Darren Doyle, story and photos
The Edmonson County Wildcats remain an undefeated 4-0 in 12th district play with a 65-58 win over Grayson County last night at ECHS led by junior Caleb Skaggs' 30 points.

The gym was packed last night as folks came out to see the girl/boy doubleheader as well as a 1976 State Championship ceremony that honored the 40th anniversary team. Sophomore Lady Cat Caitlin Simon scored her 1000th point during the girls game earlier, and the boys game would be even more exciting as Skaggs' 8 three pointers came one shy of a school record (9) for the boys team, set by Brett Meredith during the 2000-01 season. The record was also tied by Lady Cat Jennifer Slaughter in the mid 90's.

A sluggish start for the Cats in the first quarter was quickly turned around as Edmonson County was able to limit their turnovers later in the game.

"We didn't start out very well tonight, and we all know that," said assistant Coach Bart Weaver. "I thought the biggest difference tonight was that we had seven turnovers in the first quarter but we settled down and only had 12 total turnovers. Against a team like Grayson County, we'll take those numbers all day long."

The Wildcats began the 2nd quarter facing a 12-5 deficit, but Skaggs, who was able to heat up quickly after coming off the bench, scored 8 in the quarter as Edmonson County cut the Grayson County lead to 23-22 at the half.

Grayson County continued to hold a point or two advantage until 4:08 left in the third when Hunter Buttram missed a three point shot but was able to grab his own rebound and score a bucket with a foul. He made the free throw to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game, 33-32.

Skaggs scored the next 8 Wildcat points on a basket and two more three pointers to give Edmonson County a 41-36 lead with 2:10 in the third. Skaggs hit yet another 3 with time winding down in the third to give the Cats a 49-42 lead to start the fourth.

The Wildcats extended their lead to as much as 11 midway through the fourth and held on to win 65-58.

"It feels amazing to beat Grayson County again," Skaggs said. "That puts us 4-0 in the district, and nobody thought we'd be here." 

Skaggs gave much credit to his team as he scored a career-high, 30 points. "After I hit my first two or three I knew it was going to be a good night. My teammates saw that and kept getting me the ball in great positions."

Hunter Buttram was another Wildcat in double figures with 13 points. "Tonight was Caleb's night and he was amazing," Buttram said. "It's great to beat Grayson County once already, but twice is an incredible achievement for us. That's only one goal we've achieved this year, the next one is to win the district."

Austin Sowders also helped the effort with 10 points of his own, all coming in the second half. He credited this season's success, especially within the district, to total team play. "We always have someone step up every night," he said. "Big shout out to one of my brothers, Caleb Skaggs tonight, for the way he played tonight."

Bailey Board also had 8 points while Cole and Blankenship each had 2. The Wildcats improve to 12-8 on the season and will now face Metcalfe County on the road next Tuesday in a girl/boy doubleheader. Girls tip off is scheduled for 6pm. You can listen to the game live on WildcatsLive, only on EdmonsonVoice.com.

Even though the game went down in the score book as a loss, there were still plenty of smiles at ECHS last night as sophomore guard Caitlin Simon scored her 1000th point as the Lady Cats fell 61-48 to the Grayson County Lady Cougars.

It's only the second time in 40 years that a Lady Cat has accomplished the feat as a sophomore, with Stephanie Dennison being the first during the 1992-93 season. 

"It feels great to accomplish the goal and I'm really excited," Simon said. "But I'm also thankful for my team for all the assists, especially my best friend Peyton Martin for helping me get those final two points. Now, I'm just hoping all these points start adding up to team wins."

Coach Kevin Jackson said the subject was never mentioned as a team coming into last night's game. "Basketball is a team sport and Caitlin is a great player, everybody knows that," he said. "We didn't want to take away from the team concept, but I think it was a big relief to Caitlin." 

Jackson was still very clear to credit Simon for the accomplishment. "I was excited for her, and I could see the relief from her when she scored that one bucket. I know she'd rather have had it in a win, but still a great accomplishment for her."

Simon led the Lady Cats in scoring with 22 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. EC got off to a slow start, trailing 20-4 after the first quarter.

The Lady Cats outscored the Lady Cougars 12-9 in the second quarter to cut their deficit to 29-16 at the half. In the locker room, Jackson said they discussed fighting for loose balls and rebounds, which led to a much better showing for Edmonson County in the second half.

"You can't get behind 15-20 points against a good team and expect to pull out a win. You can have all the X's and O's you want, but a lot of times it just comes down to fight and determination," Jackson said. "Our kids definitely showed that in the second half, and we hung with them."

The Lady Cats were able to match the Lady Cougars point-for-point in the second half with 32 each, but the first quarter proved to be to much of a difference to overcome as Grayson County hit free throws down the stretch as the Lady Cougars went on to win 61-48.

Also adding to the offense was Jhonna Basil 9 points, Madelyne Taylor had 8, while Browning and Martin each had 6.

The Lady Cats will travel to Metcalfe County on Tuesday, Feb 2 for a girl/boy doubleheader. Tipoff is scheduled for 6pm. You can listen to the live broadcast on WildcatsLive, only on EdmonsonVoice.com, your number one hometown source for local news, sports, and info.

We finally dug ourselves out of the snow! Madelyne Taylor is in the Senior Spotlight this week, and we hear from new ECHS Football Coach Nathan Smith on this edition, so don't miss it...click that play button now!

Darren Doyle, story and photos
It was a close match throughout the entire game, but the Wildcats let one slip away from them as Warren East rallied from a 7 point deficit in the final minute of regulation as they fell 89-86.

A back-and-forth contest during most of the night, the Wildcats were down as much as 9 in the second quarter. Edmonson County trailed 42-37 at the half but came out on a 6-2 run to start the third to cut East's lead to 44-41. Things stayed at the same pace until the Wildcats ended another small run of 9-5 on a Bailey Board basket that tied the score for the first time since things were 17-17 during the first quarter.

The third quarter ended in a 59-59 tie, and the Wildcats went back to dribble drives and post play as they built a 69-62 lead on another Board basket and foul with 5:25 to go. Board was unable to convert the three point play, but the Wildcats held their ground and extended the lead to 77-68 with a Sowders basket that was high- off the glass with 2:30 to go. Shortly after, a foul was called against the Wildcats and was assessed to Buttram, which was his 5th. Coach Mac was extremely upset because it appeared that Buttram wasn't even involved in the play, nevertheless, he fouled out of the game.

From this point, everything that could go right for the Raiders did, and all that could wrong for the Cats did, as the Raiders would outscore Edmonson County 12-2 during the final two minutes of the game. A Cuban Sowders basket made it 79-72 with 1:09 left, but the Raiders defense was stifling and the Wildcats had trouble handling the ball. 

A Wildcat turnover led to a Warren East basket, then also a three pointer by the Raiders to cut the EC lead to 79-77 with about 40 seconds to go. The Cats drew the foul and went to the free throw line with 29 seconds left but were unable to connect on either shot. A Warren East drive to the hoop drew a foul on Blankenship with 16 seconds left, where East hit both free throws. The Wildcats committed another turnover shortly after the ball was inbounded, but East missed a shot at the buzzer to force overtime.

Blankenship started the overtime with a bucket, but was soon after called for his 5th foul, putting the Wildcats at another disadvantage. After two free throws and two more buckets, the Raiders jumped out to an 85-81 lead when Sowders drew a foul in the paint. He would make only one out of two free throws but Tucker Cole grabbed the offensive board and his putback made it 85-84 with 1:21 left. 

The Wildcats missed a couple of easy shots at the rim and missed more key free throws as the clock wound down, yet East made theirs during the final seconds to hold on for the 89-86 win.

"It's tough to lose a game like this," said assistant coach Bart Weaver. "You're not going to beat very many good teams when you commit 21 turnovers. We were also about 64% from the free throw line, and two of them were crucial in regulation, two of them in overtime, and we missed them."

He said the Wildcats knew that Warren East would apply tons of pressure on the ball and that Edmonson County wanted to get the ball up the court and into the paint. 

"We out-rebounded them, but it comes down to 21 turnovers and free throws. We played hard, our kids are always going to play hard, and we had that 7 point lead in the fourth, and man, that was tough losing that lead. It was a tough game to lose."

The team had impressive stats with 5 Wildcats in double figures. Bailey Board led the way in scoring with 19, Sowders had 17 points and 5 rebounds, Buttram had 16 points and 9 rebounds, as Skaggs also had 16.

Blankenship had an impressive game with the team's only double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, Tucker Cole had 4 with 5 rebounds, and Sasse had 2 points.

The Wildcats fall to 12-8 on the season and will now face Grayson County at home on Friday night in a girl/boy double header. The boys are 3-0 in district play this season.

It was a slow start for the Lady Cats at Warren East last night, but a better second half allowed them to pull away and grab a 46-32 win on the road.

Coach Jackson said his main concern going into the game was the 7 days that his girls had been out of the gym with the recent snowstorm. "It wasn't a pretty win, but it was a W," said Jackson. "It looked like a team that had been off for a week."

Jackson said the entire first half was sluggish but his team responded. "I'll never fault a team for playing hard, and that's what these girls did in the second half."

The slow start was 7-7 after the first quarter with the Lady Cats leading 18-17. Edmonson County was able to push the lead to 9 after the third.

Solid defense forced the Lady Raiders into some turnovers that the Lady Cats were able to convert into points. Edmonson County finished on top, 46-32. 

The stat sheet wasn't anything out of this world, but it was even across the board, which highlighted a team effort. Caitlin Simon led with 12 points and 6 rebounds, and Peyton Martin had 9 points and 2 rebounds.  Jhonna Basil added 8 points, Chanley Logsdon added 6, Taylor had 5, and Katlin Collins had 4 points and 6 rebounds.

The girls take on Grayson County at home on Friday night in a g/b doubleheader. Sophomore Caitlin Simon is expected to join the 1000 point club during the contest, as she only needs 14 more points to reach the milestone.

Darren Doyle, story and photos
Few teams can finish off a first quarter with a deficit of 24-3 and have a decent chance of coming back, and the Wildcats weren't one of them last night as they fell to the McClean County Cougars 74-61 at the All A Regional Tournament held at the Trinity High School barn.

McClean County's height (two 6'7" players), athleticism, and a ridiculous 70% field goal percentage for the game was just too much to overcome, even with Edmonson County's 31-point 4th quarter.

"Our kids didn't quit, and that's the positive thing to take from tonight," said assistant coach Bart Weaver. "But we weren't ready to play. That doesn't go on our kids...it goes on us as coaches."

Head Coach Mike McClintic called the Edmonson Voice office this morning. "We weren't ready to play last night. Not being prepared is on me, not our players. I take full responsibility. Our kids played their hearts out, this one's on me." 

In the first half, it seemed that everything that could've gone wrong for the Wildcats did, while McClean County was able to do everything right. The Wildcats trailed 40-15 at halftime. 

While Edmonson County was able to find a bit more offense in the third, the Cougars continued to step on the gas as McClean County extended the lead to 59-30 after the third.

Edmonson County showed tremendous composure and effort in a 31-point 4th quarter as the Cats came out on a 14-2 run to cut the lead to 61-44 with 4:05 left. Buttram and Skaggs connected on multiple three pointers and Board put up 10 points in the final quarter, but it wasn't enough as the first quarter proved to be a mountain the Wildcats couldn't top.

Edmonson County's main strength has been solid post play and rebounding all season long, but not on this night. The Wildcats were out-rebounded 30-22 and were outscored 56-30 in the paint.

Edmonson County was led in scoring by Bailey Board with 17 points. Hunter Buttram had 14 points and 5 rebounds, Austin Sowders had 10 points and 7 rebounds, and Caleb Skaggs had 10 points.

Other Wildcat scorers included Blankenship with 7 points and 5 rebounds, Cole had 2, and Peger scored 1.

The Wildcats are now 12-7 on the season and are currently ranked fourth in the 3rd Region. They will face Trinity at home on Monday, January 25, in a district girl/boy doubleheader. Girl's action is scheduled to tip at 6pm. You can listen to the game on WildcatsLive with Jamie and DD on your home for ECHS sports, EdmonsonVoice.com.

Edmonson Voice Sports
​photo by Granville Meredith
The Lady Cats took on the Owensboro Catholic Lady Aces last night in the All A Regional Tournament, hosted by Trinity High School. The game was a tale of two halves, the first being a highly competitive match with the Lady Cats taking a tough opponent head-on, while the second was literally a different ballgame as the Lady Cats struggled mightily in the third quarter, falling 75-55.

Coach Kevin Jackson said that the Lady Cats played their brand of ball in the first half, but a bigger, stronger, and very talented Lady Aces team simply wore down Edmonson County in the third quarter. 

"Owensboro Catholic has an outstanding basketball team," Jackson said. "We knew that coming in here. You can talk about it, you can practice, but until you actually see them...you know, it looks like sometimes there are 6 or 7 green jerseys coming at you."

Edmonson County held their own in the first half, trailing 22-17 after the first, and went into the locker room down 32-36 at halftime.

Ranked number one in the third region with a record of 15-4, Owensboro Catholic pelted the Lady Cats with defensive pressure, causing 21 Edmonson County turnovers. The Lady Cats were outscored 25-11 in the third quarter.

The Lady Aces used their length and athleticism to clog and disrupt passing lanes against Edmonson County.

"We stressed bounce passes and faking passes to make passes during our shoot around, but you get in the heat of the battle, and sometimes you just forget to do those things," Jackson said. "We showed signs early of what we can do, the potential is there, we just have to take it and develop it."

The Lady Cats were led in scoring by Caitlin Simon with 21 points. She also had 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Peyton Martin was the only other Lady Cat in double figures with 15. 

Also helping in the effort was Madelyn Taylor with 8 points, Basil had 5, Duncan 3, Ballance 1. The Lady Cats now have a record of 9-10 on the season.

The next game for the Lady Cats will be Monday at home against Trinity in a girl/boy doubleheader. The game was originally scheduled for this Friday, but was changed at Trinity's request. You can listen live to the broadcast on WildcatsLive, only on EdmonsonVoice.com.

Darren Doyle, story and photos
Coach Mike McClintic, better known as "Coach Mac," has credited most of his team's 12-6 record and this season's success to a nightly team effort. He's spoken time and time again about how his guys don't play for news headlines or individual stats, and how each member of his team is fully invested in the "team concept."

Nothing could prove that any more than last night's Wildcat 68-56 victory over 12th district rival Butler County where three Edmonson County players posted double-doubles, with a fourth player missing that same mark by one point.

Going into the game, assistant coach Bart Weaver said that they wanted to pound the paint and be the better rebounding team. The coaching staff had to be pleased after looking at the numbers, as the Wildcats dominated the boards with 54 rebounds, compared to only 24 by Butler County, and scored 42 of their 68 points in the paint, while shooting a total of 49% from the field. 

Bailey Board led Edmonson County in scoring with 18 points while grabbing 10 rebounds, but several other Wildcats also posted impressive numbers. Iszic Blankenship scored 14 and swiped 12 rebounds, Cuban Sowders had 11 points and 12 rebounds, Caleb Skaggs had 12 points and 5 rebounds, and Hunter Buttram scored 9 with 11 rebounds.

"We've got a bunch of kids that aren't selfish," Weaver said. "We pull for each other and we're starting to really gel as a unit. It's a credit to our kids. It's not about 'me, me,' it's about 'team.' We're really proud of that aspect, and when you have a team that's unselfish, it's just a really good thing to see."

The Wildcats led 13-12 after the first, and took a 32-23 lead into the locker room at the half. Butler County cut the lead to 7 at the end of the third, but a huge 7-0 run early in the fourth by the Cats extinguished any hopes of a Butler County comeback.
​
The Wildcats will play Tuesday in the All A Classic Tournament with scheduling details still to be determined. We'll keep you updated as the info becomes available. You can listen to all the action live on WildcatsLive, only on Edmonson Voice.com.

Darren Doyle, story and photos
Lady Cat fans have enjoyed a faster pace and a more aggressive style that Coach Kevin Jackson has recently incorporated, and it proved to be to Edmonson County's advantage last night as the Butler County Lady Bears had trouble keeping up.

Led by Caitlin Simon's 24 points and 6 rebounds, the Lady Cats focused on getting up and down the floor and containing Butler County's post players. Simon and Peyton Martin were effective with dribble drives and pushing the ball all night, and the Lady Bears' leading scorer was held to only 8 points. 

Martin also had a solid performance with 21 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals, and Jhonna Basil also landed in double figures with 13 points. 

Simon and Martin also shot all the Lady Cat free throws, nailing a combined 17 out of 18, for an impressive 94%.

The Lady Cats led 11-8 after the first, and stretched the lead to 28-15 at the half. They led 42-27 going into the fourth quarter and after hitting free throws down the stretch, finished off the Lady Bears 60-42.

"It's finally starting to come together a little bit," Coach Jackson said. "All the hard work is starting to pay off, and you see the smiles on their faces, and it makes it all worthwhile."

Jackson credited assistant coach Christy Clark for an effective scouting report on the Lady Bears, and the keys to defending their post player, Chloe Flener. "I thought our post players Madelyn Taylor and Tori Browning really did a good job putting a body on her. It's a team effort, but I thought our post players did a great job. In order for that to work, everybody else has to play a good zone, too."

Jackson also said he was pleased with the faster pace, and that when effective, would pose problems for any opponent that his team faced. "If we can score around 60 points with this new style of basketball, pushing a little bit, passing ahead, trying to be aggressive with taking the ball to the hole, and good, solid defense, we can beat anyone on our schedule."

The girls will travel to Trinity on Monday to play in the All A Classic Tournament, where they will either play Owensboro Catholic or McClean County. We will keep you updated on the details, and you can listen to the game live here on WildcatsLive, only on EdmonsonVoice.com.

Wildcat Alley shines the Senior Spotlight on Rachael Duncan and Jackson Sasse and makes a stop at the Spelling Bee this week. Hear all about it now!

Darren Doyle, story and photos
ECHS has been without a head football coach since the position was left open by Athletic Director Kyle Pierce, who was the head coach for 12 seasons, until today when the school announced Nathan Smith has been hired to fill the role.

Pierce, who stepped down as head coach on November 24, 2015, said Smith was a "Wildcat through and through."

"The decision making process was very thorough," Pierce said. "I've been through the hiring of some coaches before, but this was a little extra special for me. After many hours of debating and meetings on what we should do, our entire committee came back with one name, and that was Nathan Smith."

Smith is no stranger to Edmonson County, nor ECHS Football. The 27 year-old graduated from ECHS in 2008 and currently teaches math and algebra I at the school. He played for the Wildcats from 2004-2007 and started at center as a freshman. He has been an assistant coach at ECHS for the past 8 seasons and has served as head football coach for the Edmonson County Middle School for the past 4. He is a 2012 graduate of WKU.

"This has been a dream of mine since I was 13 years old," Coach Smith said. "When I was in the seventh grade, I saw some high school practices going on on the practice field, and I said 'you know what? I want that to be me.'"

Smith said he was blessed to be in such a position, and that this will make the 18th consecutive year that he's played a role in football in Edmonson County, going all the way to his little league days.

Coach Smith addressed the audience, mostly made up of the current team. "I've got a good vision for our program, and I've got lots of ideas," he said. "Coach Pierce has been my mentor, he's taught me so much of what I know. I want to take what he's done, that foundation, and build on it. I'm totally invested, and my plans are to be here for a while, as I don't plan on leaving here as a teacher, so I'm with you all for the long haul."

When Smith was asked as to when he would start his coaching duties, he replied, "Tuesday, after the three-day weekend...we're already behind."

A.D. Pierce said about 9 candidates were interviewed and the job came down to 4 individuals. After looking at the total picture, he said the program was best suited to be under the direction of Smith.

"The high school process is different, say than college," Pierce said. "In college, you go out and hand pick someone that just coaches football. Here, there's a high school atmosphere that you have to respect. How can they fit in as a teacher? How do they fit within the school system? The good thing is, we had 4 people that were really strong candidates, but we just felt like Coach Smith was the most logical choice, and when the committee members are all saying the same guy, it just makes you feel better at the end of the day."

Darren Doyle, story and photos
A strong start from the Lady Cats against a good Breckinridge County team wasn't enough as Edmonson County fell 67-61 to the Lady Tigers last night at ECHS.

The Lady Tigers, known for their aggressive style of play and top notch junior point guard Lily Grimes, struggled to keep up in the first quarter as the Lady Cats controlled the pace of the game and easily broke the Lady Tigers' press, time and again. Edmonson County led 18-13 after one.

Sophomores Simon and Martin took advantage of good looks at the basket and scored early, each sporting double figures at halftime. The Lady Tigers inched their way back and cut the EC lead to 36-35 going into the locker room.

Breckinridge County apparently was able to reset during the break as they came out with 8 unanswered points to take control of the game and wouldn't look back. The Lady Cats were outscored 18-7 in the third as they trailed 53-42 going into the 4th quarter. The Lady Tigers were in control the rest of the way as they went on to defeat Edmonson County 67-61.

Even though it went down in the record books as a loss, Coach Jackson said he felt like it was the best game that his girls had played all season long. "Breckinridge County is a very good basketball team," he said. "They're aggressive, they attack, and I knew they would be. We handled their pressure, too. Yeah, we threw it away some, but we were aggressive, too."

The Lady Cats were led in scoring by Caitlin Simon with 22 points while she pulled down 9 rebounds. Peyton Martin had 12 points, only 2 in the second half, but also dished out 11 assists.

"I think that's the first time all year we've had someone in double figures in assists," Jackson said. "The only way Peyton gets those assists is if our girls run the floor. We had our 4 and 5 man running the floor, catching passes, and shooting layups...things we hadn't done all year long."

Jhonna Basil missed being the third Lady Cat with a double-double by only one rebound, with 13 points and 9 boards, Collins had 5 points/3 rebounds, Taylor had 4 points/2 rebounds, and Tori Browning had 2 points and 7 rebounds.

The Lady Cats will be back in action Friday night at home against district rival Butler County in a girl/boy doubleheader. Tip off is scheduled for 6pm. You can listen to live action of both games on WildcatsLive, only on EdmonsonVoice.com.

Edmonson Voice Sports
Laney Meredith, photos
Austin "Cuban" Sowders joined the 1000 point club last night in Leitchfield as his 19 points and 12 rebounds led the way in the Wildcat 58-55 win over district rival Grayson County.

The Wildcats were all business in the heated rivalry as they let Grayson County know early on that they came to play, jumping out to a 10-0 lead to start the game. The Cougars got on board with a couple of three point shots, but those were answered with a Hunter Buttram 3 of his own, along with a bucket by Sowders. With about 1:15 left in the first, Sowders hit a basket in the paint, giving the Wildcats a 17-6 lead, which was also number 1,000 for his career.

Sowders was humbled as he reached the rare milestone. "When you join a club with the elite players that have come through Edmonson County, it's an honor," he said. He didn't say anymore about the feat as the subject was changed to the team's victory. "Any win against Grayson County is huge and feels great," he added. "Tonight we came ready to play and we kept up the intensity."

The first quarter ended with a Hunter Buttram put back at the buzzer to give the Wildcats a 19-6 lead. Grayson County Head Coach Kelly Carwile was assessed with a technical foul following the basket and Buttram began the second quarter shooting the free throws, hitting one of two and extending the lead 20-6.

The Cougars outscored the Wildcats 18-14 during the second quarter and cut Edmonson County's lead to 34-24 at halftime. Things stayed fairly even for both teams during the third with a slight advantage for EC. Attitudes and aggression began to rise as each team began to get more physical. With 1:26 left in the quarter, Iszic Blankenship got tangled up with Cougar player over a rebound and Blankenship slung the player to the floor as he attempted to clear the ball.

Blankenship was issued a technical foul on the play but Grayson County missed both free throws. After getting the ball back, Tucker Cole came up with a steal and knocked down a bucket for the Cats with about a minute left in the third. Blankenship made a basket with 10 seconds left in the quarter, and EC led 46-35 going into the fourth.

"The game was very chippy, but we let them talk the talk, and we walked the walk," Sowders said. "We're a family, we have each other's backs."

No lead is safe in district play, especially against a good team on the road with passionate fans. The Cougars began the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run to cut the EC lead to 5 when Sowders drew a foul and knocked down two foul shots to extend the lead back to 7 at 48-41.

After a few back-and-forths, Grayson County came within 3 on a bucket to cut the Wildcat lead to 50-47 with 4:48 left in the game. That's as close as the Cougars would get as the Wildcats were able to maintain their composure and hit 6-8 free throws down the stretch. The Cougars failed an attempt to tie the score near the buzzer with a missed three as Edmonson County went on to win 58-55.

Hunter Buttram also put up double figures with 14 points while pulling down 9 rebounds. "It's always great to beat Grayson," Buttram said. "It's just so different than any other game. It makes me more nervous preparing for this game, but I love it."

Wildcat players and fans alike all helped Sowders celebrate the 1000 point achievement as he was presented the game ball. Several stopped to have photos taken with the senior forward.

"Cuban played a great game tonight," said Buttram. "I'm so glad he got his 1000th tonight. He's a great leader on and off the court. We've played a lot of games together and I couldn't ask for a better teammate out there with me."

Also helping in the effort was Bailey Board with 9 pts and 3 rebounds, Blankenship with 4 pts and 7 rebounds, Tucker Cole with 6 points and a rebound, and Caleb Skaggs had 6 points.

​The Wildcats improved to 11-6 overall on the season and 2-0 in district play. They are scheduled to take on Butler County at home on Friday, Jan 15th in another district game.

Edmonson Voice Sports
photos by Laney Meredith
A very sluggish start proved to be too much for the Lady Cats to overcome as they fell to district rival Grayson County 52-34 in Leitchfield last night.

Most everything that could go right for the Lady Cougars seemed to happen, while the opposite took place for the Lady Cats during the first half.

Nine turnovers in the first quarter helped the Lady Cougars jump out to a 21-4 lead, and Edmonson County found themselves in a 33-12 hole at halftime.

The Lady Cats showed some spark in the third as they outscored Grayson 17-7 to cut the lead to 40-29 as fourth quarter play began. Edmonson County was able to rattle the Lady Cougars with a big three from Caitlin Simon to cut the lead to 40-34, capping off a 22-7 run with 6:32 to go, but the Lady Cats wouldn't score again as Grayson was able to regain control and finish off the game with a win against Edmonson County.

Only three Lady Cats were able to put points on the board in the tough road loss, led by Caitlin Simon's 13 points and 7 rebounds, and Peyton Martin's 13 points and 2 rebounds. Madelyn Taylor also helped the offensive effort with 8 points while pulling down 5 rebounds. 

The Lady Cats are now .500 on the season with an 8-8 record, (1-1 in district play) and are scheduled to play Breckinridge County at home on Tuesday, January 12th in a JV/V game. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30pm.

It's a new year, and ECHS Basketball rolls on...we speak with Coach Kevin Jackson and Coach Mike McClintic on the first show of 2016, so listen now!

Darren Doyle story
Laney Meredith photos
Aggressive post play along with hot three point shooting propelled the Wildcats to a 81-72 win over the Monroe County Falcons last night at ECHS, led by senior Hunter Buttram's game-high 26 points and 10 rebounds. 

While Buttram's numbers impressed, they shouldn't take away from the fact that five different Wildcats scored in double figures, while three players put up double-doubles.

Edmonson County got a little winded in the first quarter as they struggled to keep up with the fast pace from the Falcons, falling behind 14-6, however, the Wildcats were able to slow things down as they pounded the ball down low. EC inched their way back in by drawing fouls in the paint, knocking down free throws, and hitting several post buckets, none bigger than Iszic Blankenship's drop step, two-handed dunk that brought the crowd to it's feet. The Wildcats tied things up 18 all with 12-4 run to end the first quarter.

The second quarter began with Buttram making a bucket and the foul, converting a three-point play that gave the Wildcats their second lead of the game. They never trailed again as a combination of dribble drives, strong post play, and 5-three pointers from Buttram, plucked the feathers from the Falcons.

The Wildcats led 35-27 at the half and 56-43 after the third. The Falcons almost started a rally in the final quarter, helped by some Wildcat turnovers, but Edmonson County hit their free throws down the stretch as they were able to hold on to win. 

Hunter Buttram was named the WildcatsLive player of the game. "I give all the credit to my team when I score," he said. "They spread the floor and moved well with and without the ball. That helped me get open looks where I was lucky enough to knock down some shots for us."

Four other Wildcats had impressive numbers as well. Cuban Sowders scored 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, Blankenship had 13 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks, Bailey Board scored 13, going 5/6 from the free throw line, and Caleb Skaggs also landed in double figures with 10 points.

No doubt students at ECHS were giving Blankenship high-fives this morning as slam dunks are not very common around here. "When you live in Edmonson County you don't see that happen too often, so when he threw it down, it lifted us up...for sure the play of the game!" Buttram added.

Edmonson Voice Sports
An exhausting schedule through the Christmas holiday took it's toll on both the Lady Cats and Wildcats going into district play which began Saturday at Whitesville Trinity in a girl/boy doubleheader.

Both teams were able to put wins on the board as the Lady Cats stomped the Lady Raiders 67-31, and the boys team edged out the Raiders 61-58 in a thrilling overtime victory.

The Lady Cats were able to set the cruise control early in the game as they established a lead and never looked back. The usual rowdy Trinity crowd didn't have much to cheer about as the Lady Cats steamrolled over the Lady Raiders, led by Caitlin Simon's 26 points and 6 rebounds.

Ten different Lady Cats helped put points on the board during the 36 point blowout. Peyton Martin had 10 points and 6 rebounds, Duncan had 9, Basil had 6, Collins 4, Taylor and Doyle each with 3, and 2 points each from Browning, Cline, and Harrison.

The girls improved to 8-7 on the season and will take on Grayson County away on Friday, Jan 8th in another district match up.

The boys contest was a completely different ballgame, (pun intended).

A close contest with Trinity edging out the Cats throughout the first half saw Edmonson County behind 28-20 at halftime. The first part of the third quarter didn't look good for the Cats as Trinity extended their lead to 34-24 (largest of the game) with 3:40 left in the quarter on a Raider bucket and foul. The free throw attempt was no good and the Wildcats would go on an 8-4 run that narrowed the Raider lead to 42-38 to start the 4th.

The Cats went on a 5-1 run to begin the final quarter as Skaggs hit a three with 6:25 left to tie the score at 43 all, which was the first tie since 18-18 in the second quarter.

Trinity was able to stay just ahead of the Wildcats when a Raiders turnover and a Buttram bucket brought the Cats within 2 at 52-50 with 42 seconds remaining in the game.

Another turnover from Trinity gave the Wildcats the ball with 27.8 seconds on the clock. Edmonson County set up their offense and got the ball down low to Blankenship. His shot missed, but the offensive rebound was swiped by Bailey Board and his putback tied the game at 52 all with 10.7 seconds left. For unclear reasons, officials decided more time needed to be added to the clock and Trinity would have 12 seconds to get the ball the length of the court for a chance to win.

Trinity inbounded the ball, but a smothering trap by Skaggs and Tucker Cole forced the Raiders into a timeout with 8.3 left. The Raiders were forced to take a deep three pointer at the buzzer that missed, moving the game into overtime.

Trinity drew first blood in OT with a basket, but Board answered it with one of his own at 54 all. After a missed Raider three pointer, Sowders got the ball in the paint and made a bucket that gave the Wildcats their first lead since the score was 18-16 in the second quarter.

The Wildcats went on to hit 5 out of 6 free throws in the final minute of the game to pull off the district road win, 61-58.

Leading the effort was senior Hunter Buttram with 16 points and 7 rebounds, along with Cuban Sowders' 15 points and 4 rebounds. Even though they didn't reach double figures, Bailey Board (8 pts) and Caleb Skaggs (9 pts) came up with key baskets and/or free throws when the game was on the line.

"It's what we expected, we've had scares up here before," said assistant coach Bart Weaver. "They're a good ballclub, they have a really nice team. We're just so excited to get a district win on the road in this crazy place."

Also helping in scoring was Blankenship with 4 points and Cole with 6.

The Wildcats are now 9-6 on the season and will face Monroe County at home on Tuesday in a JV/V game beginning at 6pm. You can hear the game live on WildcatsLive with Jamie and DD.