Story and photos by Joseph Barkoff:
The Wildcats knew their work would be cut out for them facing the second ranked team in Region 3 of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, both their district and region rival Grayson County Cougars Friday, January 24th in Brownsville.
 
The Wildcats have not had a winning record against the Cougars and since 1998 are 18-47 against their Kentucky neighbors, according to stats curated by Edmonson Voice Live Jamie Carnes on the Wildcats Live Pregame Show.
 
Of note, the Wildcats are 15th in the state in rebounds averaging 34.4 rebounds per game, according to Carnes via KHSAA stats.
 
For the boys game, both broadcasts are available to watch again on YouTube here and Facebook here.
 
Grayson County came out strong and determined, but so did Edmonson County and the pace of the game saw lack of shots falling for both teams with the Wildcats in the lead 4-3 halfway through the first quarter.

​In fact, the score stayed 4-3 until 1:25 remained in the quarter when senior shooting guard Carter Swihart ran to the top left of the three-point line and received the ball from sophomore point guard Braden Wright. Wright immediately made a move from top of the same line down the right side of the paint to the bucket. Swihart passed the ball and the timing for an alley-oop was just off but Wright caught it in the air, landed and immediately relaunched himself placing the ball off the glass for a now 6-3 lead.
 
That is where the score would remain to end the first quarter.
 
The Cougars may have been the better team on paper but the Wildcats had other ideas and told the visitors so with a three point lead at the half, 19-16.
 
It wasn’t until the final minutes of the game when Grayson County would take the lead from Edmonson County, and without surrender, before time would run out.

​ 
Grayson County outscored the Wildcats 22-14 in the fourth quarter.
 
When time did run out it was the visiting Cougars over the host Wildcats 62-55.
 
Grayson County attempted 35 free throws on the evening, while Edmonson County only went to the line nine times in the physically demanding contest according to stats curated Edmonson Voice Live Darren Doyle.
 
They made a couple mistakes on defense and allowed the Cougars to make some easy buckets, Edmonson County Wildcats head coach Brad Meredith said after the game on the Edmonson Voice Live Post Game Show.
 
“I’m proud of my kids, you know,” Meredith said. “They battled their butts off. I wanted the win so bad for them. But I’m still so proud of ‘em.”
 
Meredith reminded his players about the last time they faced Grayson County and how far the Wildcats have improved since then, he said.
 
Edmonson County will continue to improve.
 
Their next chance for Edmonson County to show improvement will be on the road at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27th against Logan County in Russellville. 

Story and photos by Joseph Barkoff:
​The Edmonson County Lady Cats were looking for another win Friday, January 24th in Brownsville with visiting district rival Grayson County looking for one of their own.
 
Edmonson County was 21-45 against Grayson County dating back to 1998, according to stats curated and disseminated by Edmonson Voice Jamie Carnes on the Edmonson Voice Live Pregame Show. (full broadcast available here).
 
Coming into the game, Grayson County was No. 30 in the state in free throws versus Edmonson County’s No. 11 ranking, according to Carnes via Kentucky High School Athletic Association.
 
Also of note, Lady Cats junior power forward Cariann Williams is second in the state for rebounds ,averaging 17.8 per game and the team is ranked 18th in rebounds.
 
The Lady Cats opened the game with an intensity and maintained it as they kept their feet pressed to the accelerator pedal against rival Grayson County.
 
When the teams met on December 13th, Grayson County was victorious 48-41.
 
This night would end differently.

​“I am just super proud of our girls as how we responded to the physicality,” Edmonson County head coach Jody Booth said after the game on the WildcatsLive Post Game Show.
 
The Lady Cats only turned the ball over 10 times but forced it 16 times for Grayson County.
 
“Our goal was to win another district game,” Booth said. “And we won it. We’re not givin’ it back. We’re moving on.”
 
The defense was smothering from the Lady Cats on the evening, using techniques they don’t often employ on a continuous basis.
 
“I’m sure everybody is starting to know, we’re pressin’,” Booth said.
 
Indeed, they are. The press helped Edmonson County earn their 16 forced turnovers against Grayson.
 
Overall, it is a team effort and a team win and he can’t ask for much more, Booth said.

​Some other unofficial stats included Williams with another of her double-doubles, scoring 21 and hauling in 12, according to Darren Doyle’s curation of game stats on the Edmonson Voice Live Broadcast. As well, sophomore point guard Shelby Sowders had 13 points with 7 rebounds, senior shooting guard Jenna Cook scored 7 with 3 boards, senior power forwards Julie Norris had 5 points and 3 boards, and Maggie Cassidy scored 3 and grabbed 3 on the night.
 
Next, Edmonson County takes the floor on the road 6 p.m. Jan. 27 in Russellville against Logan County.

Story and photos by Joseph Barkoff:
​The Edmonson County Lady Cats perhaps channeled their inner cat and saw their host Trinity Raiders as prey and the ball was a wound ball of yarn, because they came out of the gate and pounced all over Trinity.
 
Watch it again from the Edmonson Voice Live broadcast.
 
Up 29-10 at the end of the first half, the Lady Cats team headed to the locker room.
 
At the end of four quarters, Edmonson County held onto their lead (53-35 final) despite an effort by Trinity to sometimes triple team Edmonson County junior power forward Cariann Williams.
 
“It’s always tough to play here,” Edmonson County Lady Cats head coach Jody Booth said after the game on the Edmonson County Live Post Game Show.
 
He them told the girls they are playing a District Tournament there this year and to make this gym their home, he said.
 
He doesn’t think they achieved that goal tonight, Booth said. 
 
While they did play well in the first half, the second was maybe, “not so much,” he said.

​Booth wants his girls to be better able to play through some tough situations. Maybe in anticipation of being in some down the road without timeouts. Maybe in the post season. Maybes are like letting the what-if bird out, you’ll never recapture it and it is best to concentrate on the things they can do.
 
“We didn’t do it for four quarters, like I know we can,” Booth said.
 
They did achieve a goal being 2-1 in the District with the win he said.
 
They know they didn’t play great in the second half, and he won't even have to tell them, Booth said.

​One factor was at the end of the first half, Lady Cats only committed 5 turnovers, by the end of the eve, they amassed 17. 
 
Trinity coughed up 18 turnovers in comparison. 
 
In rebounds it was a different story with a 49-27 in favor of the Lady Cats, according to Edmonson County Voice stats keeper Darren Doyle.
 
Williams ended the night with another double-double scoring 26 points and hauling in 16 rebounds. 
 
Senior shooting guard Jenna Cook scored 13 and hauled in 10 boards for a double-double as well.
 
Sophomore point guard Shelby Sowders had 5 points with 9 boards on the night.
 
The Lady Cats play again tonight at 7:30 Jan. 21 in Greenville against Muhlenberg County.

Story and photos by Joseph Barkoff:
​It was a slow start for the Edmonson County Wildcats against the Trinity Raiders on the road Monday, January 20th in Whitesville.
 
A first crisis was averted when the Wildcats were finally able to get their much sought-after cheese sticks, one of the main reasons to come to Whitesville, a group of them all said before the game while watching their JV team play.
 
“We were waitin’ for ‘em cause we knew they had good cheese sticks and we were ready to have ‘em,” Edmonson County junior forward Owen Ruth said after the game. 
 
A second crisis was averted when senior power forward Braxtin Lindsey “takes the lid off the rim and the Cats are on the board,” Darren Doyle on the Edmonson Live Broadcast said, after almost three minutes of play.
 
Luckily for Edmonson County, Trinity was unable to score more than 4 points in those opening minutes.
 
The first quarter ended with Trinity up by 1 point over Edmonson County 12-11.
 
The would-be slow start turned into a defensive battle and it wasn’t until almost three minutes had passed again before anyone would score in the second quarter.
 
It would be Edmonson senior shooting guard Kollin Doyle with a 3-pointer and a lead change in favor of Wildcats, ahead now 14-12.
 
Then something seemed to click for the Wildcats and the defensive showdown, slowly started moving the pendulum towards an offensive show for the visiting Wildcats outscoring the Raiders 11-1 in the second quarter. 
 
Lindsey had 11 of his 17 rebounds of the night, already, according to the Edmonson Voice live broadcast.
 
At the end of the first half it was Edmonson County ahead of Trinity almost in double digits 22-13.

​By the end of the third quarter, Trinity had almost double up in scoring, but unfortunately for them, so had the Wildcats and the score was 41-24 with one more eight-minute period to go.
 
Edmonson County readily defeated their district opponent Trinity 57-40 when it was all said and done.
 
“It’s a huge win for us,” Edmonson County head coach Brad Meredith said after the game on the Wildcats Live Post Game Show. “That’s what I told the boys, you don’t realize how big this win is for us.”
 
It marks 10 wins on the season and their first district win, said Meredith. And he hopes they can “rack up a few more.”
 
 Edmonson County out-rebounded Trinity 54-18 and Lindsey grabbed 11 of those in the first half.
 
With the slow start, he was glad the way his team settled in and was able to play the way he knows they can play and earn a win, he said.

​Despite having to wait what Ruth describes as “maybe an hour and a half after being told 30 minutes, he credits the cheese sticks with helping with the win tonight, he said.
 
“It was great,” Ruth said about the win. “We just cut our turnovers and that’s what helped us play together more. Actually, want to be together, not just throw the ball wherever and lose it. It felt great to be able to come together.” 
 
It was an almost 180 degree turn around from two nights previous at home for the Wildcats.
 
Some other stats on the evening saw Doyle finish with 16 points and 4 rebounds. Lindsey finished with 9 points and his 17 rebounds, sophomore point guard Braden Wright earned 8 points with 9 rebounds, junior shooting guard Blayne Deweese had 8 points with 4 boards and rounding out the top five scorers was Ruth, who earned 7 points with 4 rebounds. Also of note, sixth in scoring, but second in rebounds, junior shooting guard Tyler Wilson had 6 points and 9 rebounds.
 
Edmonson takes the court again today, Tuesday Jan. 21 at 7:30 p.m. against Todd County Central in Elkton.

Story and photos by Joseph Barkoff:
The last time the Edmonson County Lady Cats met the Butler County Lady Bears was last year in the 2024 Kentucky High School Athletic Association District 12 Tournament. The Lady Cats lost the third meeting that season at Grayson County by 3 points, 41-44.
 
This past Friday January 17th, back home in Brownsville, it’s a new year and Edmonson County almost outscored Butler County by 50 points to win their first meeting of the season 72-23.
 
“We come out and we were ready to play,” Lady Cat head coach Jody Booth said after the game on the Edmonson Voice Live broadcast Post Game Show. “Just overall, offensively and defensively, we done what we needed to do. Our biggest goal was to win the paint, and we did that. It was a team effort.”
 
Booth acknowledged often relying heavily on junior power forward Cariann Williams, and tonight, he said, the team was able to really step up and work together to help her and themselves, he felt.
 
Before the game Williams was presented an award for earning 1000 rebounds, and already has 1000 points in her career at Edmonson. 
 
Williams acknowledged the attention she has received due to her play and is very appreciative of it, she said after the game.
 
Booth doesn’t want to take away from his team’s almost 50-point victory, or the Lady Bears team’s skill, he said. They had a rough night and hadn’t played in almost 14 days, Booth acknowledged.
 

​It will look differently when the Lady Cats travel to Butler County later this season or meet in the Division games, again, Booth said.
 
“They are a good team,” Booth said. “As long as they don’t put their heads down, they’ll be fine.”
 
“We’ve known all along, playing that tough schedule is gonna pay off, and these are the games where It pays off,” Booth said. “We just gotta keep that momentum going.”
 
At half time Booth told his team two simple things.
 
“Just stay poised,” Booth told his team. “Just stay in the moment.”
 
It can be difficult to be ahead and maintain concentration, sometimes. Maybe for some teams, but not last night for the Lady Cats.
 
“They’re still tough, obviously,” senior power forward Maggie Cassady said after the game. “It’s a toss-up every night, but I was so happy with the outcome.”
 
She knew it was going to be a tough game and the whole team was excited to come out and play, she said. She was very pleased they played like they did.

​Some stats from the evening included a double double for Williams with 23 points and 14 rebounds, sophomore point guard Shelby Sowders earned 13 points with 3 boards, senior shooting guard Kennadi Swihart had 9 points and 3 rebounds, senior shooting guard Jenna Cook earned 8 points with 7 boards, sophomore power forward Addie Childress had 7 points with 4 boards, and senior power forward Julie Norris earned 7 points and a rebound, according to the official stats from KHSAA.
 
The Lady Cats out-rebounded the Lady Bears 39-22, and shot around 45 percent to the Lady Bears’ 20 percent on the evening.
 
The Lady Cats only missed one free throw, shooting 11-12 versus the Lady Bears 3-8 from the line.
 
The Lady Cats are scheduled to travel on Monday to the Horn Center at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 20th in Whitesville against their host Trinity Lady Raiders.

The Edmonson County Wildcats lost to the Butler County Bears 94-63 Friday night, January 17th at ECHS.
 
Some unofficial stats had junior shooting forward Owen Ruth shooting 14 points with 5 rebounds, sophomore point guard Braden Wright with 10 points and 9 rebounds, junior shooting guard Tyler Wilson with 10 points and 6 rebounds, senior shooting guard Kollin Doyle with 9 points and 2 rebounds, senior shooting guard Ben Sanders with 8 points and 1 board, junior shooting guard Blayne Deweese with 7 points and 4 rebounds and senior power forward Braxtin Lindsey had 2 points and a board, according to the Edmonson Voice Live broadcast.
 
The Wildcats shot 52 percent from the field, were 9-11 on free throws and matched the Bears with 28 rebounds for each team, however, it was not enough to keep up with the fast-paced and efficient offense from Butler County.
 
The Wildcats were undone with turnovers with 24, compared to 9 for the Bears.
 
“I felt like we could’ve executed it better,” Wildcats Head Coach Brad Meredith said after the game on the Edmonson Voice Live broadcast Post Game Show. “We have two press breakers that we run and just didn’t execute like I wanted us to. We weren’t meeting passes. Simple things that we work on.”
 
Meredith followed up and said it was on him and he should have had the boys more prepared for the press breaker.
 
The Wildcats did outscore the visiting Bears in the third quarter by 4 points.
 
“We battled back there in the third,” Meredith said. “I thought we looked good there for a while.”
 
Butler County is defending Regional Champion, he noted.
 
“They’re good,” he said. “No doubt, they’re good.”
 
“It’s just a tough loss,” Meredith said. “We just gotta take it, move on and learn from it.”
 
Edmonson County will take to the hardwood again on the road at the Horn Center at 7 p.m. Monday Jan. 20th in Whitesville against their host Trinity.