander, G, So.
• Caden Mills, F, Jr.
• Tyler Anderson, G, Jr.
• Noah Parsley, PF,  Sr.
• Layne Ashley, G, So.
• Jarrett Prunty, G, Sr.
• Zander Bass, F, Jr.
• Cole Saling, F, Sr.
• Boden Bates, G, Jr.
• Evan Stice, G, Sr.
• Cam Campbell, PF, Jr.
• Trace Taylor, G, Sr.
• Clay Clemmons, G, Sr.
• Tyler Vincent, G, Jr.
• Braxton Highbaugh, F, Jr.
• Braden Wall, F, Jr.
• Nolan Martin, Jr. 
• Kasey Webb, So.
• Noah Meredith, G, So.

Coach Bart Weaver returns as Lady Cat head coach and looks to bounce back after last season's finish of 6-14 on the year, which followed three consecutive district championship-winning seasons.

The Lady Cats lose three seniors from last year's squad, two of which were the top scorers with a combined 29 points per game; however, they have 8 upperclassmen and several young players returning who will look to fill the scoring void.

Weaver also boasts a long a successful coaching and teaching career that spans more than 30 years. He led the Lady Cats to two out of the three consecutive district titles after taking the head coaching position upon the retirement of former coach Kevin Jackson.

The Lady Cats will travel to Warren East on Monday to take on the Lady Raiders in a JV/V match beginning at 6pm.

The Edmonson Voice once again has the exclusive broadcasting partnership with Edmonson County High School and will carry audio and video broadcasts of games throughout the season. You can click on WildcatsLive to watch and listen. All game videos carried by the Edmonson Voice are broadcast live on the Edmonson Voice Facebook Page as well as this site.

The current roster for this year's Lady Cats is posted below:

• Leah Ballance, G, So.
• Jaedlyn Simon, G, Sr.
• Chaney Browning, G, So.
• Kennady Stice, F, So.
• Hallie Cassady, F, Sr.
• Kennadi Swihart, G, Fr.
• Maggie Cassady, F, Fr.
• Lily Jane Vincent, F, Jr.
• Jenna Cook, G, Fr.
• Terashay Watt, G, Fr.
• Karina Dennison, F, Jr.
• Callie Webb, G, Jr.
• Julie Norris, G, Fr.
• Emma White, F, Jr.
• Riley Roy, F, Fr.
• Cariann Williams, C, 8th
• Maham Shahbaz, F, Sr.
• Paige Wolfe, G, Sr.

Darren Doyle, story:
As the 2021-22 high school basketball season approaches with anticipation from players, parents, and fans, after two years of virus regulations, Edmonson County High School has organized a special night for old-school Edmonson County fans.

On December 7, 2021, both the Lady Cats and Wildcats are scheduled to take on Logan County at home; however, this game won't be on the home court of ECHS of 2021. Instead, it's scheduled to take place in what many fans know as "the old gym," "the old middle school," or "the old high school," which is actually the Edmonson County 5/6 Center.

History was in the making for Edmonson County in that old gym as ECHS basketball began a golden era of record-setting and winning that would pave the way for 1976 KHSAA State Champion Wildcats; a history that current school administrators want to see continue for generations to come.

All former ECHS players, coaches, and administrators are invited to the game to be recognized at halftime of the boys game, and will receive free admission,* and a special recognition will be made for former coaches Pete Clemmons and Gerald Meredith, two locals that coached teams in the same gym.

“Last year, Mr. Johnston, Mr. Alexander, and I had discussed how much fun it would be to do this and had no clue that Mr. Johnston would be at the 5/6 Center this year to help make it happen," said ECHS Principal Jonathan Williams, who is also a former member of ECHS basketball.  "We wanted to recreate one of the best atmospheres in the region during the glory days of ECHS basketball, spanning from consolidation through the 1981 season.  We hope our community will come out and help us fill the old gym up one more time.  We hope it's a successful night and becomes an annual event. "Personally, I'd have loved to have played a varsity game in that gym.”

The Wildcats won back-to-back-to-back district championships on the same court in 1973, 74, and 75. Those teams packed the bleachers in the gym from top-to-bottom in those days--an excitement that even prompted an Edmonson-Butler matchup in Diddle Arena, because neither school could contain the crowds that flocked to cheer on their teams.

EC 5/6 Center Principal Chad Johnston said the school was thrilled to have a chance to host the event.

“We are excited about the opportunity to bring the community together and host throwback night at the 5/6 Center. This gym is a place that is sacred in Edmonson County and it is an honor to host an ECHS basketball game in this building for the first time since the early 90s."

The last known ECHS varsity basketball game played in the gym was December of 1993 when the 93-94 Wildcats played in the Caveland Classic under Coach Ricky Houchin.

Superintendent of Schools Brian Alexander said he is as excited about the game as anyone could be.

"My earliest memories of ECHS basketball was in what is now the 5/6 Center gym," he said. "Sometimes the best way to generate excitement for the future is by honoring our past.  We hope Edmonson County fans of all ages will come and watch our Wildcats and Lady Cats and cheer our teams to victory.”

The girls game is scheduled to start at 6PM with the boys game following. They will both be live streamed on the Edmonson Voice. Youth league basketball players will also be recognized during the event.

*Only former players, coaches, and administrators will have free admission. Family members and guests of those will still be required to pay regular admission.

2021-22 Seasons Getting Underway

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
Things felt more "normal" in the ECHS gym last night than they had in two years, with a full crowd on hand, and with that crowd cheering on student athletes from the middle and high school teams at the 2021 Meet the Wildcats event.

In a fundraising event that showcased the ECMS cheer team, middle school boys and girls basketball teams, the ECHS Cheer team, and both the Lady Cat and Wildcat basketball teams, fans packed the bleachers to cheer on their players.

ECHS Principal Jonathan Williams said he's already seeing an increase in school spirit, due to various reasons.

"I think people are already excited for the upcoming basketball seasons as a result of different things. Our Lady Cat team has had a really good run over the last few years and for the boys, Coach Johnson and his staff and kids have a lot of positive energy flowing with their program," he said. "When you consider the fact that we've basically been in a COVID jail, people are ready to cheer the cats on. They want to come watch a game, smell popcorn, hear shoes screeching on the floor and feel the energy."

Williams served as the event's emcee and encouraged fans in the stands to get behind all the school's teams as another season of basketball begins.

Both the ECMS and ECHS cheer teams performed separate routines as each team member was introduced. The ECMS girls team were brought out to center court and introduced to the crowd and the ECMS boys team showed off some their practice routines.

Fans got a glimpse of both the Lady Cats and Wildcats of ECHS, as the teams played two quarters each of inter-squad scrimmage.

Through the help of community sponsors, ECHS has invested in their facilities to provide a much more energetic game experience with a brand new 10ft video board and spotlights for team introductions.

"What our community has done for our school and programs has been crucial," Williams said. "Look at what we did with the video board thanks to Kasey Alford and Alford's Pharmacy. They helped us modernize and improve our advertising product and that revenue goes straight back to the facilities and supplies for our student athletes.  When kids look good, feel good, and feel the energy of representing an excited community, it means something.  I can tell you from my own experience, and as so many others know, it’s special to put that jersey on with Edmonson County on it and see the gym full of people to cheer you on." 

Middle school basketball games are already underway with the ECHS Lady Cats starting their season on the road on Monday, November 29th at Warren East, and the Wildcats kicking things off at home on Tuesday, November 30th against Nelson County.

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County High School has named two new head coaches: one for Wildcats Baseball and one for Lady Cat Volleyball.

Michael Meredith was recently named head baseball coach of the Wildcats. He replaces Bo West, who stepped down after last season. 

Coach Meredith retired from ECHS in 2020 as a junior/senior counselor, spending 8 years in that role. Prior to that, he taught at Grayson County High School for 6 years before serving as senior counselor there for 14 years. 

His coaching career consists of:

• Grayson County Assistant Softball Coach for 3 years
• Grayson County Head Softball Coach for 2 years
• Grayson County Assistant Golf Coach for 8 years
• President of local Babe Ruth for past 4 years
• Longtime tee ball to Babe Ruth coach at all levels
• Edmonson County Assistant Golf Coach 2021-present

Coach Meredith said his plans are to build the program from the 7th grade up, and to try to give every child in the program the attention they need to become better players and better people.

"I want to improve the existing facilities and hopefully build things for the future," he said. "I want to work hand-in-hand with our youth program to provide what I can to help develop our younger talent.  I want those younger kids to feel a part of our program.  I want to have a youth league night in baseball just like we have in football and basketball." 

"We lost 9 seniors from last years squad so we have a lot of holes to fill and a lot of work to do, but the players that are coming to open field are doing everything that we are asking of them to get better."
​

While Caitlin Caudill might be new to a head volleyball coaching position, she is more than experienced in winning. She was named interim volleyball head coach in September of 2021 after Bridget Simon stepped down. While she had already been serving as freshmen volleyball coach, she quickly earned the respect as a head coach from not only the JV and varsity players, but also parents and school administration.

At ECHS as Caitlin Simon, (now happily married to her husband, Daniel Caudill) she played not only volleyball, but also softball, and basketball. She holds the school record for the most points ever scored in Lady Cat basketball history, with 2,564 points. During her senior year of Lady Cat basketball, she was named 3rd Region Player of the Year, All-Region 1st Team, and Region 3 All-Tournament team. She also earned numerous All-District honors over multiple seasons and was a finalist for Miss Kentucky Basketball 2018.

Also in that senior season, the Lady Cats finished with a 29-5 record, the best in school history for a girls basketball team, as 12th District Champions for the first time since 1998, and they were All "A" Region 3 Champions.

While most folks remember her amazing basketball skills, she was a standout athlete in every sport; volleyball was no exception and she excelled as powerful hitter.

"First and foremost, I would just like to say I am thankful for the opportunity to coach this team," she said. "I am super excited and look forward to working with the girls. We are going to work hard on this off-season to try and prepare for 2022. I am also excited to be coaching a sport that I love so much and I am looking forward to continuing to work with these amazing girls."

In Caudill's senior season in ECHS volleyball, she was actually teammates of a few of next year's senior Lady Cats, when those players were 7th graders.

ECHS Principal Jonathan Williams discussed the decision to hire both Meredith and Caudill for the positions.

"Michael Meredith is a great hire for us here--he’s a leader in the community, has mentored a lot of young men in our community, including me, and it’s a very full circle moment for me to get to hire him," he said. "He has led a successful softball program before and has served our young people through our youth baseball programs for years.  Coach Brad Johnson and I are thrilled to have him here as head coach for our Wildcats."

Williams also had high remarks for Caudill.

"We are proud to have a person like Caitlin want to come back to where she played and coach our girls," he added. "Caitlin is a winner and has a strong track record of winning. She is energetic, knows the game, and has proven she knows how to teach fundamental volleyball.  Most of all, Caitlin is a great person and will be a good role model for our kids. To say Coach Johnson and I are thrilled to have her coaching here is an understatement."

Edmonson Voice Sports:
The ECHS Cross Country teams traveled to Paris, KY on Saturday to compete in the KHSAA State Championships.  The girls team finished 15th overall out of the 30 teams that qualified. They were led by Caroline Parsley 70th place, followed by Jenna Cook 80th, Cariann Williams 82nd, Kenadi Swihart 109th, Lilly Miller 142nd, Abby Logsdon 150th, and Emma Grace Cena 161st.  There were a total of 230 girls in the race. 

“Our girls team competed well today, we didn’t have the day we wanted but I was proud of their effort,” said Coach Brad Meredith. “You could tell we were still recovering from region. We came up a little short of our overall goal but we had a great season. Conference Champions, Regional Champions,  State Meet qualifiers and still a top 15 team in the state. It's a pretty successful season.”

The boys finished 20th as a team out of the 36 teams that qualified. They were led by Logan Brooks 90th, followed by Brandon Lindsey 125th, Tyler Brooks 127th, Landon Franich 150th, Ashton Johnson 200th, David Brewer 211th, and Tyler Anderson 217th out of 265 runners.

“Our boys team came a long way throughout the season.  Many of them didn’t get real consistent training because they were affected by COVID, but they competed well at state. For many of them, it was their best race of the season,” said Coach Meredith. “I’m extremely proud of how both teams competed at region and at the state meet. I told them after the meet, that I was proud and they should be proud of themselves also.  We got to compete at the highest level of our sport. Not many teams in any sport can say that.  There were a lot of teams that were at home on Saturday while we were competing. Even though we didn’t reach our teams goals at State, 15th and 20th place finishes as a team is pretty impressive. I want Edmonson County to know these young athletes represented us at the highest level of competition  and everyone should be proud of them. They are great students , have great sportsmanship, and even the hotel we stayed at bragged on how well our kids behaved, we just have a great group of kids.”

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The last game of the 2021 football season came to an end for the Wildcats in heartbreaking fashion tonight as Breckinridge County scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion in the final seconds after Edmonson County led as much as 14 with only a few minutes left in the game.

The loss was a brutal ending to a tough, winless season under first-year head coach, Ed Smart. Wildcat football hasn't gone a season without a win since 1972. Coach Smart informed the team this week that he would not be returning as coach next season.

ECHS Principal Jonathan Williams said the search for a new coach for next season is already being discussed.

Breckinridge County started the fireworks early (literal fireworks, as they were shot with each score from the Tigers) as they scored first on a touchdown from Michael Johnson, although the extra point attempt was no good. They led 6-0 with 6:52 in the first quarter.

The Wildcats answered big as Zander Bass returned the kickoff for a 55-yard touchdown. Their two-point conversion gave them the 8-6 lead with 6:42 in the first.

Edmonson County extended their lead with another touchdown in the second quarter as Matt Shaw bulldozed his way into the end zone. The two-point conversion was no good and the Cats led 14-6 at the half.

Shaw connected again for the Cats in the third and Edmonson County enjoyed their largest lead of both the game and the season, 20-6. The Tigers soon answered with a 15-yard TD from Michael Johnson again, and the two-point conversion was good, cutting the Edmonson lead to 20-14 with 4:25 left in the third.

With just under 8 minutes in the game, the Wildcats ran a nice reverse as Michael Mills connected with Daren Alexander for a 16-yard touchdown. After the extra two, Edmonson led 28-14.

The Tigers were far from done as they scrapped back with 4:41 left with Jacob Henning scoring for Breckinridge. The extra two points cut the Edmonson lead to 28-22.

Edmonson County was 16 seconds away from the first and only victory of the season when Tiger quarterback Kiyren Watkins, who stepped back looking to pass, somehow wiggled his way out of the blitz and ran the ball 60 yards for a game-tying touchdown with 9.9 seconds on the clock. The two-point conversion was good to give them a 30-28 lead.

The Tigers pooched-kicked on the kickoff and the ball dribbled up field and off the hands of a Wildcat as time expired. The Tigers celebrated their fourth victory (4-6) in a row as the Cats left stunned.

Edmonson County put up a total of 220 yards of rushing offense, led by quarterback Zander Bass with 98 yards. Michael Mills added 57 yards (as well as 33 yards in passing on two reverses), and Matt Shaw added 46 yards rushing. Daren Alexander notched 33 yards of receiving yardage.

Logan Davis led the Cats in total tackles with 13, while Bass and Mills added 9 each.

The Wildcats finish the season 0-10, with two of those losses as a result of COVID cancellations early in the season.

Madison Doyle, story and photos:

Several seniors were recognized tonight at the football game for five different sports, including football, marching band, cheerleading, cross country, and golf. Enjoy this slideshow of our seniors with their families.

Not present tonight: Golf senior Hallie Cassady, daughter of Staffane and Kyle Cassady, and Keegan Stewart, son of Wes Stewart.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The Wildcats fell to the Monroe County Falcons 39-6 on Friday, October 22nd on senior night 2021, for the final home game of the season.

Monroe County scored first as John Harlin rushed in with a 13-yard TD for the Falcons with 8:39 left in the 1st quarter. The Falcons led the Wildcats 7-0 after the extra point.

The Falcons scored again with 4:30 in the first after the Falcons returned to the red zone, this time with Jordan Page and a one-yard touchdown. The extra point was no good and Monroe County led the Wildcats 13-0.

After a Wildcat turnover, Monroe's Peyton Knudson scored on a 36-yard TD and the extra point extended the Falcon lead to 20-0 with 2:53 in the first.

The Falcons scored two more touchdowns before the half, but the extra points were no good. They led 32-0 at halftime.

The Wildcats were scrapping early in the third and finally got on the board after getting into the red zone. Matt Shaw pushed through with a 1-yard TD run. The Edmonson extra point attempt was no good and with 5:08 left to go in the third quarter, the Wildcats cut the Falcon lead to 32-6.

With the Monroe County quarterback Petett under pressure, he maneuvered out of a tackle and connected with John Harlin for a 24-yard touchdown as the clock ran out in the third. The extra point was good and the Falcons led 39-6.

Coach Smart said last week that he wants any team he coaches to improve as the season goes on. He said he thought the first half of tonight's game didn't reflect much of that improvement, although he thought the Wildcats played better in the second half. While he wasn't happy with tonight's game, he credited his seniors for sticking through a very tough season.

"I feel bad for our seniors, it's been difficult," he said. "They took it pretty hard in there and that's why it took me a while to get up here. We talked about some things. Until you've played this, you don't quite understand what we're going through. We've talked about kids at school making fun of them and calling them losers. And you know how kids can be, and I've tried to explain to them that's why we have to stay together. It can be a cruel world and people are going to point things out, but I'm like, they don't understand all the time and the work these boys have put in, and they're trying to represent our school and community. They're trying to do the best they can and we're coming up short, but I mean it's not because we're not trying, and it's not because we're not out here. There's a lot of other kids walking the hallways that ain't out here, so I take my hat off to our kids because I'm proud of them."

Seniors on this year's roster included: Gage Abney, Ian Clark, Logan Davis, and Matt Shaw.

During halftime, the 2011 ECHS Wildcat Football team was recognized on-field, which was one of the most successful at Edmonson County. The team won the first district championship for football that year since 1986. They enjoyed a perfect 11-0 regular season, coached by Kyle Pierce.

Also recognized were members of the 2021 youth football league. Dozens of future Wildcats were brought on the field and honored for their hard work this season.

Edmonson County is now 0-9 on the season and is scheduled to play Breckinridge County on the road next week for the final regular game of the season. The team is working on scheduling an extra game to possibly make up for one of the COVID cancellations they experienced earlier in the year.

Edmonson Voice Sports:
Four different Lady Cat volleyball team members were named to various all-district teams for the 2021 District 12 season.

The following players were recognized after Tuesday night's championship game:

• Senior Karrington Peger was named to the All-Academic Team
• Junior Kaylee Lindsey was named to the All-Season Team
• Junior Whitney Davis was named to the All-Season Team
• Junior Alyssa Doyle was named to the All-Tournament Team

Trinity defeated Grayson County in the championship game, 3-0.

Madison Doyle, story and photos: 
The 2021 ECHS Lady Cat volleyball season came to an end last night against Grayson County in the 12th District Tournament, hosted by Edmonson County.

The Lady Cats won the first set of the match 25-23, but the Lady Cougars took the last three (26-24, 25-17, and 25-23) to win the game and advance to the district championship, ending the season for EC. 

Interim Head Coach Caitlin Caudill had nothing but good things to say about her team despite their loss.

"I’m proud of the fight the girls put up. Last night, they never gave up and I couldn’t have been more proud of them for that." She also added that everyone on the team "from our senior all the way down to our 7th graders" had improved all season long. "I look forward to seeing them put in work over the off season and come back next season even better."

Juniors Alyssa Doyle and Kaylee Lindsey led the Lady Cats once again with 12 kills each. Junior Rylee Laster followed close behind with 8, Whitney Davis added 2, and Raven Cast added 1. The Lady Cats also had some blocks as Alyssa Doyle led with 6, and Lindsey added 4. Junior Whitney Davis led the team in digs with 24. Lindsey followed with 23, Doyle and Cast each had 15, Thompson with 11, Madison Bullock with 10, and Laster added 4.

EC also had a few service aces last night, as Davis and Thompson both had 4, Lindsey had 2, and Doyle and Alivia Mabrey each added 1. 

The Lady Cats will be losing one senior, Karrington Peger. They will have 6 players who will be returning next year as seniors, and Coach Caitlin Caudill says she is expecting "big things" from them. The Lady Cats ended their season 7-21. 

Edmonson Voice Sports:
Edmonson County High School will host the 2021 District 12 Championship tonight as Butler County and Whitesville Trinity start things off at 5:30PM.

Immediately following will be the second game of the night, where the Lady Cats will take on Grayson County around 6:20PM.

Several sponsors are providing tickets for the first 100 ECHS students for the tournament. The Lady Cats are asking fans in attendance to wear red to the game. Tonight's game sponsors providing student tickets are Middlebrook Subdivision-Blevins & Blevins, LLC., Bank of Edmonson County, Edmonson Voice, McReynold's Physical Therapy, and Mark Wardlow.

The game will be broadcast live with video and audio streams on the Edmonson Voice Facebook Page and EdmonsonVoice.com beginning at approximately 6:20PM.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
Edmonson County fell to Green County tonight 42-7 on a soggy homecoming night, but Coach Ed Smart said at the beginning of the season that his goal was for his team to be better by the end of the year. Despite the growing pains and tough losses the Wildcats have faced this year, Coach Smart said he has seen his team improve as the season has moved forward.

In the post game interview with the Wildcats Live crew, Coach Smart said, "I told y'all the first time we talked, I wanted to see improvement. It's been a gradual process, but I thought defensively, at times we looked pretty good. Offensively, we're still struggling a little bit. We can get some first downs and there's a lot of things we need to work on, but there's improvement, and that to me is the key."

The Wildcats have struggled mightily with a roster that is small in both size and personnel; they are also young and getting used to new positions and a new coach. Several of their games this season have seen running clocks--contests where the opponent led by 36 points or more. Scoring has been tough throughout all year, but there hasn't been a game during this 0-8 season (two of which were COVID forfeitures) where the boys gave up. If you couldn't see a scoreboard, you'd never know the Cats were trailing like they've been, based on their effort.

Tonight, Green County struck first with Julian Seymour scoring on a short carry on the Dragons' first drive of the game. Their two-point conversion was good and they led 8-0 with 9:19 in the first.

Green County scored again with 1:48 left in the first on another rushing TD from Houston Hodges; however, they did not convert on the two-point conversion. They led 14-0 going into the second.

Defensively, Edmonson County looked better than they had in previous games, stopping holes and making much better tackles.

Wildcat junior Zander Bass, who switched positions from WR to QB with fellow junior Daren Alexander, broke free on a quarterback keeper and ran 39 yards for a touchdown with 3:52 left in the half. Kicker Owen Stills scored the extra point and the Cats cut the lead to 14-7.

The Dragons scored on a big play during their next drive, this time on Blake Houchins' 59-yard TD run. Green County failed to score on the two-point conversion but extended their lead to 20-7 with 3:41 left in the half.

Green County wasn't finished in the quarter. With under two minutes to go, they scored again on a 19-yard run and extended their lead once more after a two-point conversion to 28-7, which was the score at the half.

The Dragons scored once more in the third and then again on another big run in the 4th--this time, a 56-yard run by Kelson McKinney with another two-point conversion, which brought the score to the final 42-7.

Zander Bass completed 3 out of 7 pass attempts for 18 passing yards while adding 55 rushing yards. Michael Mills rushed for 40 yards and Michael Shaw rushed for 38.

Gage Abney and Blake Shields each notched 10 tackles, Logan Davis added 9, and Michael Mills and Noah Meredith added 8 tackles each.

Mills also had a 58-yard interception.

"You want to see from that first game to the last game, you want to get better, and that's what I seeing," said Coach Smart. "I'm not happy about things--the result, but the truth of the matter is, we're getting better. If we'd turned around and got beat 66-0 and looked like we did in the first half against Hancock, then I'd be really disappointed and upset."

Edmonson County has one more home game this season, which is scheduled for Friday, October 22nd against Monroe County. It will be fall sports senior night at Wildcat Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7PM with the WildcatsLive crew going live at 6:45PM.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
It may have been windy and soggy through the soaking rains tonight, but everyone was all smiles at the 2021 ECHS Football homecoming despite the weather.

Miss McKenna Woosley was named this year's senior football homecoming queen and she was escorted by Mr. Alex Elkins.

The junior princess was Tina Compton, who was escorted by Tyler Anderson. Sophomore princess was Chloe Pandolfi, who was escorted by Landon Meredith. Freshman princess was Lilly Parsley, who was escorted by Landon Franich.

The attendants, who did not join the court due to the weather, were Lilly Mae Forbes, daughter of Ted and Joanna Forbes, and Hudon Hennion, son of Zach and Sydney Hennion, as well as Kaisley Milliken, daughter of Katie Jaggers and Jared Sherrard, and Jensen Elmore, son of Travis and Nikki Elmore.

The court was crowned by last year's queen, Katie Lindsey, who was escorted by Eli Pedigo.

The Wildcats lost to Green County, 42-7.

The Lady Cats got off to a slow start last night in the first set against Muhlenberg County, as they allowed the Lady Mustangs to take an early lead which was extended to 19-13 and forced a Lady Cat timeout.

Out of the timeout, the Lady Cats went on a 6 point run, which forced the Lady Mustangs into a timeout of their own. Edmonson County took their first lead of the game since the score was 2-1 at 22-21 and from then on, they fought point-by-point until they were outlasted by Muhlenberg in one of the highest-scoring sets Lady Cat fans had seen in several years, with the Lady Mustangs taking the set 30-28, and a 1-0 lead.

The Lady Cats had a better start in set two as they led 16-11, which forced Muhlenberg into their first timeout; however, the Lady Mustangs went on a 9-4 run and tied the score at 20-20.

Costly errors from Edmonson allowed Muhlenberg to take the lead and win the second set 22-25, and the game, 2-0.  

Juniors Kaylee Lindsey and Alyssa Doyle led the Lady Cats with 6 kills by Lindsey and 5 by Doyle. Juniors Whitney Davis and Rylee Laster both added 4. Lindsey and Doyle also added 4 blocks each; Davis and Laster each added 1. Whitney Davis and Alivia Mabrey led in digs with 13 each, while sophomore Madison Bullock added 9, Doyle added 8, Lindsey added 6, and Raven Cast added 3.

EC also had multiple service aces, as Kaylee Lindsey had 2, and Davis and Mabrey had 1 each.


The Lady Cats are now 7-19 on the season and are scheduled to take on Breckinridge County at home this Thursday at 5:30 p.m, which is the last regular season game before they host the district tournament next week.

Edmonson Voice Report:
Edmonson County High School has announced the 2021 Football Homecoming candidates for this Friday night's game.

Standing left to right: Chloe Pandolfi (10th grade) Leah Ballance (10th grade) Addison Bullard (9th) Lilly Parsley (9th) Maggie Cassady (9th) Addison Browning (9th) Chaney Browning (10th) Kennady Stice (10th)

Middle Row (all 11th grade): Cadence Warthen, Ryley Jones, Tina Compton

Front row (all 12th grade): Emma Grace Cena, Maham Shahbaz, Rachel Hennion

Not pictured: McKenna Woosley (12th grade), Macy Allen (11th grade)

The girls were dressed in pajamas as part of Spirit Week, which is customary on the week of homecoming. This week's festivities include: Monday-pajama day, Tuesday-twin day, Wednesday-color wars between classes, Throwback Thursday-decades day, and Friday-Wildcat Spirit Day.

The game is scheduled for this Friday night at Wildcat Stadium against Green County at 7PM. The Edmonson Voice will carry the livestream with the WildcatsLive crew, beginning at 6:45PM.

Last night the Lady Cats fell to top-rated  district foe Whitesville-Trinity (21-4, 6-0) in a home match-up in four sets. While the game was notched as another loss for Edmonson County, the effort given by the Lady Cats was as good as EC fans have seen all season long.

After a rough start for Edmonson County, Trinity took the first set 25-22. Edmonson County responded with an intense second set, taking the Lady Raiders past 25, and winning 28-26. With starters Kaylee Lindsey who is nursing a sore ankle and Alyssa Doyle who has battled illness this week, Trinity took advantage of some big runs and outlasted the Lady Cats for the final two sets, 25-17 and 25-11. 

Multiple team members said it was fun feeding off the positive energy from the fan section in Wildcat Alley, which was the largest group of student fans the gym has seen in a couple years. 

Interim Head Coach Caitlin Caudill said some big blocks and timely digs kept the game close, but the girls seemed to run out of gas toward the end of the game. 

"I am very proud of the fight the girls showed last night", Coach Caudill stated, "They proved last night that they can play with anyone. We have a few things we need to work on, but we will work over fall break and be ready to take on Muhlenberg County when we return." 

The Lady Cats are scheduled to take on Muhlenberg at home on Monday, October 11th, at 5:30 pm. ​ Edmonson County is 7-18 on the season and now 3-5 in district play.

Edmonson Voice Sports:
The ECHS Wildcat Golf team ended their season this week in the Regional Tournament at Rolling Hills in Russellville. 

Coach Granville Meredith said, "I was honored to coach these young men this year. They improved all year long.  I am looking for them to continue to improve and come back stronger next year.  I am sad to lose my seniors Evan, Jarrett, and Zach, but the guys returning next year and the younger guys will step up and fill some shoes." 

Junior Andrew Talley finished 23rd overall in the region. Meredith said the team is expecting a leadership role for Talley next year.

Coach Granville also added "I would also like to thank everyone that helped support this team,  whether you were a parent, sibling, spectator, or just a fan of golf.  Huge thanks to Shady Hollow and their staff for allowing us to call it home.  Thanks to Coach Michael, Coach Kayla, and Coach Bret for your help this season."   

Edmonson Voice Report: 
The ECHS Lady Cat Golf team competed in the regional tournament yesterday at Indian Hills Country Club in Bowling Green. Senior Paige Wolfe finished 7th in the tournament with a score of 86, qualifying her for the upcoming KHSAA state competition. 

"These girls faced never-before-experienced challenges and did a great job taking them on head first," said Coach Kayla Meredith. "We have had a great season and I couldn’t have asked for a better result out this amazing group of girls. I’m incredibly proud to get to work with each one of them and it encourages me for the future seeing how hard they have worked this season."

Meredith also added, "It’s so exciting to get to return to the state tournament, as a coach this time, and to support such a remarkable young lady."

She also wanted to thank all of the players and their parents for all of their support this season. 

Edmonson Voice Sports: 
Hope Sivori, sophomore member of the WKU women's basketball team and 2021 C-USA Co-Freshman of the year, paid a visit to the Lady Cat basketball team at their practice on Thursday. She watched their practiced and spoke to them about working toward their goals, how to be a good teammate, and to "never give up", according to Lady Cat Head Coach Bart Weaver. 

Weaver said he was very pleased with Hope's visit.

"Hope was truly an inspiration, and her positivity filled the locker room," he said. "Thanks to Melinda Campbell for introducing Hope to our team.”

Weaver also said Hope shared with the girls her go-to quote, which is "earned not given", and told them the quote doesn't just apply to basketball, but life itself. 

Hope said, "The girls were wonderful and super easy to talk to. The coaching staff is amazing. I’m so excited and blessed to have the opportunity to talk to such an amazing group of young ladies. Go, Lady Cats!” ​

Edmonson Voice Sports:
The ECHS Golf Team wrapped up regular season play last week.

On Tuesday, all the boys traveled to Hart County and lost a close match 188 to 178.  The Wildcats ended the season with a record of 2 - 4 and now they will send the Top 5 boys to the Region at Rolling Hills on Tuesday. The top 5 consists of:
Andrew Talley Tee Time 8:40
Jacob Williams Tee Time 8:30
Jarrett Prunty Tee Time 8:20
Levi Meredith Tee Time 8:10
Evan Stice Tee Time 8:00

Then on Thursday the Lady Cats hosted South Warren on Senior Night.  Before the match both teams took team pictures and honored the 5 seniors: Zach Jacobs, Jarrett Prunty, and Evan Stice for the boys teams. 

Lady Cat seniors Paige Wolfe and Hallie Cassady were honored and were also allowed a caddie for the event.  Paige Wolfe had her dad David Wolfe as her caddie while Hallie Cassady had her dad Kyle Cassady as her caddie.  This proved to be a great time for both the players, parents and spectators.  Coach Kayla also picked up her first win of the year. 
 
"I wanted to do something special for these girls," Coach Kayla said. "They have worked so hard all year long and I wanted to give them a treat for their efforts."

The Lady Cats also will be sending their top 5 to the regional tournament on Monday at Indian Hills, which will consist of:

Paige Wolfe Tee Time 9:30
Hallie Cassady Tee Time 9:20
MaKayla Hogg Tee Time 9:10
Hannah Cassady Tee Time 9:00
Abby Hogg Tee Time 8:50

The coaches wished to thank everyone who has supported the Golf Team this year. 

"Each player, parent, spectator, and especially Shady Hollow staff for allowing us to play," said the coaching staff.  

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Lady Cats had much to celebrate on Thursday's win over Butler County at the annual ECHS Dig Pink Cancer Benefit Game. Not only did they defeat their District 12 opponent in four sets 3-1, (25-14, 24-26, 25-22, 25-16), but they also saw two records broken--one for the amount of money raised at the event (nearly $6K,) and two, the single-game record for number of kills. Junior Kaylee Lindsey earned her 18th kill on the final point of the last set, which put her at the top of the list.

Each year, Lady Cat Volleyball chooses one local family that is either battling cancer or has been recently largely affected by cancer for whom to raise funds. This year's recipient was the family of Leslie Minyard, who is now battling stage 3 Lymphoma and is currently undergoing two different types of chemotherapy.

Leslie was unable to attend the game, but her husband, Richie, was full of gratefulness on her behalf.

Also honored was 15-year old Mya Henderson, who's Leukemia has been in remission after a battle with the disease as an infant. She was named Honorary Coach and had her own place on the Lady Cat bench throughout the night.

The Lady Cats were pumped and ready to go in the first set, jumping out to a comfortable lead and taking care of business early with a 25-14 win.

Butler County bounced back in set two as they began to settle in to the high-energy atmosphere at ECHS. They were able to edge the Lady Cats 26-24. Set three was also a nail-biter as each team traded licks throughout the set; however, Edmonson County was able to hold off a late run by the Lady Bears and took the set 25-22.

Both teams began set four closely but a big run mid-set gave the Lady Cats a comfortable lead, capped off with Kaylee Lindsey's kill for the final point.

Sophomore Riley Monroe not only made her varsity debut, but she also started tonight in place of junior Rylee Laster, who was out for illness. Monroe contributed to the team's win.

In addition to Lindsey's kills, Whitney Davis had 7, Alyssa Doyle had 6, and Monroe added 3. Raven Cast led Edmonson County in assists with 16 while Madison Bullock added 13. Davis also notched 38 digs while Cast had 23, Doyle had 20, and Lindsey had 12. Davis also added 3 service aces while Doyle and Cast added 2 each and Monroe added one.

Edmonson County is now 3-1 in district play and 6-13 on the season. They are scheduled to play 6 games on Saturday in the Slam Jam Tournament at Metcalfe County on Saturday.