Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
It seems like it was only a week ago that Trinity had Edmonson County on the ropes with a ten point lead at the barn in Whitesville...wait a minute. Oh, that's right, it was.

Edmonson County found a way to win that night in a game that was a battle all the way to the end. Tonight's game wasn't anything like that and the Wildcats dominated the Trinity Raiders 68-44 at ECHS to stay undefeated in district play and secure the top seed in the District 12 Tournament that will be held in late February.

Much like tonight's Lady Cats game, the Wildcats poured out a 36-14 second and third quarter combination that doomed Whitesville Trinity.

No one's offensive stats were amazing, but a good, solid team effort kept everyone involved where buckets were made off both Trinity turnovers and Wildcat assists.

Caleb Skaggs led the Cats' offense with 13 points, hitting 8 out of 8 shots from the foul line. Edmonson County shot 27/29 as a team from the free throw line for an impressive 93% team number.

Tucker Cole was the other Wildcat in double figures with 11 points while Iszic Blankenship and Logan Minton added 8 points each. 

Bailey Board, Daniel Caudill, and Logan Lindsey all added 6 points apiece while Dylan Elmore scored 3.

The Wildcats are now 13-7 on the season and 6-0 against District 12 teams. They are scheduled to take on Grayson County on the road this Friday in a girl/boy double header beginning at 6pm. The WildcatsLive pregame show will start at 5:50pm

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Lady Cats were all smiles tonight as they not only cruised to a 65-37 district win over Trinity, but also gave coach Kevin Jackson his 200th career win as a high school basketball coach. Jackson also has over 200 victories as a coach in high school softball.

"There were 200 red, white, and balloons waiting for me in my office," Jackson said. "That tells you what kind of kids we have in Edmonson County. I told them that they were trying to make this about me, but I've been thinking about them all day and this is about them. The second and third quarters, we played great."

No one would argue with that, seeing that the Lady Cats outscored Trinity 44-14 in those quarters.

Edmonson County jumped out to a 10-1 start but some quick Lady Cat turnovers allowed Trinity to climb back in. EC was able to put it out of reach in the second quarter, outscoring the Lady Raiders 24-6 and grabbing a commanding 42-18 lead at the half.

Another outburst in the third kept Trinity at bay and Jackson emptied his deep bench, using all players on the roster in the 38 point win.

"It's a good win and it makes us 5-0 in district play," said Jackson. "We know we've got a big one coming up on Friday night (against Grayson County). The big second and third quarters we had tonight, it's going to take four of them to beat Grayson."

Peyton Martin led the way for Edmonson County with 21 points and 5 assists, while Caitlin Simon added 17 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds. Skylar Lewis was the third Lady Cat in double figures with 11 points and 4 rebounds.

The remaining box score was: Cline 5, Collins 4, Alexander 2, Meredith 2, Goad 2, Vincent 1.

The Lady Cats are scheduled to take on Grayson County on the road this Friday in a girl/boy doubleheader beginning at 6pm. The WildcatsLive pregame show is scheduled to begin at 5:50pm.

Edmonson Voice Sports Staff
The Edmonson County Wildcats sought revenge against Allen County-Scottsville last night on the road and found it, beating the Patriots 55-42 after losing to them at home earlier in the season on a last-second shot in the Wildcats' home opener.

Even with senior Daniel Caudill out with an ankle sprain, the Wildcats were able to out rebound the Patriots 30-21, kept their turnovers down to only 8, and only lacked a couple of points having 5 players in double figures.

Things stayed pretty even through three quarters and Edmonson led 39-38 early in the fourth, but an 11-2 run was more than the Patriots could handle. The Wildcats outscored Allen County 14-6 in the final quarter, the exact opposite of what happened last time at home when Allen County outscored Edmonson 17-7 in the last quarter.

Caleb Skaggs led the Wildcat offense with 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. Bailey Board and Logan Lindsey each had 10 points and 3 rebounds apiece, Iszic Blankenship had 9 points and 13 rebounds, and Tucker Cole added 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.

The Wildcats are now 13-7 on the year and look to maintain a perfect record in District 12 games tonight as Trinity comes to town for a make-up game. The girl/boy doubleheader is scheduled for tip off at 6pm with girls' action beginning first. Lady Cat Head Coach Kevin Jackson looks to notch his 200th career victory as a high school basketball coach.

The WildcatsLive pregame show is scheduled to start at 5:50pm.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
A back-and-forth battle between two solid district rivals allowed fans at a packed Edmonson County High School to get all of their money's worth in the Wildcats' 70-65 win over Butler County last night at the 2017 Basketball Homecoming.

"We knew this would be a battle, and they're (Butler County) really good offensively," said assistant coach Bart Weaver. "We thought we could exploit some things on their defense, but it was a battle."

And a battle it was, as both teams fought in a physical contest in which the winner would be determined by who could execute their plan the best. Last night, that was the Wildcats as they shared the ball, outrebounded the Bears, and kept their turnovers down--all key elements in their plan, knowing all would have to be done for the win.

Four Wildcats landed in double figures as Bailey Board led with 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, Caleb Skaggs had 18 points and 5 rebounds, Tucker Cole had an outstanding night with 17 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds, and Iszic Blankenship finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds.

The lead changed hands several times with plenty of tied scores throughout the contest as the score was 13 all at the end of the first. The Bears held a one point edge with a 30-29 lead at the half, but the advantage went back to the Cats as they led 49-48 going into the fourth.

The Wildcats started the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run to grab a 57-48 lead and they never trailed again. Butler County cut the lead to only three in the final minute, but two free throws by Tucker Cole sealed the deal with seconds left in the game. 

"It came down to the things that we really concentrate on, turnovers and rebounds, and we won them both tonight," said Weaver. "It's sounds simple, but it's not that simple. Those areas are big with us."

Logan Lindsey was the other Wildcat in the scorebook with 2 points while adding 4 rebounds and 3 assists. 

The Wildcats improve to 12-7 on the season and are a perfect 5-0 in district play. They are scheduled for three games next week as they take on Allen County away on Monday, Trinity at home on Tuesday, and Grayson County on the road Friday.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
It was all Lady Cats last night in Brownsville as they rolled over the Butler County Lady Bears 65-33 in Edmonson County's 2017 Basketball Homecoming.

Three different Lady Cats landed in double figures in the team effort as they exploded to a 27-7 lead in the first quarter. Edmonson County extended their lead to 38-17 at halftime and was able to cruise during the second half while bench and reserve players were able to contribute quality minutes in the win.

"I'm really pleased with the effort from our kids tonight, and I thought we played extremely hard," said Head Coach Kevin Jackson. "With teenage kids, you never know if they're coming to play each night, but I call this bunch the 'blue collar workers,' and they've come to play every night for the last month or so. I'm tickled that we had three kids in double figures."

Caitlin Simon led the Lady Cats in scoring with 18 points while adding 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Peyton Martin had 16 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Katlin Collins also impressed with 12 points and 3 rebounds.

The remaining box score was: Lewis 7, Cline 6, Vincent 4, Alexander 2.

The Lady Cats have two more district games next week with Trinity on Tuesday at home and Grayson County on the road on Friday. Jackson said nothing's a given in district play and there is no room for his team to relax.

"There's nothing new at this time of the year," he said. "It's a matter of whose system works, or can our pressure defense work--and if it does, then we have a chance to win, if not--they're going to beat us."

The Lady Cats improve to 17-6 on the season and are a perfect 5-0 in District 12 play.

"I want to say a thank you to the crowd tonight," Jackson added. "I was so glad to get to play here for the homecoming tonight because a lot of these people don't get to see us play. I wanted the fans to see how hard our kids play and I hope they enjoyed watching our girls play...I know I did."

This week's show is loaded with great stuff...ECMS Basketball Coaches Shaun Stice and Kevan Alford, 8th Grade Wildcats Gavin Rose, Chaz Wilson, & Daniel Woosley, and the Senior Spotlight shines on ECHS Archer Brandon Vincent. The wait is over, so listen now!

Be sure to follow @wildcatslive, @JOscarJr, and @WynCaudill on Twitter!

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle photos:
With back-to-back comeback wins, several Wildcat fans are starting to call this Edmonson County team the "Comeback Cats," just like the 1998 Kentucky Wildcats who earned a reputation for getting behind early then turning it on towards the end of a game. Another term that's becoming popular? "Mad Dog" defense. That's where it's a no-holds-barred, gambling blitz in which the defensive players converge on the offense with little or no regard for human life. Well, not really, but it's pretty intense, and it's helped Edmonson County dig out of deficits for two wins a row, including last night's huge 56-49 district win against Trinity.

Finding themselves down 10 points in the middle of the third, the Wildcats simply started turning things around with tougher defense and hitting shots. They went on a 10-2 run to finish out the quarter on Caleb Skaggs' off balance, three-pointer off the glass as time expired.

Until that run, Wildcat fans were frustrated as loose balls and rebounds seemed to always end up in the hands of the Raiders. Although it appeared that Edmonson County's effort was top notch, they were struggling to see results.

"Trinity wanted it more than us in the first half," said assistant coach Bart Weaver. "That's on us, it's on our kids, us as coaches, on all of us. They wanted it more for about three quarters."

Fortunately for the Wildcats, basketball games are four quarters, and Edmonson County needed all of them as they went ahead on Daniel Caudill's offensive rebound after a missed free throw by Tucker Cole and put it up and in for a 49-48 lead with just over four minutes to go. The Wildcats never trailed again.

Bailey Board led the offense for the Wildcats with 21 points and 7 rebounds. Caleb Skaggs was the other Wildcat in double figures with 15 points.

Also helping in the effort was Tucker Cole, who added 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, Iszic Blankenship with 5 points and 7 rebounds, and Daniel Caudill with 6 points and 5 rebounds.

"Our kids were diving and hustling the whole game," said Weaver. "But it just seemed like in the first half, we couldn't even hold on to a rebound. Things just weren't going right, and most of the time, you're supposed to lose those games. Our kids just kept fighting and we played 'mad dog' for about three quarters and just got after it."

​The Wildcats are now 11-7 on the season and 4-0 against District 12 opponents. They are scheduled to play Butler County this Friday at ECHS in a girl/boy doubleheader Homecoming Game. WildcatsLive will carry both games beginning at 5:50pm.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Edmonson County Lady Cats had no trouble with the Trinity Lady Raiders last night in Whitesville as they cruised to a 69-40 district win, led by Caitlin Simon's 22 points.

The deep bench of the Lady Cats and tough defensive pressure was too much for the Lady Raiders as Edmonson County continued to force turnovers and score in transition.

"Any district win is good and this makes us 4-0 in district play and I'm tickled to death with the way our kids are playing," said Head Coach Kevin Jackson. "Two of our top six or seven players were out tonight, but I thought we still played well."

Regular starter Skylar Lewis was out with a hand injury but is expected to be back in the lineup this week, and guard Chanley Logsdon has been out with an ankle injury.

The Lady Cats never trailed in the game and had already amassed a 21 point lead by halftime. That lead extended into the mid-thirties in the second half and bench players and reserves were able to contribute to the win as all members on the roster saw game action.

"I was really pleased with some of our kids (off the bench) that came in during the first half, and early in the second half," Jackson said. "They gave us some good minutes. Not only did they play good defense, but they stayed involved in our offense. They passed the ball to the open player, they looked for the open shot, and that's what we want, we want to be more of a team. We know Caitlin (Simon) and Peyton (Martin) are as good as anybody around and Maddie (Cline) had a good game tonight, but we gotta have eight or nine kids because of injuries, of foul trouble, so you want those kids to be able to step up and be confident. Games like this, you get to play more kids, the confidence starts to grow, and you hope it carries on."

In addition to Simon's 22 points, she also had 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Peyton Martin added 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists. Senior Maddie Cline added 11 points.

The remaining box score was: Collins 7, Meredith 5, Goad 3, Alexander 2, and Ballance 2. 

The Lady Cats are now 16-6 on the season and currently hold the best record in the 3rd Region. There was no love lost to Trinity's basketball facility, know to most people as "the barn," as last night marked the final game for the Lady Cats in the current gym. Trinity is in the process of building a new gym that is supposed to be completed by next season.

They are scheduled to play Butler County at home this Friday, January 27 in a girl/boy doubleheader beginning at 6pm. It will be the annual basketball homecoming game. Festivities are scheduled to take place between games. 

Darren Doyle, story and photos
The Edmonson County Wildcats poured in 35 points in the final quarter to defeat Warren East at home after trailing by 16 in the second half.

The Raiders kept a lead throughout most of the game thanks to their offensive rebounding.

"We just kept allowing them to crash the boards," said assistant coach Bart Weaver. "They got 11 points off of 9 offensive rebounds in the first half."

Warren East led 23-21 after the first and took a 41-35 lead into the locker room at the break.

It seemed that the third quarter would be the beginning of the end for the Wildcats as a 12-2 Raider run helped Warren East grab a hefty 16 point lead just before the start of the fourth.

After Warren East scored the first two buckets of the second half, the 35 point onslaught by the Cats began.

Daniel Caudill nailed a three pointer, Logan Lindsey scored a layup off a steal and Caleb Skaggs hit the first of two back-to-back three's to cut the Raider lead to 70-64. A quick East bucket extended the lead back to 8, but the Wildcats went on an 8-0 run, including a two-hand dunk from Iszic Blankenship that got the crowd on their feet.

"We just decided to go 'mad dog' on them," coach Weaver said. "We just came after them on our full court and East tried to dribble through it. We started causing turnovers and we converted on our end."

Bailey Board had a few solid drives to the basket while Cole picked a Raider pocket and scored and the Wildcats took their first lead at 76-74 with just over a minute to go. Another drive and a three-point play by board put the Cats on top 79-76.

The Wildcats never trailed again as they hit their free throws down the stretch and went on for the 86-80 win.

Caleb Skaggs led the way for EC with 28 points and 5 assists, connecting on 4-three pointers, while Bailey Board added 20 points and 7 rebounds. 

Tucker Cole had 13 points and 5 assists and Iszic Blankenship had a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Also helping the Cats was Daniel Caudill with 7 points and 4 rebounds, Brayden Carey had 3, and Logan Lindsey scored 2.

The Wildcats are scheduled to take on the Trinity Raiders Tuesday night in Whitesville in a district 12 girl/boy doubleheader beginning at 6pm. WildcatsLive will bring you live action starting around 5:50pm.

Edmonson County is now 10-7 on the season.

Edmonson Voice Sports
The Edmonson County Winter Warm-Up Tournament was held Saturday, January 21, 2017 with Edmonson County High School taking top high school team honors in the competition that featured 13 total area schools.

There were a range of categories and classes, including Elementary, Middle, and High School, with each having team and male and female individual scores.

North Butler Elementary won the elementary class, Warren East came out on top in the middle school category, and ECHS won the high school team division. 

Several Edmonson County team members drew attention as they placed well in individual categories: Kaylee Cook placing 3rd in individual female competition (ECMS), Dalton Curtis placed 2nd in individual male (ECMS), and Zachary Jacobs placed 3rd, also in individual male (ECMS).

It was all Wildcats in the top individual honors for high school male with Brandon Vincent placing first, Nate Wilson winning 2nd, and Bailey Burba finishing 3rd. 

ECHS Senior Brandon Vincent was barely edged out for overall top shooter of the entire competition, coming in second by only a fraction.

"This was a very successful tournament with a huge turnout," said EC Head Archery Coach Chris Shelton. "I'm so proud of these kids for what they're all doing."

He said that the tournament was the largest ever hosted by Edmonson County so far.

"We've got such great support with our parent volunteers and booster club," he said.

Helping Shelton with the team are assistants Wally Ritter, Brent Brown, and Derek Curtis, along with booster club president Keith Sanders, booster vice president Lisa Vincent, and treasurer Renee Vincent. Tyra Keltner stays proactive with promotion and fund raising events.

Edmonson County High School Athletic Director Kyle Pierce has announced that the girl/boy doubleheader against Trinity originally scheduled on January 6, 2017 that was postponed due to winter weather has been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at ECHS.

Tipoff for the girls game is scheduled for 6pm with the boys game following immediately after. WildcatsLive will carry the broadcast for both games with the pregame show for the girls beginning at 5:50pm.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Wildcats never gave up, but they couldn't overcome the stifling defense from Owensboro Catholic in last night's 53-45 loss to the Aces in the finals of the All A Region 3 Tournament held in Cloverport.

One of the main concerns for Edmonson County was the full court pressure that they would face from the Aces, but that was never really a problem as the Wildcats only saw two turnovers as a result. 

"It was really their half court defense," said asst. coach Bart Weaver. "Everything we tried to run, they had us pushed out towards half court. We couldn't get in any sort of flow on the offensive sets that we tried and it caused us to rush our shots."

As the Wildcats missed several of those rushed shots, Owensboro Catholic was able to rebound and convert on their end.

"Owensboro moves so well and when you've got some size underneath the basket to back that up, you can overplay a lot," Weaver said. "They have a hall of fame coach, too...so that helps."

Tim Riley, head coach for the Aces,  is no stranger to coaching basketball. He compiled an impressive 307-128 record in 14 seasons with Warren Central, winning the 2004 state title along with eight Region 4 titles. Riley also holds a 27-3 record in the Region 4 Tournament in addition to 12 wins in the Sweet Sixteen. He also led Owensboro Catholic to the Region 3 Title last year in his first year as their head coach. In addition, he served one season as an assistant on the WKU women's basketball team in 2011.

The Wildcats struggled in the first quarter and they fell behind 15-6. They fought their way back in the second as they outscored the Aces 14-12 and cut the lead to 27-20 at the half.

A good Edmonson County third quarter trimmed the deficit once again to 40-35, but the Wildcats seemed to start running out of gas in the fourth as they were bested by the Aces.

"I'm proud of our guys' effort," Weaver said. "I don't think we ever quit and I thought we just played 'till the end. They were just better defensively than we were tonight."

The Wildcats were led by Bailey Board with 18 points, 4 rebounds, and two assists. Sixteen of Board's points came in the first half. Caleb Skaggs scored 14 points, all coming in the second half.

Logan Lindsey scored 7 points off the bench and Iszic Blankenship added 6 points and 9 rebounds. 

The Wildcats are now 9-7 on the season and are scheduled to take on Warren East at home on Monday in a JV/V match. There will be no WildcatsLive game broadcast so everyone is encouraged to attend.

Darren Doyle, story:
Although the Lady Cats battled the heavily favored Owensboro Catholic Lady Aces all the way to the end, they fell 47-45 in the Region 3 All A finals Thursday night in Cloverport.

Edmonson County started off red-hot on an 8-0 run to start the game that had the Lady Aces on their heels and Lady Cat fans on their feet.

"We talked about playing with a lot of heart and being aggressive, and I was really pleased with how our kids started this game," said head coach Kevin Jackson. "That's one sign of maturity, when you can start games with a little more fire and I thought we did that last night."

Owensboro fought back and began to pound the ball in the paint; they utilized their three different players listed at 6'0" or taller which cut their deficit to 13-12 at the end of the first. 

A big second quarter from Owensboro C. allowed them to take a 24-18 lead into the locker room at the half. 

The Lady Cats came out a bit sluggish in the third as O.C. stretched the lead to 30-20, their largest of the game, prompting Jackson to call a timeout. He said he felt like the moment was a turning point for the remainder of the season.

"I told the girls that the game was about to slip away from us and that if we didn't do something to step up, especially on the defensive end and make something happen, it was going to get away from us. The next thing I knew, it was a one-point ballgame."

Out of the timeout, Edmonson County went on a 9-0 run to cut the Lady Ace lead to 30-29. Simon scored all nine of those points. Owensboro scored on another basket in the paint to stretch their lead to 3 but Caitlin Simon hit a huge three-pointer with 1:25 to go in the quarter to tie the score at 32 all.

The Lady Cats went on to grab a 40-35 lead with about three minutes to go but the size and strength of Owensboro in the paint allowed the Lady Aces to crawl back on top as they took a 47-42 lead with only seconds to go. Simon hit another three pointer with only 0.9 left, but it wasn't enough as the Lady Aces went on to win their 17th straight Region 3 All A title.

Simon led the way for the Lady Cats, scoring 23 of her 27 points in the second half. Only one other Lady Cat scored in the entire second half, which was Katlin Collins who added 4 second half points.

Jackson said he had a short conversation with Simon during warm-ups to start the second half.

"I told her she'd been pretty quiet during the first half but I knew that she'd have a tremendous second half, and wow, did she ever have a great second half."

Jackson said he'd hoped that more of the other players could've gotten more involved offensively.

"In the Grayson County games and some others, we won because we had everybody contributing. That's when we're at our best. It's still a team game. We know we're going to win ballgames when everybody contributes."

Jackson said there was no reason to hang their heads as Owensboro Catholic is a very good basketball team and last night's game proved to many people that Edmonson County can be a contender for the KHSAA Region Three Tournament in March.

"We've still got plenty of basketball left," he said. "We've still a third of our season left and we're going to focus on continuing to improve and win games. We still have our eyes on the district and regional tournaments. We'll take off today but there's not a whole lot of time to lick your wounds, so to speak. We're going to move on."

In addition to Simon's 27 points and 7 rebounds, Collins had 6 points and 5 rebounds, Martin had 6 points, 5 assists, and 6 rebounds, and Skylar Lewis added 6 points and 2 rebounds.

The Lady Cats are scheduled to play Cumberland County at home on Saturday at 3pm in a JV/V matchup. There will be no live game broadcast so EC fans are encouraged to attend in person.

Edmonson County is now 14-6 on the season. The boys team is scheduled to take on Owensboro Catholic tonight in Cloverport for the All A boys' final tonight at 6pm. The WildcatsLive pregame show starts at 5:50pm only on EdmonsonVoice.com.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Wildcats crossed off another name from the list of teams standing in their way to the All A Regional Championship as they defeated the McLean County Cougars 53-35 last night in Cloverport.

Edmonson County never trailed in the contest as they took advantage of opportunities created by their defense by making several transition buckets.

Caleb Skaggs had a hot hand as he led the Wildcats in scoring with 22 points, connecting on 4-9 from behind the three-point line.

The Wildcats led 13-6 after the first quarter and although McLean had a bit of a run in the second as they outscored the Cats 10-8, Edmonson County took a 21-17 lead at the break. 

A big third quarter allowed EC to extend the lead to 39-25 going into the fourth, which allowed them to be able to relax in the last few minutes just a bit while cruising on to win.

Bailey Board finished with 13 points and four rebounds and Iszic Blankenship finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds, with half of his points coming off of two slam dunks in the second half that helped take the wind out of the Cougars' sails.

Coach Mike McClintic talked about the good and the bad he saw from his club during the win.

"When Caleb lets the offense come to him on the threes, he's got a lot better look with a better rhythm on his shot and he can nail it," he said. "Early on, we were just making one pass and letting the shots go up. We talked about that at halftime and we got in better rhythm on the offensive end. When Caleb can spot up, he's deadly from out there."

Although Blankenship's point totals have been higher in previous games, Coach Mac credited the senior center for his all-around play.

"Iszic is working hard," he said. "He's 6'7" and runs the floor and just does so many things well. He alters shots against the other team, he gets on the boards, and offensively we shoved him down (in the paint) just a little bit farther. He got a couple of good looks and got a couple of dunks in there."

Daniel Caudill had 8 points and 3 rebounds and Brayden Carey added two points.

While the Wildcats cruised at times against McLean County, Coach Mac said things will be much more difficult against a very strong and athletic Owensboro Catholic team in the finals on Friday night.

"They're good. They're strong inside, their defense is awesome and they're going to pressure us hard." Coach also said taking care of the ball and making O. Catholic work on their offensive end will be key.

"We have to play for 32 minutes...if we don't, we're going to be in trouble, but I've got faith in the kids. We're going to show up ready to play and we're going to do the best we can."

The Wildcats are now 9-6 on the season and have won eight out of the last nine games.

Both the Wildcats and the Lady Cats have advanced to championship games. The girls are scheduled to take on Owensboro Catholic on Thursday night and the Wildcats will take on Owensboro Catholic's boys team on Friday night, with each game scheduled to start at 6pm.

The WildcatsLive crew will broadcast both games, only on EdmonsonVoice.com. Pregame shows are scheduled to begin around 5:50pm. 

Darren Doyle, story: Jerika Simon, photos:
Although the Lady Cats' offense was sluggish and even sloppy at times last night, their solid defense and hustle helped them defeat McClean County in the semi-finals of the All A Classic Region 3 Tournament last night in Cloverport, 42-27.

"Offensively, it was a whole lotta ugly tonight," said coach Kevin Jackson. "But I'll tell you what--defensively, these kids got after it. They laid it on the line. When you hold McClean County, which is a nice ballclub to 27 points in four quarters, which is less than a point per minute, you've done a heckuva job. I was tickled to death. We outrebounded them, and they were bigger and stronger than us."

Edmonson County struggled to hit shots and missed several wide open layups and short jumpers. It was their second-lowest point total in a win this season. 

Defensively, however was a different story. The Lady Cat pressure came in the form of a full court trap, half court trap, and tight man-to-man, which caused all sorts of problems for the Lady Cougars.

McClean County's turnover issues kept them struggling to score, and even though the Lady Cats only shot 35% from the field, it was enough to get the win. 

The Lady Cats started off leading 11-5 after the first quarter and led 24-18 at the half. Edmonson County extended their lead to 37-23 in the third quarter and held on through a very low-scoring fourth quarter that saw only a combined total of nine points scored for both teams.

Caitlin Simon led the Lady Cats with 16 points and 5 rebounds, and was the only Lady Cat in double figures. Also helping in the effort was Katlin Collins with 8 points and 5 rebounds, Skylar Lewis and Maddie Cline had 6 points each, Peyton Martin added 4 points and 7 assists, and Abby Alexander scored 2 points.

The Lady Cats now advance to the finals of the Region 3 All A Tournament and are scheduled to take on Owensboro Catholic at 6pm on Thursday, January 19, 2017 in Cloverport.

They improve to 14-5 on the season, which is the best record in the third region. They are 4-2 in region play and 3-0 against District 12 teams.

The Wildcats are scheduled to take on McClean County tonight in the boys' semi-finals around 7:45pm. The WildcatsLive crew will broadcast the game live on EdmonsonVoice.com.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Wildcats outlasted the Trinity Raiders in a physical contest during round one of the All A Classic in Cloverport as they won, 69-48. 

The Wildcats showed maturity, toughness, and character in the win that started off with both teams neck-and-neck. Both teams were knocking down shots early while showing aggressive play on both ends of the court.

The first quarter ended in a 10-10 tie but Edmonson County found success in pounding the ball in the paint and driving to the lane in the second as they led 32-25 at the half.

Trinity began to commit what seemed to be plenty of frustration fouls as emotions began to run high in the second half. Edmonson County used that to their advantage while using an impressive half-court trap defense to start creating a little space. 

The Wildcats led 42-34 to start the fourth. They held off a Trinity run and hit their free throws down the stretch to go on for the 69-48 win.

The Wildcats had three in double figures as Bailey Board led the way with 19 points, Iszic Blankenship had 18 points and 8 rebounds, and Caleb Skaggs had 16 points.

The remaining box score was: Cole 6, Caudill 6, Lindsey 2, Elmore 2.

The Wildcats are now 8-6 on the season and are scheduled to take on McClean County on Tuesday night in the second round of the All A Classic beginning around 7:30pm.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Edmonson County Lady Cats clobbered the Whitesville-Trinity Lady Raiders Saturday night 72-28 in the first round of the All A Classic Tournament hosted by Fredrick Fraize High School in Cloverport.

After a bit of a slow start due to some cold shooting, the shots began to fall for the Lady Cats which allowed them to set up the full court press. Unable to handle the Lady Cat pressure, Trinity began to turn the ball over and Edmonson County capitalized on easy layups.

The Lady Cats led 12-10 after the first, but were able to break the game open in the second quarter, outscoring the Lady Raiders 22-6 as they held a 34-16 halftime lead. The second half was a repeat of the first as Edmonson County dominated in the last two quarters, securing the win and moving on to the second round.

The Lady Cats were led offensively by Peyton Martin, who had 17 points. Caitlin Simon followed with 14, while Maddie Cline scored 12 off the bench.

Fifteen different Lady Cats got in on the game action during the one-sided victory. The remaining box score was: Logsdon 9, Harrison 6, Meredith 5, Lewis 3, Alexander 2, Ballance 2, Goad 2.

The Lady Cats are scheduled to take on McClean County in the semi-finals on Monday at Cloverport at approximately 7:30pm. The game will be broadcast live on EdmonsonVoice.com with the WildcatsLive crew.

The Lady Cats improve to 13-5 on the season and now sit at the top of the Region 3 rankings.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Wildcats looked as if they were going to be run out of their own gym last night against heated rival Grayson County, as they began with an horrific 15-2 start in the first quarter. Edmonson County tried a zone defense early in the game against the Cougars that was useless in stopping Grayson County's untouchable three-point shooting early on. 

The Wildcats hadn't played a game in nine days thanks to some winter weather while the Cougars had played twice in the same span. Coach Mac said the delay of games would either help the Cats by allowing them to be a little more fresh, or hurt them by causing them to be rusty.

During the first quarter, Wildcat fans saw no sign of anything fresh except additional numbers being added to Grayson County's score.

Assistant coach Bart Weaver said that's when the game plan had to change and the Wildcats went to an in-your-face, man-to-man defense that would eventually allow them to claw their way out of things.

"If you'd have told me we were going to play three quarters of man-to-man defense against Grayson in a win, I'd have told you you were were crazy," Weaver said with a laugh. "We've not played much man and it showed early. We made some adjustments at halftime and it got better. What a ballgame...what a ballgame."

Edmonson County's defense helped cool off the hot shooting of the Cougars while they did what their coaching staff has preached all year--got things done in a blue collar-style. They began to take care of the ball, they muscled their way into the paint for rebounds, and they ended up scoring 79% of their total points in the paint.

They cut the Cougar lead to 25-20 at the half and kept chipping away as their deficit was sliced again to 36-34 to begin the fourth.

Caleb Skaggs led the way in the final quarter, scoring 7 of his 11 points in the fourth, none bigger than a huge three pointer to cap off a 9-0 run with 1:16 left to go in the ballgame. 

The Cougars made a final push with a 5-0 run of their own, but Edmonson County held them off for the big 51-49 district win.

No single Wildcat impressed with individual stats, but a team effort from everyone was the highlight of the game.

"It's the way we have to play," Weaver said. "We were afraid that where we switched to a different man offense that it would take us out of a 'team look,' because we thought we could penetrate a lot. So we emphasized not to get away from 'team,' but tried to get around them (Cougar defense), if you've got the drive, drive it, if not, kick, then look for Stick (Blankenship) inside. They did a good job of that. It was just a tough, tough, ballgame."

Skaggs, Bailey Board, and Daniel Caudill each had 11 points while Tucker Cole added 8, and Iszic Blankenship added 6 points and 10 rebounds. Logan Lindsey finished with 4.

The Cats outrebounded the Cougars 23-19 while only having 9 turnovers.

​Edmonson County is now 7-6 on the season and are 2-0 in the district 12 standings. They are scheduled to take on Trinity tonight at Cloverport in the All A Classic tournament with an 8pm tip off.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photo:
Edmonson County Lady Cat junior point guard Peyton Martin was presented the game ball after EC's 72-64 overtime win against Grayson County Tuesday night.

Martin scored a career-high 33 points while joining the 1000th point club when she hit two free throws in the fourth quarter. She only needed 17 points to reach the milestone tonight. She now stands at 1016 career points.

"It feels awesome," she said. "I can't describe it. I never imagined it happening. I have to thank God and my teammates for helping me achieve this."

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
After a lackluster performance in Tuesday's loss to Breckinridge County on the road, junior guard Peyton Martin knew that she'd have to bounce back quickly in order to do her part against district rival Grayson County three days later. 

Martin was held scoreless by the Lady Tigers earlier in the week, which is not good for the Lady Cats considering she is the team's second leading scorer at 14 points per game. 

All memory of Tuesday's loss was erased on Friday night as Martin went on a tear, leading Edmonson County to a thrilling 72-64 overtime win at ECHS, while scoring her 1000th point in the process.

"I knew I didn't play the best I could've on Tuesday," she said. "Tonight was a big district home game and I knew how important it was that I played the best I could. I was really focused on this game."

It was no trouble to see just how focused she was, as she led the offense, shot 11/15 from the field, (3/5 three point line), 8/9 from the free throw line; while she grabbed 6 rebounds, had two steals, and dished out one assist.

The game was intense from the start as Grayson County grabbed an early 14-13 lead after one, but the Lady Cats went on a hot streak in the second quarter and took a 30-22 lead at halftime. 

Grayson County fought back in the third and eventually took a 42-40 lead. Martin was fouled on a drive to the basket and knocked down two free throws to score her 1000th point, while tying the game at 42 all with 6 minutes left in the fourth.

Smothering defense by the Lady Cats forced two quick turnovers on the Lady Cougars in the final minute as Edmonson County was able to grab a 57-54 lead with 40 seconds to go, thanks to Katlin Collins two big free throws. 

Grayson County managed to tie the score at 57 all, giving the Lady Cats the ball underneath the Lady Cougar basket with 14 seconds left. Edmonson County drove the length of the floor as it was Martin again with a drive and a bucket to give the Lady Cats the 59-57 lead with 8 seconds to go.

Grayson County did the exact same thing on their end, hitting a layup with only two seconds left and the Lady Cats were not able to get off a shot as the game went into overtime.

Edmonson County took control of the overtime period and went on to win by eight.

Martin was presented the game ball after the contest, which commemorated her 1000th point.

"It feels awesome! I never imagined this happening," she said on reaching the milestone. "I have to thank God and my teammates for helping me achieve this."

Coach Kevin Jackson had plenty of positive things to say about the hard-fought battle from his players.

"I'm so proud of these girls," he said. "Before the game we talked about having fun and playing with confidence like they used to do in little league, and I think they did tonight."

Jackson spoke about Martin's big night.

"Tuesday night at Breckinridge County, Peyton Martin had zero points, one of the worst games of her career," he said. "Some kids would pout about it and come back and have another bad game tonight and Grayson beats us 20 points. That kid (Martin), had more determination than ever, and that left hand came in handy tonight."

Caitlin Simon had an impressive night herself, going for 21 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists. She hit all 7 of her free throws. The Lady Cats shot an amazing 26/29 from the foul line, for a total of 90%.

The remaining box score was Lewis 8, Collins 6, Logsdon 4.
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The Lady Cats are now 12-5 on the season and are scheduled to hit the road tomorrow for Cloverport as they compete in the All A Classic at 6pm.

Tonight's victory against Grayson County is the Lady Cats' second win over the Lady Cougars since 2003.

"Beating your biggest rival is a huge deal," said Martin. "Doing it on my home court is icing on the cake. It feels great." 

We're back from the holidays, and we hit the ground running with basketball updates. Caleb Skaggs is in the Senior Spotlight this week, so don't wait any longer to listen!

Be sure to follow @wildcatslive, @JOscarJr, and @WynCaudill on Twitter!

Edmonson Voice Sports
Butler County High School has announced that they will host the 2017 District 12 boys and girls basketball tournaments, according to Butler County's Athletic Director, Brandon Embry. The tourney was originally scheduled to be hosted by Whitesville Trinity.

"Trinity asked to swap years since we were scheduled to host next year," AD Embry said. "They are under the assumption their new facility will not be ready this year and would like to host in it next year.  So we agreed to switch years with them."

Whitesville Trinity's gym is housed inside a metal building which is much smaller than standard-sized gyms. They are reportedly building a much larger and more modern facility.

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
A six-game winning streak for the Lady Cats came to an end last night in Breckinridge County as Edmonson fell to the Lady Tigers 55-40.

Breckinridge had a plan that resembled one often used by the Lady Cats, which was led by the use of an effective full court press that allowed transition baskets and easy layups for the Lady Tigers.

Edmonson County has had success all year long with Caitlin Simon and Peyton Martin being able to drive the lane for points or kicking the ball out for jumpers from Lewis, Collins, Alexander, and Cline; however, Breck figured out a way to clog those lanes which troubled the Lady Cat offense. 

Simon, the only Lady Cat in double figures, led Edmonson County with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Maddie Cline had 6 points and 3 rebounds off the bench.

The Lady Cats jumped out to an early 10-8 lead during the first but Breckinridge fought back and took a 29-22 lead into the locker room at the half. 

Edmonson County came out sharp in the third as they narrowed the gap. They cut the Lady Tiger lead to 35-34 with 2:50 left in the quarter on Katlin Collins' three-point play on a tough basket and foul, but EC wouldn't score again in the quarter as Breckinridge put together a run that led to a 41-34 lead going into the fourth. The Lady Cats couldn't catch up as the Lady Tigers went on to win.

The remaining box score was: Collins 5, Ballance 5, Lewis 2.

The Lady Cats are now 11-5 on the season and are scheduled to take on Grayson County at home this Friday, January 13 in a girl/boy doubleheader beginning at 6pm. The live broadcast will be carried on WildcatsLive, only on EdmonsonVoice.com.

Edmonson County High School Athletics has announced that tonight's girl/boy doubleheader at ECHS vs. Whitesville Trinity has been cancelled due to inclement weather.

According to tweet from Athletic Director Kyle Pierce, the school will work on a reschedule date later in the season.

Edmonson County Athletics has announced that the 2017 basketball homecoming festivities scheduled for Friday, January 6 have been postponed to a later date due to inclement weather.

Athletic Director Kyle Pierce said that a decision for tomorrow's girl/boy doubleheader will be made sometime Friday. No word yet on when homecoming activities will be rescheduled.

"If there's a possibility that we can play, we're going to do everything we can to see that the games are played on Friday," Pierce said.

The Lady Cats and Wildcats are scheduled to play Whitesville Trinity beginning at 6pm.