Edmonson Voice Sports:
The ECHS Track team had a successful run at the 2021 KHSAA State Meet on Thursday, June 10th in Lexington at the University of Kentucky's track and field complex.

Multiple team and individuals finished in the top 20 of their respective categories, with four categories finishing in the top 10.

Karrington Peger earned All-State Honors in the discus with an 8th place finish. She also finished 10th in the shot put.

Daniel Woosley set a personal best in the long jump to finish 9th place. 

Cariann Williams, a 7th grader, finished with a new personal best, which was 18th in the 800 meter.

Emma Grace Cena finished 19th in the 400 meter.

Blake Skaggs set a personal best in the pole vault, while he finished 16th.

Lane Lindsey jumped a personal best in the triple jump and placed 10th while also placing 16th in the 400 meter dash. 

Girls Relays:
4x800 -13th place
Team Members: Caroline Parsley, Cariann Williams, Emma Grace Cena, Courtney Garrett

4x200-11th place:
Team members: Jaedlyn Simon, Lilly Jane Vincent, Courtney Garret, Katie Lindsey

4x100 13th place: (team broke their own school record)
Team members: Maham Shabazz, Lilly Jane Vincent, Courtney Garret, Katie Lindsey 

4x400 -12th place:
Team members: Emma Grace Cena, Caroline Parsley, Maham Shabazz, Courtney Garrett

Boys 4x200 -16th place:
Team members: Payton Vincent, Zander Bass, Tyler Anderson, Lane Lindsey 

Head Coach Brad Meredith complimented the impressive finishes for his team.

"We had a great state meet," he said. "I’m so proud of how our athletes performed and represented our school and community at the state level.”

Edmonson Voice Sports:
Members of the ECHS Wildcat Track team are headed to the KHSAA State Championships this week to compete in a host of events.

Competing in the girls 4x100 Meter Relay will be Maham Shabazz; Lilly Jane Vincent; Courtney Garrett; Katie Lindsey Emma Grace Cena; Jaedlyn Simon; Christina Compton.

For the girls 4x200 Meter Relay: Jaedlyn Simon; Lilly Jane Vincent; Courtney Garrett; Katie Lindsey Caroline Parsley; Maham Shabazz; Emma Grace Cena; Christina Compton.

In the girls 4x400 Meter Relay: Emma Grace Cena; Caroline Parsley; Maham Shabazz; Courtney Garrett Lilly Miller; Katie Lindsey; Jaedlyn Simon; Cariann Williams.

For the girls 4x800 Meter Relay: Caroline Parsley; Cariann Williams; Courtney Garrett; Emma Grace Cena Jaedlyn Simon; Kenadi Swihart; Lilly Miller.

For the boys, in the 4x200 Meter Relay: Payton Vincent; Zander Bass; Tyler Anderson; Lane Lindsey Daniel Woosley; Hunter Hayes; Braden Wall.

Competing in the boys 4x400 Meter Relay: Lane Lindsey; Payton Vincent; Zander Bass; Tyler Anderson Daniel Woosley; Braden Wall; Logan Brooks; Jarrett Prunty.

ECHS is coordinating a "wave parade" to send off the team in style as they leave this Wednesday for competition on Thursday. The team bus will leave around 10:15am on Wednesday and community members and fans are asked to line up down the street and on the square to cheer on the team.

All ECHS athletes making the state roster included: Tyler Anderson, Zander Bass, Logan Brooks, Emma Grace Cena,  Christina Compton, Courtney Garrett, Hunter Hayes, Katie Lindsey, Lane Lindsey, Lilly Miller, Caroline Parsley, Karrington Peger, Jarrett Prunty, Maham Shabazz, Jaedlyn Simon, Blake Skaggs, Kenadi Swihart, Lilly Jane Vincent, Payton Vincent, Braden Wall, Cariann Williams, and Daniel Woosley.

ECHS Tracks and Cross Country is coached by Brad Meredith.

Edmonson County High is inviting the public to attend an open meeting tonight, June 2nd at 5:30PM to discuss the possibilities of addition of soccer, tennis, and/or other sports for the 21-22 school year.

The meeting will be held in the high school library. Anyone interested in the addition of any new sports is invited to attend.

Darren Doyle, story:
The Edmonson County Wildcat baseball team won their first district championship team in more than 30 years yesterday, defeating the Trinity Raiders 4-1 in Butler County.

The Wildcats last won the district title back in 1988, during the school's District 15 and Region 4 days. That was the year Edmonson County's very own Superintendent of Schools, Brian Alexander, was a senior on that team.

Edmonson County moved to the District 12 finals yesterday after defeating Grayson County on Monday in an extra-inning game, 4-2.

The Wildcats were in control the entire game yesterday, paced by 7th-grader Hunter Wilson on the mound. Wilson gave up zero runs on three hits, struck out four, and walked three. Junior Gavin Minyard pitched two innings in relief, allowing only one run on no hits, one strikeout, and a walk.

While the Wildcats notched only one unearned run against the Raiders, they were able to use five errors committed by Trinity to their advantage, turning them into trips across the plate. Edmonson had zero errors in the field, and defense is an area where Head Coach Bo West has been determined to find success all season long.

"Our defense was huge yesterday," he said. "Our defense is what's turned us around this year. We committed only one error in two district tournament games, and coming into the stretch, we knew it would be even more important."

West said in addition to solid defense, it was also the senior leaders that helped boost the team's confidence early in the season after beating Butler County on the road 6-2, after getting thrashed from them at home the night before, 15-3. 

"Everything was off when this season started because of the COVID shutdown," he said. "We were working through so much after losing an entire season. The guys were pretty quiet at the beginning of the year as everyone started working back to baseball stuff. Our seniors stepped up and led the team as the team as a whole started gaining confidence. Our guys were able to stay loose but also stay focused and those are things that led to the guys playing really good baseball recently."

Isaiah Johnson and Hunter Wilson each went 1-3, Chaz Wilson was 1-1 with an RBI. Gavin Rose was 1-2 with an RBI, and Dylan Lindsey went 1-2 with 2 RBIs.

The team was met at Riverhill with emergency vehicles last night for an official district championship escort into town.

"I thought there was a wreck or something, then they said it was because they were escorting us in, and that was awesome," Coach West said.

West's teams have gotten close a few times, but not often. The last time Edmonson competed in the region tournament was 2013, so the opportunity to still be playing baseball at this time of the year brings on a whole new excitement for the team.

"I'm proud of these kids and proud for our county," our parents, our coaches, the alum, and everyone that's been involved in the baseball program," he said. "You wouldn't think it'd be that hard to win two games, but boy, it is. I'm just happy for everybody."

The District Champion Wildcats are now set to take on District 11 runner-up Hancock County this Saturday, at 10AM at the Region 3 Tournament, hosted at Grayson County.

"Everybody is excited to make it to region. I feel like we'll be ready and that right now, we're playing our best baseball. I'll look at some scouting reports on Hancock, but we know they have good speed and a couple good pitchers. We'll have to have our A-game on defense to beat them. We're going out there with nothing to lose and we're looking forward to it."

Edmonson County is now 17-14 on the season and have won their last 4 games. They have won the last 8 of 9 contests, dating back to May 11th.

ECHS Sports: Photos courtesy of ECHS Bass Fishing:
The ECHS Bass Fishing Team brought home the team's first-ever hardware for the school with both team and individual honors on Saturday, May 22nd at the KBF/SAF Nolin Lake-Wax tournament. The team just missed the first place mark, coming in second for the school's first win.

Team members Cooper Richardson and Jake Coy's combined 17.5lbs of fish helped give the Wildcats their first tournament placing. Richardson's 5lb 11oz largemouth was good enough to win him biggest fish of the tournament honors.

Head Coach Jeremy Hodges said the boys on the team have been nothing but impressive this year.

"I'm extremely proud of our guys this season," he said. "They have incredible determination and drive and it's great to see these young men succeeding. I look forward to bigger and better things--and fish--in the future for these guys."

Coach Hodges said there were about 50 boats in the tournament from three different schools.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The Edmonson County Wildcat Baseball team celebrated their annual senior night on Monday, May 18, 2021 at Wildcat Field by honoring 9 seniors and their families.

The following seniors were honored on the infield during the ceremony:

• Dylan Lindsey, son of Ronetta Lindsey
  
• Gavin Rose, son of Jason and Mechelle Rose
  
• Grayson Nunn, son of Amy Nunn
  
• Chaz Wilson, son of Erick and Michelle Wilson
  
• Isaiah Johnson, son of Micky and Elysia Johnson
  
• Blake Skaggs, son of Kyle Skaggs and Lori Alexander
  
• Tyler Fugate, son of Rocksetta Fugate
  
• Clay Walden, son of Jason and Tina Walden
  
• J.T. Skaggs, son of Sam and LaNetta Skaggs
  

The Wildcats won 7-2 over Warren Central to improve their record to 12-13 on the season. Senior Chaz Wilson pitched a complete game with 10 strikeouts and 5 walks. He also went 2-4 with an RBI.

J.T. Skaggs went 1-3 with an RBI while Gavin Rose and Grayson Nunn added one RBI each.

Coach Bo West discussed each senior and their respective impacts on the team.

"Chaz has been great for us for 6 years, starting for us as a 7th grader," he said. "A great player and just a workhorse. I can't say enough about him, I mean, where would we be without him? Same with Isaiah Johnson. He's been our varsity catcher since he was a freshman. You don't have a team without a catcher and he's been a wall back there for us. Gavin Rose has really come along as a pitcher for us this year and he's hitting the ball really well. All these guys have been leaders for us but I'm really pleased with Gavin this year. Dylan Lindsey has played several years but never really much varsity time. He's done a great job at second for us this year. Great speed, and one of the best kids, ever. He can also bunt the ball anywhere. This is Grayson Nunn's first year since freshman year and he's come along really well. He can pitch some, hop around to different positions, he just does what we need him to do and he'd done a good job coming back. Clay Walden is in his second year with us, and he's got great speed. When he gets on base, I just let him go. He's done a great job on the bases and center field, and as a lead-off guy. Tyler Fugate is another first-year varsity starter. He got hurt earlier in the year and that kept us from pitching him but he's played infield and outfield, got a great attitude, and always cheers on his teammates. J.T. Skaggs is a great kid, you can't ask for any better. He comes every game with a great attitude, whether he's playing or not. As a senior, it can be hard if you're not playing a lot, but a kid's value isn't just measured in playing time, it's also measured in character and J.T. has that, and we love him. He plays hard and is important to this team. Blake Skaggs is the same way. He also runs track so he's got great speed. He's a great role player, he cheers on his teammates and he's been a good leader. That's a lot of seniors, the most we've had since I've been here. They're great and I couldn't ask for a better group of kids. Seems like our kids just keep getting better, year after year."

The Wildcats have 6 more regular season games left before facing off against Grayson County in the district tournament, which will be hosted by Butler County.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
Edmonson County Lady Cat Softball celebrated with their three seniors for 2021 Senior Night at James Woodcock Field.

The three seniors honored were:

• Shea VanMeter, daughter of Todd and Jennifer VanMeter
• Mariena Thomas, daughter of Dwayne and Laura Thomas
• Abbie Slaughter, daughter of Chastity Slaughter

The Lady Cats won 15-0 over Warren Central in three innings.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
After three tough consecutive seasons, plus last year which saw the entire season cancelled, the Edmonson County Lady Cat softball team has already reached a milestone not achieved since the 2018 season, and that's winning at least 10 games in a season.

Last night's 15-0 dominating performance over the struggling Lady Dragons of Warren Central in only three innings evened out their record at 10-10. Edmonson County has not seen a winning season since 2016, where they finished 23-12 and as district champs. Since then, they'd only won only 2 district games until this year, where they are 4-2 in District 12 play.

With a new coaching staff led by Alex Jane Massey, along with several new faces on the field and dugout, there is a renewed attitude towards Lady Cat softball that revolves around winning--despite their .500 record.

"Winning is a mindset," said Coach Massey. "When we came in as coaches, we believed that these kids needed to know that somebody believed in them and that they had potential to win. We try to be positive, but we have rules and expectations. When they fall short, we know that they're better than that, and we have to let them know that they're better than that."

Coach Massey said although last season was cancelled due to the pandemic, it's caused greater appreciation for the game and that this season has served as somewhat of a fresh start for the team.

"Coming in as a new coach is always an obstacle, but we got to know each other quickly," she said. "Because of COVID and these girls missing an entire season, they were so eager to get out here and play. I think because it was taken away from them and just being able to start new this year, they appreciated it more. "

Three seniors were honored last night after the win; Shea VanMeter, Abbie Slaughter, and Mariena Thomas. Coach Massey talked about each one and what they've meant to this team.

"I couldn't have asked for any better seniors," she said. "They all bring something different to the table, which is great. You've got Mariena, who's always upbeat. She's ready to rock-n-roll no matter what, and she's in full throttle 24/7, but you need that on a team. Her energy is contagious. Then you've got Abbie. Her whole senior story just proves her dedication to this team. She's overcome an injury, she's just come back from being sick all week, she's a prime example of dedication and heart to this team, and the girls feed off that as well. Then you've got Shea who literally has played three different positions since the beginning of the season. She's a kid who leads straight by example. She comes in, puts her head down, works hard, and if you ask her to do anything, she's going to do it to the best of her ability and that's something kids need to see. All of these attributes are things that make a team, a team."

Coach Massey said that coming into the season, she asked each team member to list both personal and team goals. She said 95% of the team said they wanted a district championship.

"We've got 8 or 9 games left before we meet Whitesville in the district tournament," she said. "Every one of those is a practice game to beat Whitesville and then to beat whoever is next. That's our goal. Winning the district tournament is our end goal, no matter what. We're improving every game and we have to continue doing that through the post season."

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The Wildcats notched their second win over Trinity last night in a 6-2 victory in back-to-back games against the Raiders. Edmonson County won easily the night before in a 19-7 match.

While their 9-12 record may not show it best, Head Coach Bo West says he believes that his team is coming into stride as the district tournament draws near.

"We're doing a lot of things now that we couldn't do at the first of the year," hes said. "Our baseball IQ has really gotten higher, getting back to the groove of baseball, and we've really playing sharp lately--especially our defense. That's what hurt us early in the year. Us coaches have been feeling around for defense because we hadn't seen a lot of kids at different positions. But now, we're really keen on defense because defense is  huge, especially when you're not getting 15 to 18 strikeouts per game, you gotta play D."

Senior Gavin Rose earned the win with 6 innings pitched, giving up 2 runs on 7 hits with no earned runs. He struck out 4 while walking no one. Seventh grader Hunter Wilson pitched one perfect inning in relief, striking out 2.

Sophomore Daren Alexander led the Wildcats on the offense, going 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Rose also went 1-3 with an RBI as did Wilson. Clay Walden went 1-3 and Gavin Minyard went 1-4 with a double. The Wildcats had a total of 6 hits against Trinity along with 6 stolen bases.

"Gavin did really well tonight and we hoped he could finish out, but we're not out here trying to throw 100 pitches a game to kill arms, and Trinity's pitcher (Landon Huff) did well tonight, too. He's got 3 different pitches which is hard to find in high school. But going back-to-back is big for us because we've been working on not so much of up-and-down, or Jekyll and Hyde baseball, but finding a consistent balance because baseball is everyday. Not worrying about what happened last night, but focusing on doing the right things one game at a time and I think we did that tonight. I think we're gradually getting there."

Coach West said that the bounce back from COVID was a difficult one and with last year's season being cancelled, it took a while to get back into baseball shape, but the team is still focused on that happening at the right time.

"Having a year off and with our basketball kids coming in later, we're just now getting into season form, and that's the case with most teams," he said. "We had to platoon our pitching early in the year to protect arms. We've had limited practices over the past couple of years and our games have been like practices for us. It's been very difficult dealing with COVID and we have a lot of young guys that hadn't seen much varsity experience. Our focus now is to keep building towards the district tournament. We're not focusing so much on our record or scores, we're worried about getting better every game. We're focusing on district teams and getting to the place where our mentality is winning that one game, then doing it again the next night."

The Wildcats have 10 games left on the regular season before the District 12 Tournament begins in Butler County. Their senior night is scheduled for next week.

The Edmonson Voice is once again partnering with the Bowling Green Hot Rods after last season was shut down during the COVID pandemic.

Regular tickets go on sale on Saturday, April 24th at bghotrods.com but the Edmonson Voice will be giving away tickets all season long; just watch for your chance to win throughout the season.

This week, the Hot Rods released their promotional schedule which features special events at the ballpark like multiple giveaways, a petting zoo, concerts, fireworks, and more.

Edmonson Voice Sports: photo, ECHS:
On Thursday, Edmonson County High School senior Michael Shaw officially signed his letter of intent to cheer at Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, Kentucky.

Shaw has been part of both football and the cheer team for all four years of high school. Both former football coach Nathan Smith and Cheer Coach Courtney Jones spoke highly of Shaw's work ethic.

Shaw said he's excited to begin his new path at Campbellsville. He is the son of Carl and Kimberly Mills.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
Jhonna Basil has been named the first female assistant athletic director in the history of Edmonson County High School, according to ECHS Principal Jonathan Williams.

Basil, an English teacher at ECHS, was also a former multi-sport student athlete at ECHS, playing softball, basketball, and golf, where she graduated in 2016.

Ms. Basil said she is excited for the new opportunity within ECHS athletics.

"I was always an athlete myself, and it has been a big part of my life," she said. "I loved representing Edmonson County High School as an athlete, so it will be a great privilege to get to represent ECHS athletics again in this role."

Newly named head boys basketball coach Brad Johnson was also recently named the interim athletic director to complete the current school year. That's just one of many changes in a shuffling of positions at ECHS due to the departing A.D. Kyle Pierce, who was recently named head football coach at Barren County High, as well as the departing boys basketball coach, Coach Mike McClintic, who is retiring after 43 years in coaching. Coach Mac was also the assistant athletic director. Williams said filling positions left by quality leaders like Pierce and McClintic can be challenging, but he's thankful that things have gone well so far.

"We are fortunate to have the opportunity to hire people as talented as Coach Johnson and Coach Basil to lead our athletic programs going forward," he said. "She excelled as an athlete and as a student, was a very successful college student, and now is doing an exceptional job for us in the classroom.  I'm thankful to have good, moral, respectable young ladies like Ms. Basil for our kids to look up to.  As a Principal, you want to hire the very best to work with our kids and she is that, one of the best."

Throughout Basil's five years of varsity sports, she made four trips to the region tournament in basketball and won two softball district tournaments, in 2013 and 2016. She also became an assistant softball coach at ECHS after her playing days came to an end. 

Williams said he's looking forward to where her leadership takes her. 

"Ms. Basil is getting the opportunity to learn from one of the best in Coach Johnson and I am very excited about the direction they'll be leading our athletic programs."

Basil will officially begin her role on July 1, 2021. She said she's spent over half her life in sports and she looks forward to continuing that in a new role at ECHS. 

"I think we have the best kids in the state, and I’m happy to do anything and everything I can for them," she said. "This is just a wonderful opportunity for me, and I am very happy and thankful to have been given the opportunity." 

Edmonson Voice Sports: Rick Walters, photos:
Several members from the 1976 Kentucky High School Basketball Edmonson County Wildcat Championship team paid a visit to the KY High School Basketball Hall of Fame this past Sunday, April 11th.

One exhibit features a photo of Wildcats team member Mark Hennion cutting down the net, which happened 45 years ago on March 27, 1976. 

Edmonson County defeated Betsy Lane 77-72 in round one of the Sweet Sixteen, then Harrison County 61-57. They narrowly topped Shelby County 53-52 in the final four and then dominated Christian County 74-52 in the championship game.

Team members attending the museum together were Timmy Ashley, Chester Bethel, Phil Rich, Mark Hennion, Aaron Goad, Kevin Clemmons, Jimmy Cole, and Larry Starnes, along with their respective families.

Hennion, who was a sophomore starter, recently visited the museum with his family where a tribute to the '76 Wildcat team is on display with the championship trophy.

​The KHSBHF is located at Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame, 212 W. Dixie Avenue, Elizabethtown, KY 42701. You can reach them by clicking here.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
Brad Johnson was named the head boys basketball coach at Edmonson County High School today by Principal Jonathan Williams. He takes over for retiring coach Mike McClintic, who just finished his 43rd year in coaching.

Johnson brings an impressive resume to ECHS as not only a coach, but also a teacher and administrator over the course of his nearly 30 year professional career, which includes:

• 1992-99 Barren County High School: teacher and assistant boys basketball and football coach
• 1999-02 Edmonson County High School: teacher, head boys basketball coach
• 2002-03 LeGrande Elementary, teacher
• 2003-09 Ohio County High, teacher, head girls basketball coach, asst. boys basketball coach
• 2009-14 Grayson County High, teacher, head girls basketball coach
• 2014-15 Barren County High, assistant principal, head girls basketball coach
• 2015-19 Barren County High, principal
• 2019-20 Park City Elementary, interim principal
• 2020-21 Edmonson County High, teacher, assistant boys basketball coach

Johnson thanked the administration for the opportunity to come back to ECHS as a Virtual Advisor and AE teacher, and he was invited to be part of the boys basketball program as an assistant. Johnson thanked Coach Mac for his friendship and mentorship over the years.

"I can't say enough good things about Coach Mac, one of the absolute best friends I have in the whole world and one of the absolute best people I've ever met."

Johnson said he was one of the first that Coach Mac told when he was thinking about retirement.

"I tried to talk him out of it," he said. "He told me he wanted me to take his job and if he hadn't told me that, I wouldn't have taken it. If he'd have told me they were forcing him out and not wanting him to coach anymore, then I'd have been out with him. That's how much I think of him."

Johnson told the Edmonson Voice to expect lots of shooting from next year's team.

"We've got some kids that can really shoot, so right now I anticipate having the green light to shoot threes," he said. "At the varsity level with scouting reports, people might take that away, so you have to be able to have a plan B, be able to cut and to drive. Unselfishness. These kids really like each other and you'll see a brand of unselfish basketball. We'll try some up-tempo stuff this summer. You can always slow down if you need to. We'll press some this summer to see what it looks like and adjust on the fly. You'll see man-to-man and switch up because we're all about the same size. You'll see a motion game. Not a whole lot of plays, but trying to teach them how to play and play off each other. The main thing is really playing hard. Going for loose balls, 50/50 balls, and taking charges. This team played very, very hard, but we have to take that out there everyday where the community is proud of the effort we give."

Johnson also offered little leaguers and middle school players spots behind the bench during games and an open invitation for them to hear pregame speeches in the locker room. He said he believes a basketball team is a community product and all teams should be part of the same program, no matter the ages.

Principal Jonathan Williams, who played for Johnson from 1999 to 2002, said he was confident that Johnson was the right person for the job because he felt like Johnson would not only make the kids better players, but also better people.

"When an era ends, someone else has to come in and lead the program from where it is and take it to wherever it's going, and he's the absolutely, 100% the right person to do that."

Some achievements from Coach Johnson are:

• 304 wins, 126 losses as head coach
• 2015 NABC Court of Honor Inductee
• 3-time 3rd Region Coach of the Year
• 3-time Regional Champion
• 2-time KHSAA Elite 8
• 11 out of 11 District Championships when making finals

Principal Williams also told the Edmonson Voice that Johnson has also been named interim athletic director at ECHS to finish out this school year. He will fill the role of the departing Kyle Pierce, who has served as AD since 2010. Williams said a new AD will be named for the next school year. 

​This edition of the show features Edmonson County's own "Larry Legend," Larry Starnes.  Larry is a witness to many years of Edmonson County sports, and served as a manager, teacher, and athletic trainer before his eventual retirement.  We talk to him about a little bit of everything related to his time with Edmonson County Schools.

Darren Doyle, story: photos by Rick Walters and Kristin McGrew
One local man and his family reminisced together at the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame recently.

Mark Hennion, who was a sophomore starter on the Edmonson County Wildcat 1976 state basketball championship team, heard about the facility and the current exhibit that features the '76 team. His photo is featured on one of the displays and shows Hennion cutting down a portion of the net on championship night, which was March 27, 1976. 

Hennion said the visit brought back plenty of good memories from that magical season 45 years ago.

"We proved that a little school could play ball with the bigger schools," he said. "We didn't really know how big of a deal it was when we won it; I know I didn't. Every time we went out there we wanted to win that game. And when we won that one, we'd want to win the next one. Looking back on it, boy it really was something."

Hennion scored 25 points in the championship game in a 74-52 win over Christian County. While he was the leading scorer for the Wildcats over the course of the Sweet Sixteen tournament, putting up 69 total points and averaging 17.3 ppg during that span, he said that playing together as a team is what brought them success.

"Once I had a radio guy asking me all these questions about me scoring this on that game, and that on another, and I just told him 'Look, this wasn't about me. We won this thing by playing team ball and none of us cared about how many points somebody was scoring. It was about winning together and if I'd have only scored two points and we won, that would've been plenty good for me, and all the other guys would say the same.'"

KSHBHF Board Member Rick Walters said they were thrilled to see the Hennion family visit the museum and hopes this will encourage others to visit. The facility is currently featuring the Edmonson County display, which features the team trophy, currently on loan from Edmonson County High, a team photo, and other items from the historic achievement from the tiny school in Brownsville.

Hennion said he and his family enjoyed the visit and said nothing but good things about the facility.

"It tickled them to death that we came," he said. "They treated us like royalty and just kept on taking pictures."

The KHSBHF is located at Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame, 212 W. Dixie Avenue, Elizabethtown, KY 42701. You can reach them by clicking here.

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
Seven different student athletes from Edmonson County have been named to all-District 12 basketball teams.

For the Lady Cats, the following basketball team members were named:

• All-Academic Team: Katie Lindsey
• All-Season Team: Katie Lindsey, Macie McCombs, Lily Jayne Vincent
• All-Tournament Team: Macie McCombs, Lily Jayne Vincent

The following Wildcats were named to the boys' all-district teams:

• All-Academic Team: Gavin Rose
• All-Season Team: Chaz Wilson, Jon Smith, Gavin Rose
• All-Tournament Team: Chaz Wilson, Braden Wall

While the shortened season didn't end as hoped for either team with the girls finishing 6-14 and the boys ending the year at 6-13, there were still milestones achieved for both. Senior Katie Lindsey became a member of the 1000 point club earlier in the season for the Lady Cats and senior Chaz Wilson achieved the same for the boys this year. 

It was also the final year of coaching for Wildcat Head Coach Mike McClintic, who is retiring after his 43-year career in high school sports. 

Darren Doyle, story: Alyssa Doyle, photos:
The Wildcats' season ended last night as they fell 40-39 to Butler County in the first round of the District 12 Tournament, hosted by Trinity High School in Whitesville.

Three consecutive Wildcat turnovers in the final minutes and a couple of calls that didn't set well with Edmonson County fans were part of a 9-2 run from Butler County that gave them their first lead since the second quarter.

Edmonson County had a mediocre start to the game as Butler led 12-7 after the first. The Wildcats cranked up the defense in the second and held the Bears to only 5 points as Edmonson County took a 23-17 lead at the break.

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​It was all Chaz Wilson for the Wildcats in the third quarter--literally. The senior center scored all 11 of Edmonson County's points as they took a 34-29 lead going into the fourth.

Butler County knocked down some shots early in the quarter and tied it at 36 on a Bears 7-2 run with 5:29 to go. The Bears took their first lead since the second at 38-36 but senior Gavin Rose hit a three with 3:13 left to put the Cats back on top by one; however, Edmonson County committed three straight turnovers, which kept the momentum on the side of the Butler County.

A couple of missed shots that simply were in and out for the Wildcats allowed Butler County more opportunities. The Bears missed a shot on an inbounds play but tipped it in with 7.6 seconds on the clock. The Wildcats would have to come the length of the floor for one more attempt. Chaz Wilson put up a final shot against four Bear defenders as the ball bounced just short and left of the hoop as time expired.

Wilson led the Wildcats with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Wilson averaged 17 points and 13 rebounds for Edmonson County this season and joined the 1,000 point club this year. 

Sophomore Braden Wall had 10 points and 5 rebounds, Daniel Woosley had 4 points and 5 rebounds, Gavin Rose, Lane Lindsey, and Isaiah Johnson all had 3 points each. 

Edmonson County shot 27% from the field on 13 of 48 shots.

It was the final high school basketball game for 7 seniors: Chaz Wilson, Daniel Woosley, Gavin Rose, Jon Smith, Isaiah Johnson, Lane Lindsey, and Dylan Lindsey, as well as long-time coach Mike McClintic. Coach Mac discussed the game, his seniors, the team, and season.

​"We obviously didn't want it to end like this, but as I've said many times before, I couldn't ask for any better effort than our kids gave me last night," he said. "We cranked up our defense in the second and switched a couple things up and I really felt like that put us in a good position. We didn't shoot well and that hurt us, but some mistakes we made in the fourth just allowed the momentum to go to Butler County and we weren't able to overcome that. It wasn't one shot here or there, or a single play or a call that lost it, there were just some things that didn't go our way."

Coach Mac ends his 43-year coaching career after this season. 

"My shoes are not hard to fill because whoever comes in after me has a great group of kids coming up," he said. "Whoever takes my place is already in a position for success because of these kids. I know it's really tough for our seniors and I can't say enough about them. I couldn't ask any more from a group of kids that we have. It's been special and it's been a wonderful experience."

McClintic said what makes Edmonson County different from other places he's been is the character of the players and students.

"They're the best, period. It's just something special that we have here that you don't find just anywhere. I'm going to miss it."

The Wildcats end the season with a 6-13 record. 

Darren Doyle, story: Alyssa Doyle, photos:
The stat sheets for both teams were nearly identical in most categories but timely turnovers and missed opportunities were obstacles that the Lady Cats couldn't overcome last night in a 53-46 loss to Grayson County in the first round of the District 12 Tournament, hosted at Whitesville Trinity.

Both teams shot poorly in the first quarter that ended in a 6-6 tie. Edmonson County shot 2-16 (12%) from the field while Grayson wasn't much better from the field on 3-11 shooting for 27%.
​

Grayson County held a slight edge at the half, leading 19-16. Edmonson County continued to struggle to score with no one scoring more than 3 points at the break.

The Lady Cats looked much better coming out of the locker room for the third, as they began to drive to the rim and making shots. Edmonson County took the lead on multiple occasions and the teams swapped back and forth. Both teams were still shooting under 30% from the field and Edmonson County had pulled to within one point (30-29) at the end of the third. 

The first few minutes of the fourth saw much of the same, and Edmonson County took the lead with around 5 minutes to go; however, their next three possessions ended in consecutive turnovers and the momentum shifted greatly in favor of the Lady Cougars. That momentum helped Grayson build a 10-point lead with about 3 minutes to go. The Lady Cats were forced to foul down the stretch and Grayson County held on for the win.

Coach Bart Weaver said Grayson County had a great game plan.

"I've said before that if I were to coach against us, I'd double team Katie, make sure Macie didn't get any threes, and hope that Lily, Page, Jay, Hallie, and everybody else doesn't beat me," he said. "So give Grayson credit. They had a good game plan and they did what they were supposed to."

Weaver said it was obviously a tough locker room atmosphere after last night's loss that ended their season.

"It was really difficult last night because these girls have meant so much and saying goodbye to the seniors was tough. I told them I loved them and I'd always be there for them because we're family. I told them that no one is going out the gym door a loser. These kids have been a part of 102 wins over the last four years and that's unbelievable. Not many girls can say that. They've just meant so much to me."

Lily Jayne Vincent led the Lady Cats with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Macie McCombs added 8 points and 6 rebounds, Shea VanMeter had 7 points and 7 rebounds, Katie Lindsey and Paige Wolfe each added 7 points as well. Cariann Williams had 3 points and Hallie Cassady and Jaedlyn Simon scored 2 points each.

Edmonson out-rebounded Grayson 36-35, and in shooting, it was Edmonson 29% from the field-Grayson, 34%. Both teams shot 52% from the free throw line. Edmonson shot 19% from behind the arc while Grayson shot 29%.

The Lady Cats end their season with a record of 6-14, 3-3 in region play, and 2-2 in the district. They will lose three seniors: Katie Lindsey, Macie McCombs, and Shea VanMeter. 

Darren Doyle, story: photos by Rick Walters:
The Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame, or the KHSBHF, has a new exhibit currently on display at their Elizabethtown facility that highlights one of the Commonwealth's most unlikely stories; the 1976 Edmonson County State Champion Wildcats.

KSHBHF Board Member Rick Walters said the display features the team trophy, currently on loan from Edmonson County High, a team photo, and other items from the historic achievement from the tiny school in Brownsville.

"If you pay attention to high school basketball in Kentucky, you remember the 1976 team," Walters said. "We're looking for great feedback on this display when we reopen on March 19th, and we want to keep it here as long as Edmonson County will let us use the trophy. Hopefully that will be until basketball season opens up next year. We also hope that the folks in Edmonson County will be proud of the display."

According to the KHSBHF website, The Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame was born from an idea from the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches. Under the direction of North Hardin High School’s Men’s Head Basketball Coach Ron Bevars, the project began in October 2009 with the stated purpose of recognizing and protecting the heritage of Kentucky High School Basketball.

One exhibit features a photo of Wildcats team member Mark Hennion cutting down the net, which happened 45 years ago this month. 

Edmonson County defeated Betsy Lane 77-72 in round one of the Sweet Sixteen, then Harrison County 61-57. They narrowly topped Shelby County 53-52 in the final four and then dominated Christian County 74-52 in the championship game.

"We will be open Fridays and Saturdays from 11:00AM to 4:00PM," Walters added. "We will increase the days as we progress with COVID restrictions.  We can also schedule a visit on other days, they just need to call us and set something up."

The KHSBHF is located at Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame, 212 W. Dixie Avenue, Elizabethtown, KY 42701. You can reach them by clicking here.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The Edmonson County Lady Cats notched a 57-47 win against the Lady Mustangs of Muhlenburg County last night in the final home game of the 2020-21 season at ECHS. It was a much needed win for the Lady Cats who have struggled late in the season; losing nine games out of their last ten until last night. 

Although out-rebounded 40-28 by the Lady Mustangs and committing 18 turnovers, Edmonson County shot 51% from the field and held Muhlenburg to only 25% shooting, which proved to be the difference. Coach Bart Weaver said the win was crucial going into the District 12 Tournament, which begins Monday night. 

"Finishing this game tonight was big for our girls," he said. "I told them after the game that we'll have to shore up a couple of areas, which are rebounding and passing. They pounded us on the boards tonight and we had way too many turnovers, yet won anyway."

Senior Katie Lindsey led the Lady Cats with 25 points, 6 steals, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and a blocked shot. 

"We've been really working hard to get some momentum to get ready for Grayson County," she said. "We've been trying to get better and play well for all four quarters. Everything with this virus has hurt our momentum, but we knew we had to have a win tonight, so we pulled it together and we did."

Lindsey said while the emotions were high for her last home game, it's now time to put all the focus on Grayson County, who will meet the Lady Cats in the first round of the district tournament.

"I'm ready for them. I love playing them and love the atmosphere when we play. They're talking a lot of smack so let's see if they can back it up," said Lindsey.

Senior Macie McCombs also discussed the much-needed win.

"We've been on a losing streak and we knew we needed to win this one," she said. "We told everybody to fight tonight, and they fought."

When asked about preparing for Grayson County on Monday night, she said it will take a complete, 100% effort.

"We have to give it all we have. We want the 4-peat. We want to win, to upset Grayson, we want to win it, everybody wants it."

Until this season, Senior Shea VanMeter saw limited playing time, but she's been a leader and important role player on this year's team. She said last night's win was crucial.

"We knew we needed this win. We need momentum going into Monday because it's such a big game. Grayson County just expects to win and they don't really think it's a big deal we beat them earlier in the year at their place, but they'll be just as hungry as we are, we'll just have to be more." 

The remaining box score for Edmonson County was Vincent 9, Simon 8, McCombs 7, VanMeter 2, Cassady 2, Wolfe 2, Williams 2.

Coach Weaver said the team discussed the importance of the win as part of the preparation for next week.

"It meant a lot to the seniors as it was the last game they'll ever play here, but I think in the mindset of the whole team, a loss tonight would've been really tough with Grayson next week," he said. "We have two days to prepare and we feel good about our matchups. We're going to be watching film and breaking it down. Our girls will get ready for Grayson."

The girls will take on Grayson County in round one of the tournament on Monday, with a 7:30PM tip scheduled at host school Whitesville-Trinity. The Edmonson Voice will stream the game live on video and audio with the pregame show starting around 7:15PM.

Cameron Whitfill, photos:
Edmonson County High School celebrated Senior night 2021 for the ECHS Band and Cheer squad last night at the final home basketball game of the season. Senior band members Skylyn Arms and Elise Richmond, along with cheer members Jessica Butts, Kaylee Cook, Michael Shaw, and Heather Todd were honored at center court with their families.

Please enjoy the slideshow published below: 

Darren Doyle, story: Alyssa Doyle, photos:
A high-contact shot attempt at the buzzer that ended with a miss and a no-call was the final play of the night as the Wildcats fell to Green County 52-50 last night at ECHS.

With 7 seconds remaining and the Wildcats down 2 points, senior Chaz Wilson drove to the basket for a shot attempt that missed as Green County's Jackson Johnson attempted to take a charge. Jackson and Wilson got tied up on the missed shot but no call was made. Most fans would agree that it appeared as though Wilson committed a charge, which could have changed the outcome of the game.

Had the charge call been made, Green County would've had the ball underneath the Wildcat basket with under a second left, giving the Wildcats one more attempt for a possible steal and shot attempt at the buzzer. While the outcome of the game would not have likely changed, most Wildcat fans thought at least some call had to be made. 

"There was contact there, I don't care what anybody says," said Coach Mike McClintic. "There was contact. Either it's a charge, or it's a foul on them. It's got to be called something."

While Wildcat fans wanted some sort of a call, no game is ever decided by one single play or an official's call, or in this case, a lack of a call. Edmonson County found themselves down 9 points at the half and had to scrape and claw to tie the score at 40 at the end of the third quarter. 

Edmonson County outrebounded the Dragons 27-17 and while the turnovers were about equal, those turnovers came at the wrong times for Edmonson County and Green County capitalized on them.

"I'm proud of the boys again, we were down early," said Coach Mac. "We're fighting back all the time and I'm proud of them. Everybody that got in their game did their job and I can't ask anymore out of them than what they gave me tonight."

McClintic was recognized before the game for his 43-year career of coaching. He announced earlier in the week that he will retire from coaching and teaching after this season.

The Wildcats were led by Chaz Wilson's 11 points and 10 rebounds. Gavin Rose had 10 points, Lane Lindsey added 8, Braden Wall had 7, Jon Smith had 5 points and 5 rebounds, Isaiah Johnson added 4, Cole Saling had 3, and Trace Taylor scored 2 points.

Edmonson County falls to 6-11 on the season. After today's game at Russellville scheduled for 10AM, the boys will not play during the upcoming week as a COVID precaution before the District 12 tournament, scheduled at Trinity the following week. 

Darren Doyle, story: Alyssa Doyle, photos:
The Lady Dragons of Green County soon forgot about the solid first quarter they faced from the Lady Cats as a big run in the second was enough to keep Edmonson County playing catchup for the rest of the night.

Edmonson's girls came out with a good start; something that's plagued them throughout the season, as they shot well and crashed the boards. Hallie Cassady gave the Lady Cats a 16-14 lead with 4 seconds remaining in the quarter when a controversial call put Green County at the line for three free throws. Edmonson's Jaedlyn Simon fouled Green County's Kylie Jackson at half court with 0.1 seconds on the clock. The foul appeared to be on the floor but Jackson tossed the ball up after the foul, and she was awarded three free throws, hitting all of them for a 17-16 lead.

While down 17-16 after one, the Lady Cats kept it up at the start of the second and took a 26-21 lead with four minutes to go in the half; however, during that 4-minute stretch, Green County went on a 14-3 run and took a 35-28 halftime lead. Edmonson County trailed for the remainder of the contest; most of the time in double digits.

Green County remained in control during the second half and the Lady Cats were unable to mount a comeback. 

Despite a sore thumb on her shooting hand, Macie McCombs led the Lady Cats in scoring with 11 points and also grabbed 5 rebounds. Katie Lindsey, who was also recognized after the game for scoring her career 1000th point earlier in the week in a win against Warren Central, added 8 points and 8 assists, Shea VanMeter had 7 points and 6 rebounds, Lily Jayne Vincent had 5 points and 7 rebounds, Hallie Cassady had 4 points, Jaedlyn Simon had 4 points, and Paige Wolfe and Leah Ballance added 3 points each.

The Lady Cats are now 5-11 on the season and have the final three regular season games scheduled for next week: Monday at Glasgow, Tuesday at home against Campbellsville, and Friday at home against Muhlenburg County.