Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
A free throw in the final seconds made the difference in the 53-52 Wildcat loss in Wednesday's Region 3 game against the Ohio County Eagles that ended Edmonson County's 2017-18 season.

Trailing 44-52 with 1:31 to go, the Wildcats went on an 8-0 run, capped off by Ryan Lindsey's second three-pointer of that run that tied the score at 52 with 25 seconds remaining.

Ohio County went the length of the floor and Eagles forward John Parker (26 points) drew the foul on a shot with 4 seconds left. Parker hit the first free throw to give Ohio County the lead but missed the second one; however, Edmonson County was not able to grab the rebound and Ohio County's Logan Sandefur was able to tip the ball away from the Wildcats.

​Wildcat fans wanted an over-the-back call. They didn't get it. Edmonson County was forced to throw up a prayer that didn't come close and the Eagles came away with the victory.

Edmonson County struggled with making shots early but stellar defense kept them in the game. The coaching staff wanted to focus on defense and rebounding and also wanted to take away the three point shot from the Eagles. Ohio County made only one of thirteen 3s for the entire game. The Wildcats forced 9 turnovers while only giving up 5. The rebounding differential was close, (Ohio 33-EC 26), but eleven of the Eagles' points came from offensive rebounds and putbacks.

Edmonson County also shot poorly from the free throw line, making only 1 of 7 for the entire game. Ohio County shot 12-20 for 60%. The Wildcats were 44% from the field compared to the Eagles' 45%.

"Our goal tonight was to shut down their three point shooters," said Assistant Coach Bart Weaver. "And we did a heck of a job. If you were to tell me before the game that they'd only make one of them I'd have told you we're definitely winning. Ever since the Trinity game where we had to cover those shooters, they've played their tails off by covering the shooters. Of course, that opens up where we're a little weak and that was against their size and we paid for that, but what a comeback. Man, I'm really proud of them. The eight seniors we got are quality young men."

Leading the Wildcats was senior Logan Lindsey with 18 points and 6 rebounds. He finished the season as the Wildcats' leading team scorer at just under 12 points per game. Also scoring was Tucker Cole with 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Logan Minton added 7, Ryan Lindsey and Dalton Decker each added 6, and J.T. Vincent added 4 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots.

Eight seniors left the court for the last time in an Edmonson County Wildcats uniform. Coach Weaver talked about their leadership and their impact on Wildcat basketball.

"The first thing that comes to mind is how they've persevered through adversity. We've had injuries, we've had a round of the flu, I know all teams go through adversity, but these guys heard a lot of chirping like 'you're not winning enough,' but they just kept fighting and fighting. These eight seniors we got, not one time have they been in trouble at school, they're just quality young men."

"At first, I think it was tough for some to sit back and watch some younger guys play and get some of their minutes, but when it's all said and done, we're a team and they learned how to accept that and go on. That says so much about their character. We've also got young kids that we had to throw in the fire because we had to, and they responded. I just couldn't be more happy. It's a blessing for me and Coach (Mac) to coach these young men. And these guys? We're gonna miss them."

Edmonson County ends the season with a record of 10-22.

The Edmonson County Wildcats (10-21) are set to take on the Ohio County Eagles (15-13) in round one of the Region 3 Tournament tonight at the Owensboro Sportscenter.

In a previous match earlier in the season, Ohio County defeated Edmonson 50-45 at home on February 9th.

Tip off is scheduled for 7:45pm and the WildcatsLive crew will have the audio broadcast beginning at around 7:35pm.  KHSAA Region 3 regulations prevent video streaming of the event. 

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
A calm and poised Lady Cat team skillfully pushed their way past the Apollo E-Gals 52-41 at the Owensboro Sportscenter in round one of the Region 3 Tournament on Monday night.

​Apollo jumped out to a 5-0 start but the Lady Cats rattled off 6 in a row and they never trailed again. Edmonson finished the first quarter on a 14-4 run. 

The second quarter was much of the same as the Lady Cats held their lead throughout and took a 23-17 advantage into the locker room at the half. Edmonson County shot a blistering 69% from the field for the half which included three of three 3-pointers.

Apollo started the third with a 5-2 run that cut the Lady Cat lead to only 2 points, but Edmonson County answered with a 10-0 run that extended their lead to 33-23 going into fourth quarter.

"Winning these games are hard," said Coach Kevin Jackson. "Apollo is as good as anyone in the region when they're playing well, but I was really proud of our bunch for fighting. I told them how much they'd matured since last year. We came here last year and gave up 74 points to Muhlenberg County and we gave up 41 tonight. I told them we gotta win with defense and rebounding and I thought overall, we did a pretty good job at that."

The Lady Cat defense held most all of Apollo's scorers under their season average and allowed very few uncontested shots after Coach Jackson elected to call off the full court press. He said the press was allowing Apollo to get their feet set for open threes, and they were making them. A mixture of half court traps, man-to-man, and a couple of different zones worked better for the Lady Cats. Edmonson County also won the rebounding battle.

Led by the senior duo of Caitlin Simon and Peyton Martin (each with 18 points) the Lady Cats have improved to a new school record of 29-4.

Also scoring for Edmonson County was Emma Rose Vincent (6), Chanley Logsdon (4), Skylar Lewis (3), and Katlin Collins (3).

The Lady Cats are scheduled to take on Muhlenberg County on Friday night at 8:15pm. The boys team is scheduled to play Ohio County on Wednesday evening at 7:45pm. The WildcatsLive crew will carry the audio stream on EdmonsonVoice.com. No video is allowed due to KHSAA Region 3 restrictions.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Wildcats were unable to repeat as district champions as they fell to the Grayson County Cougars tonight in a 49-30 loss.

Edmonson County's defense looked good for most of the game and the rebounding difference wasn't much (EC 26, GC 29); however, the Wildcats had as much trouble making shots as any Edmonson County team in recent history.

The Cats shot a miserable 27% from the field for the game (14% in the first half), only 20% from the three-point line (2-10), and shot 31% from the free throw line (4-14).

Most coaches will tell you that if jump shots aren't falling, you need to try to drive to the rim. That was also difficult for the Wildcats tonight as they struggled under the basket as well. The team made only 9 of 27 shots in the paint (33%).

"This is just one of those nights that we just couldn't put it in that basket," said Assistant Coach Bart Weaver. 

Weaver said the defensive effort was good, which held Grayson County under 50 points, but too many missed opportunities--in the form of baskets--made too much of a difference.

After senior Logan Minton nailed a three for the firstpoints of the game early in the first quarter, both teams struggled to put points on the board and the Wildcats led only 6-3 going into the second.

Grayson County went on a 15-2 run and held the Wildcats to a season low, 8-first half points and led 18-8 at the break. The Wildcats had cut the Cougar lead to 8 going into the final quarter, but the shooting struggles continued and the team made only one free throw in the second half. 

"This is just one of those nights, even though we get to move on," said Weaver. "It just wasn't one of our best efforts offensively and those things happen. Our team this year has struggled offensively a lot of nights but we've been able to make up for it with our defense. Tonight we did  (force) some of those turnovers but we just couldn't put it in the hole. But we're going to the Sportscenter tomorrow for practice and our kids gotta keep their heads up, have a good practice tomorrow, then we have a couple more days to get back to work. When you get to a regional tournament, you just don't want to have one and go home. You want to make a run at it and I think this team might have a run in them. That's what we got to shoot for and we got a bunch of good young men, good seniors and I know we don't want to see their last game. We just gotta keep fighting and keep working." 

Logan Lindsey was the leading scorer for Edmonson County with 6 points. Tucker Cole and Dalton Decker each had 5, Logan Minton, Chaz Wilson, and Mason Pierce had 4 each. Ryan Lindsey added two points.

The pairings for the Region 3 tournament will be held Saturday and the boys will play on either Wednesday or Thursday. The Edmonson Voice will carry audio broadcasts of both girls and boys games; however, video streaming was not approved by the region.

Madison Doyle, photos:
The postgame celebration lasted nearly an hour as players and coaches cut the nets and posed for photos with friends and family after the Edmonson County Lady Cats defeated the Grayson County Lady Cougars 55-29 in the District 12 Championship on Thursday night. Enjoy this slideshow from the festivities.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Edmonson County Lady Cats are the District 12 Champions for the first time in 20 years after tonight's 55-29 over Grayson County.

The first half was a tale of offensive runs for both teams, but Edmonson County bounced back to a 26-17 halftime lead after Grayson County had tied the score earlier in the second quarter with a 9-0 run of their own.

The Lady Cats, who have the highest team three point shooting percentage in the state of Kentucky (40.3%) went on a blistering run in the third as they connected on seven of eight 3-pointers to put the game out of reach for the Lady Cougars with a 47-26 lead after three quarters. Edmonson County shot 55% for the game and 58% from behind the arc.

"I told them, that this was overdue because these kids weren't even born the last time we won a district championship, but I also told them that tonight's the night," said Kevin Jackson as he mentioned their pregame meeting. "I thought this bunch was mature enough, they were hungry enough, and they wanted something special, and a lot of times that's what it takes this time of the year because everybody's tired. We're tired, Grayson's tired, but sometimes that "want-to" comes out, and I thought for the biggest part of the game, our kids really wanted it."

Seniors Peyton Martin and Caitlin Simon led the way once again for Edmonson County as Simon notched 21 points and Martin added 20 and 7 assists. The duo averages a combined 36.5 points per game. They're tough to beat when one or the other has a star performance, Edmonson becomes virtually impossible to defeat when they team up for a one-two punch.

"I wouldn't expect anyone else to be in those two spots," said Jackson. "They've been there all season long through some tough times and some good times, but they've never batted an eye. I've driven them about as hard as I could for about the last three years because I knew the potential they had in them. When I see what they're capable of doing, for an old coach it doesn't get much better than that."

The Lady Cats were able to cruise in the fourth and run some clock. With just over a minute to go, Jackson pulled his starters and let some younger players enjoy the championship atmosphere as the crowd stood to their feet for a nice ovation.

Grayson County had won the previous 13 district titles in a row.

Edmonson County is now 28-4 on the season and tonight's win makes the fourth district title in school history, all coached by Kevin Jackson (1994, 1995, 1998, 2018). 

The remaining box score was: Chanley Logsdon 7, Katlin Collins 3, and Emma Rose Vincent 2.

The Wildcats will also take on Grayson County for the boys' district title on Friday night at 7pm. The WildcatsLive broadcast crew will start the pregame show at 6:50pm.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Trinity Raiders' season came to an end tonight in a 71-59 loss to the Wildcats, as the Edmonson County defense caused nearly 20 turnovers for the Raiders.

Trinity, who had earned the number seed in the tournament, had trouble all night against the four-seeded Wildcats who continually clogged up passing lanes, double-teamed, and all but took away the Raider three point shot.

Trinity's zone defense kept the Wildcats pushed out of the paint early and Edmonson was forced to shoot more three pointers than usual. After a cold start, seniors Logan Minton and Ryan Lindsey began connecting from behind the arc and turned an 8-6 deficit into a 27-18 lead at the half.

"I thought our defense was key tonight," said Assistant Coach Bart Weaver. "I was really proud how the guys responded defensively and we knew that was going to be important tonight."

The Wildcats were able to turn the Trinity turnovers into points as they shifted defenses on the Raiders throughout the game.

​Edmonson County defeated Trinity twice during the regular season and Weaver said he knew the Raiders would be hungry for a win, especially at home in a district tournament.

"We've studied these two (previous) wins," he said. "We changed up defenses on them and we did the same thing tonight. We used about four defenses and we tried to keep them off guard all night long. Our kids just played so hard and they bought in defensively tonight--which they have all year--but just really played well defensively."

Four Wildcats landed in double figures tonight as Logan Lindsey led the way offensively with 19 points, Tucker Cole added 13, Logan Minton scored 11, and Ryan Lindsey scored 10. 

​Also scoring was Brayden Carey, who added 6, Dalton Decker added 5, and Mason Pierce scored 4 points.

After Edmonson took a 10-8 lead early in the second quarter, they never trailed again. They led as much as 15 but kept it around 10-12 points. Trinity began to foul with about three minutes to go and try their luck at the Wildcats foul shooting. At one point, the lead was cut to 9 as the Wildcats struggled from the free throw line, connecting on only 31 out of 54 attempts for 57%.

Edmonson County advances to the District 12 Championship game for the third time in four years, which is scheduled for Friday, February 23 at 6pm. The defending champions have an opportunity to repeat at champs for the first time since the 1974 and 1975 teams. Oddly enough, the famed 1976 State Championship team lost in the district finals but were able to move on to region champs and eventually the entire sweet sixteen.

"It's an awesome feeling to be back here," said Weaver. "It really doesn't matter whether we play Grayson or Butler, they've both beat us and it's going to be tough either way, but if we can execute our plan I really like our chances in this thing. We've said for weeks that the number four seed could win the championship the same as the number one seed and it just happens that we're the number four."

Grayson County defeated Butler County later in the evening 47-43, and will face the Wildcats on Friday.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle photos:
Edmonson County has advanced to the district finals once again after their big 32 point win over Butler County in round one of the District 12 Tournament, which was held at Trinity High School.

The Lady Cats missed several shots early but Coach Kevin Jackson said he felt like they were good looks that simply didn't fall; however, once the shots started to go in, they kept on going. Senior Peyton Martin's three, 3-pointers and another one by Chanley Logsdon helped Edmonson County gain a 16-2 lead after the first quarter. Edmonson County's defense forced seven first quarter turnovers against the Lady Bears.

Martin led the way for Edmonson County with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Her 12-first half points helped Edmonson compile a 32-12 lead at the half and a big 17-5 run third quarter put the game out of reach for the Lady Bears.

Senior Caitlin Simon also found success around the three point line, knocking down three tonight and finishing with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists.

While the point totals were mostly gathered by the duo, which are number one (Simon) and number 4 (Martin) on the all-time Lady Cat scoring list, seven other players made their way into the scoring book. Scoring, however, wasn't what on Jackson's mind after the game.

"I gotta give our defense credit tonight," he said. "Katlin Collins takes the best player that the other team has every night. She held Murphy to only 8 points tonight and three of those were at the free throw line. She takes on that best player every night and she loves it. Some kids wouldn't relish that role, but she does. I thought Chanley did a really good job on Cardwell. She's their second best scorer and she (only) had two points tonight." 

Chanley Logsdon finished with 5 points, Madison Harrison and Emma Rose Vincent each added 4, and Skylar Lewis, Katlin Collins, Abby Alexander, and Katie Lindsey added 2 points each.

The win now puts the Lady Cats at 27-4, which is the best girls' record in school history. It also guarantees them a place in the Region 3 Tournament that will be held next week; however, the focus now is cutting down the nets for the first girls' district championship since 1998, also under Jackson.

"It's been 20 years and it's not easy," said Jackson. "I don't care if we play Whitesville or if we play Grayson County, it will not be easy on Thursday night. But I think this group is poised enough, they're mature enough, they're hungry enough, I think they're ready to do something like cutting down some nets. I'm telling you, it won't be easy. It'll be a dogfight, but we'll show up Thursday night, get a game plan together, practice tomorrow and Wednesday, and hit it again Thursday night. We want to wish the boys good luck tomorrow night. They were having a good practice when we left. Coach Mac and Coach Weaver do a great job and I want to wish them good luck as they come down here and play and I really feel like they've got just as good a chance as anybody to win the district this year."

The Wildcats will take on Trinity on Tuesday night in round one of the boys' action at 6pm. The game will be broadcast live on the WildcatsLive audio stream on the Edmonson Voice. They must win to continue their season.

The girls will face the Lady Cougars Thursday night at 7pm for the District 12 Championship.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Greenwood Gators gave the Wildcats all sorts of trouble in their last regular season game of the year as Edmonson County fell 68-53. 

Greenwood was hot early, knocking down three, 3-pointers in the first quarter. Edmonson County found themselves down by 12 points in the first but began their way back with a 16-5 run that extended into the second quarter that brought them within one point at 22-21. Greenwood scored the next 6 points and took a 28-21 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Although Edmonson County pulled 27 team rebounds, it was no comparison to Greenwood's 43 team rebounds which helped the Gators hold the Wildcats to only 8 second chance points. Another big Greenwood third quarter extended the Gator lead to 45-32, and despite 53% three-point shooting from the Wildcats, they were outscored by the Gators 17-11 during the quarter.

Edmonson County hung with Greenwood in the fourth but the deficit was too much to overcome as the Gators claimed the win.

Dylan Elmore connected on 5 of 7 three-pointers for 15 points. Logan Minton added 8, J.T. Vincent score 7, Logan Lindsey and Mason Pierce each scored 5, Tucker Cole, Brayden Carey, and Griffin Spainhoward each scored 3, while John Potter and Dalton Decker each added 2. 

"We felt good coming out after halftime, but we didn't back it up in the third quarter," said Assistant Coach Bart Weaver.

He credited Greenwood for their hot shooting early and rebounding, but quickly began discussing what will be the next focus; the district 12 tournament where the Wildcats have the first opportunity to win back-to-back championships since 1974 and 1975. If so, Edmonson County will have to defeat Trinity for a third straight time this year in round one.

"It's exciting," he said. "Normally, when you say you have to play the number one seed, you say good things, but deep down in your mind, you're really worried about it. We're worried about this game just like any other game, but we've beat them twice. People say you can't beat a team three times, but we beat Butler County four times last year."

Weaver said it will take a great game and one with intensity but also discussed what it will really take to advance to the finals.

"It's going to be just like every other game we've played in the district, it's going to be a dogfight. It's going to be who executes better, and down the stretch, you have to hit your free throws to win."

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Edmonson County Lady Cats cruised to their 26th win of the season, a new school record, in a victory over Greenwood, 55-27. It was their seventh win in a row and their 13th out of their last 14.

The Lady Cats jumped out to a 15-4 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Led by seniors Peyton Martin (15 points, 3 assists) and Caitlin Simon (14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists), Edmonson County's defense held the Lady Gators to only 14 points at halftime.

Edmonson County shot 54% from the field and shared a team 17 assists. The win comes on the same day that  Simon was named as a finalist for Miss Kentucky Basketball as the third region representative, and as Head Coach Kevin Jackson was named KABC's Region 3 Girl's Coach of the Year for the second year in a row.

All five players scored at the beginning of the third quarter that started and Edmonson County 13-0 run that put the game out of reach from Greenwood.

"It's hard to defend a team when you've got five different kids scoring," he said. "Everybody's scoring, everybody's contributing, and that's what it's going to take if this team makes a deep run in the (region) tournament. It goes back to defense. When you hold the other team to 27 points, you're going to win a lot of ballgames. That's been our focus for the last two weeks and I so proud that they're trying to stick to the game plan."

Jackson  shared his reaction to winning the coaching award for the second year in a row.

"Well, you don't do that without a great team," he said. "How many times have you seen a coach of the year win six ballgames? It just don't happen, so I'm going to share that award with our kids. It's just kind of icing on the cake for tonight and for the season. I really appreciate that, and thanks to all the coaches in the third region, I'm really honored because there's a lot of good ones out there."

"We've worked so hard over the last three years to get to this point," Jackson continued. "It didn't happen overnight, but here's what you worry about as a coach: we're 26 and 4, what a great season. But on Monday night (district tournament) we're zero and zero. Butler County is zero and zero so anything can happen from this point on. But if we can play Lady Cat basketball, we can make a deep run in the tournament and have a great two weeks coming up."

Simon's point total increased to 2,474 after tonight's win. In addition to Simon and Martin, Katlin Collins added 8, Madison Harrison and Emma Rose Vincent each had 6, and Chanley Logsdon had 5.

Edmonson County has earned the number one seed in the district tournament that begins at Trinity on Monday, February 19. They are set to take on fourth-seeded Butler County at 6pm. A loss will be the end to the season but a win will put them into the district championship game on Thursday and a guaranteed spot in the regional tournament the following week.

Edmonson Voice Sports:
The inaugural "Byrd Is The Word Classic" Scholarship was presented to Muhlenberg County's Sheridan Piper. She received the event's very first $1000 scholarship. 

Ken Byrd, from Byrd Realty & Auction presented the award on Monday, February 12, 2018.

Pictured from left to right is: Muhlenberg Athletic Director, Jerry Hancock, Mike Harper Head Coach, Sheridan Piper scholarship recipient, Ken Byrd, and Kyle Pierce, athletic director for ECHS.

Qualifying seniors from each team in the Byrd Classic were nominated for the scholarship. Edmonson County senior Peyton Martin vied locally for the award.

​Ken Byrd said Sheridan was selected based on academic performance, character, athletics, and dedication to excellence.

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
Edmonson County Lady Cat senior Caitlin Simon has been named a finalist for 2018 Miss Kentucky Basketball, by the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation, who organizes the annual award. 

Each region in Kentucky has one finalist each year and Simon was chosen from Region 3. 

"To be honest, I had no idea I'd even be in the running for Miss Kentucky Basketball, but it's huge honor to be a finalist," she said.

Simon is the Lady Cats' all-time scoring leader with 2,460 career points as of February 16, 2018. That amount will increase with each additional point she scores until season's end.

She currently averages 22.4 points (ranked #13 in state) and 5 rebounds per game. She is shooting 82% from the free throw line for the season (ranked #11 in state).

While she has received offers from at least two different schools, Simon has said that she currently has no plans of playing college basketball once she graduates.

"I've decided that after high school, I'm just going to focus on my academics instead," she told the Edmonson Voice. 

Coach Kevin Jackson said that Simon was very deserving of the honor.

"I'm very proud that Caitlin is being recognized as one of the best seniors in the state of Kentucky," he said.

The Lady Cats are scheduled to play their final regular season game tonight at Greenwood. Tip off is at 6pm. You can listen to the broadcast stream live with the WildcatsLive crew.

Darren Doyle, story: Moriah Peterson, photos:
Much like the earlier Lady Cats' game, the Wildcats faced an emotional night in the last home game of the 2017-18 season, and the last ever at ECHS for eight Edmonson County seniors. 

Although things looked bleak for the Cats early, Edmonson County amped up their defensive pressure and hit some big shots late in the game to carry them back from a double-digit deficit, which put them on the smiling side of the scoreboard in a 76-73 win over McLean County.

The Wildcats got of to a rocky start and McLean County pounced early with the Cougars connecting on early 3's, while EC struggled to make baskets; some layups and open jumpers. 

The Wildcats trailed 21-8 at the start of the second quarter but a 24-11 run from Edmonson County evened things up as sophomore Dalton Decker's three pointer hit the bottom of the net seconds before the halftime buzzer. The score was tied 32-all at the half.

Senior Brayden Carey helped start things in the third with a three-pointer that gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game. Each team traded punches throughout the quarter when McLean rattled off 5 unanswered points to take a 47-44 lead. Senior Dylan Elmore hit back-to-back threes as the quarter ended, which allowed the Wildcats to regain the lead at 50-37 going into the fourth.

It was much of the same in the fourth quarter with Edmonson County staying in front, but an 8-1 run by McLean tied the score at 67 with two minutes to go. 

On the next Wildcat possession, Tucker Cole drove the lane, drew the foul, and made the basket. After a quick McLean timeout, Cole nailed the free throw to put the Cats up 70-67 with 1:12 to play.

McLean County was forced to foul during the final minute and Edmonson County hit 6 of 8 free throws to go on to win. Free throws have been a sore spot as of late for the Wildcats but the team made 25/33 last night for a 76% team number.

Coach Bart Weaver discussed the change in the Wildcats after the rough first quarter that appeared as though Cat fans were headed for a blowout loss.

"When you find a group that meshes well with the substitutions Coach (Mac) made right there when we were down 15, I hate to single names out, but there were three or four people that entered the ballgame and we got back just like that," he said.

Weaver also said he thought it was a combination of fresh bench players that gave great minutes and energy, and the energy spread to the right places, especially on defense.

"Our kids played hard, man," he said. "That's something this group of seniors have done pretty much all their careers, is that half-court trap. They take a lot of pride in it, even back when they were freshmen and JV players. It's something they feel comfortable with and I think it was the biggest difference."

Edmonson County had three players in double figures and senior Tucker Cole had 15 points, 10 assists, and 5 rebounds. Logan Lindsey led the Cats with 23 points and 6 rebounds and Dylan Elmore nailed 4-three pointers for 12 points.

Also contributing was Dalton Decker with 9 points, J.T. Vincent had 6, Brayden Carey had 5, and Ryan Lindsey, Logan Minton, and Mason Pierce each had 2 points. 

The Wildcats are now 9-19 on the season and are set to take on Greenwood on the road Friday night immediately after the girls' game, which is set for a 6pm tip.

Darren Doyle, story: Moriah Peterson, photos:
It was another night of new records for the Edmonson County Lady Cats as they defeated the McLean County Lady Cougars in the final home game of the 2017-18 season. For five Lady Cat seniors, it was the final game at ECHS for their high school careers.

Seniors Caitlin Simon, Peyton Martin, Katlin Collins, Skylar Lewis, and Abby Alexander were greeted with a standing ovation as they exited the game for the final time at ECHS. With the win, the school now has a new record for the most number of wins by the Lady Cats in a single season with 25 as their record improved to 25-4. Each win from this point out will add to the record.

In addition, Caitlin Simon, who is the school's all-time leading scorer in Lady Cat basketball, also increased her career point total to 2,438. That record will also increase with each point Simon scores from now until the season ends.

With a comfortable lead, and all five seniors on the floor, Coach Kevin Jackson pulled the seniors with about a minute left in the ballgame. It was an emotional moment as the crowd stood to their feet in applause for the group.

"We wanted everyone here to have the opportunity to give them a hand, to appreciate them, I hope--half as much as I have," said Jackson. "As I told them in the locker room, I could stand here and cry, thinking that's it's the last time they'll walk off this floor as a team because they've been so special. Those five seniors--plus the underclassmen, it takes everybody--but those five seniors have set the standard for years to come." 

It took the Lady Cats going to overtime to defeat McLean County in the All A Region Tournament in early January, which was held at McLean County High; however, this contest was much different. Edmonson County never trailed after building an early lead and they went on to win, 50-32.

"These are good kids on and off the floor," Jackson said. "They performed well tonight and I thought we played great defense during that first half as we only gave up 9 points."  The Lady Cats led 30-9 at halftime.

"That's what we put up on the board: 'leave your mark by playing great defense and rebounding on your last home game,' and I though they did it."

Leading the Lady Cats was Caitlin Simon with 28 points, 21 of which came in the first half. Also scoring was Chanley Logsdon with 7, Peyton Martin had 4, Lauren Ballance had 3, and Skylar Lewis, Katlin Collins, Madison Harrison, and Emma Rose Vincent all had 2 points each.

Edmonson County will take on Greenwood (11-15) on Friday night on the road in a girl/boy doubleheader with girls' action set for a 6pm tip.

Darren Doyle, story:
The Edmonson County Lady Cats phenomenal season continued Saturday as they reached yet another milestone by breaking the school record for the most number of wins in a season. The girls improved to 24-4 on the year--the best record in school's history--after defeating Hancock County 58-24 at the Owensboro Sportscenter earlier today.

Caitlin Simon led the offense today with 22 points (2,432 career) and 8 rebounds. Katlin Collins also notched double figures with 10 points. Also helping was Peyton Martin with 7 points and 6 assists, Chanley Logsdon added 6, both Lauren Ballance and Emma Rose Vincent added 4 each, Skylar Lewis added 3, and Abby Alexander scored 2.

"This team continues to amaze me while breaking new records," said Head Coach Kevin Jackson. "Tonight they shot the lights out with 10 three-pointers. I'm very proud and I look forward to the remainder of the season."

The Lady Cat defense has given up only a total of 37 points to their opponents over the last two games.

The team has three games remaining on the schedule, which include two regular season games and the first round of the district tournament. A win in the first round will guarantee the team two more games.

Madison Doyle, photos:
Tuesday night's doubleheader home games against Ohio County also included the 2018 Winter Sports Senior Night festivities where seniors and their families were honored in between games. 

In addition to the participants and their families below, the ECHS Archery Team was recognized but unable to attend due to a tournament in which they were competing.

Archery team members who were recognized but not pictured were:

• Hanna Minton, daughter of Brian and Jennifer Minton
• Katie Vincent, daughter of Greg and Rena Vincent
• Brianna Webb, daughter of Todd and Michelle Webb
• Shalane Woosley, daughter of Craig and Melissa Woosley

Also recognized but not in attendance due to illness was senior basketball player Dylan Elmore, son of Penny Elmore and Timmy Elmore.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Wildcat defense held Ohio County (13-11) to only 50 points, which is ten below their season average, and held their own in virtually every other category; however, Edmonson County was bested in a physical match by the Eagles in a 50-45 loss at home.

Edmonson County turned the ball over only four times (a season low) and did well in rebounding (24 team total, compared to 26 for O.C.), but the difference in the game was free throw and three-point shooting.

Edmonson shot 61% as a team at the foul line, compared to Ohio's 81%. The Eagles connected on 40% of their shots behind the arc (6/15) as the Wildcats shot only 16% (2/12).

"We held a pretty daggone good team to 50 points," said Assistant Coach Bart Weaver. "Defensively, I thought we did a good job tonight. We didn't turn it over very much and that was something really important to us. We just struggled to score a lot of times and that's been our achilles' heel all year."

The Wildcats were also short-handed as four team members were not in uniform. Dylan Elmore, Nick Clemmons, and Dalton Decker were all out for the flu and flu-like symptoms, and Chaz Wilson is nursing a ankle injury that could keep him out of the lineup for the next several games.

Edmonson County trailed the entire game and was down as much as 14 points during the third quarter but a great Wildcat effort put together a 12-2 run for Edmonson County that brought them back within 4 at 46-42 on Logan Minton's three pointer with 40 seconds to go. 

Ohio County tried a game of keep-away from the Cats as Edmonson County was forced to foul. The Eagles hit 6 of 6 of their final free throw attempts as they went on to win.

Edmonson County honored eight seniors during senior night ceremonies, including: Ryan Lindsey, Logan Minton, Logan Lindsey, J.T. Vincent, John Potter, Tucker Cole, Brayden Carey, and Dylan Elmore who was absent due to illness.

"We got some great kids," Weaver said. "It's been a blessing for me to coach these guys all these years. Some of these guys I've had in football, baseball, and basketball. We've got outstanding young men as our seniors, and they'll truly be missed."

Weaver also noted that the seeding of the District 12 Tournament didn't seem to matter that much to any of the four teams that will compete, as most everyone would agree that Edmonson, Trinity, Butler, and Grayson are pretty equally matched and the entire tournament is a toss-up. Edmonson will be number 4 seed and is scheduled to take on Trinity in the first round, which will be hosted at Trinity beginning Tuesday, February 20 at 6pm.
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Leading the scoring for the Wildcats were Tucker Cole and Logan Lindsey who had 10 points each. J.T. Vincent added 8, Logan Minton had 6, Ryan Lindsey had 5, Brayden Carey added 4, and Mason Pierce had 2.

The Wildcats are now 8-19 on the season and will take on McLean County in the final home game of the year on Tuesday, February 13th in a girl/boy doubleheader with the girls' game scheduled for a 6pm tip off. 

Darren Doyle, story:
Lady Cat Head Coach Kevin Jackson spent a few extra minutes with the Edmonson Voice after the 64-13 win over the Ohio County Lady Eagles on Friday night, as he discussed the five seniors on this current team and how this year's squad matches up with other memorable teams from the past.

The Edmonson County Lady Cats have already tied a school record for the most number of wins in a season (23-4) and have at least three games remaining on the schedule. A win in the first round of the district tournament will grant them at least two more games, one of which would be an appearance in the Region 3 Tournament. The Lady Cats are currently ranked as one of the top teams in the third region.

"I've done this for 33 years and every year it seems like you say 'that was a great senior class' or 'those were great kids,' and they are," said Jackson. "But this really is one of those special classes. I know when I came back over here three years ago everybody said how good they'd be and I'd only seen them play one time, but this senior class, they've really lived up to it. On the floor and off the floor as well, and I'm so glad that I came back to be a part of the Lady Cat program again, and part of these kids' lives. They'll be part of mine, and like I said, they're just a special group of kids."

So how special is the current team? Well, for starters, the team includes two players that are two of the top scorers in the history of the Lady Cats, including the all-time leader, senior Caitlin Simon who was recognized on Tuesday night for her record-breaking milestone. On Tuesday night at Butler County, Simon broke Stephanie Dennison's record of 2,390 points, which had stood for 23 years. Simon finished the game with 2,392 points. Her 18 points last night put her at 2,410 for her career, but unless something completely out of the ordinary happens, that record will only continue to grow. Jackson said in an earlier interview that he thought the record would not likely be broken.

Simon has been a member of the varsity team since her 7th grade year.

Also in the mix is senior Peyton Martin, who is number four on the all-time scoring list. The current list is as follows:
1. Caitlin Simon (2,410--current)
2. Stephanie Dennison (2,390pts--1995)
3. Madison Rich (2,135pts--2014)
4. Peyton Martin (1,649--current)
5. Jennifer Slaughter Bates (1,567pts--1999)

Another anomaly is the fact that three out of the top five scorers in Lady Cat history actually played together in 2014, with Madison Rich, Simon, and Martin, all being teammates. ​

The Lady Cats have been state-ranked in several statistical categories all season long. Currently, they are ranked top 20 in the following categories:

• Simon ranks #13 in the state in points per game, at 22.4
• Simon ranks #9 in the state in season free throw percentage at 83.6%
• The team ranks #17 in the state for the lowest average points allowed against their opponent at 41.3 points per game
• The team ranks #4 in the state for total team field goal percentage at 48.9% total shots made this season
• The team ranks #7 in the state for total free throw percentage at 72.3%
• The team ranks #3 in the state for total three-point percentage at 39.9%

In addition to what they're doing on the court, the girls are also getting things done in the classroom. They have a cumulative grade point average of 3.84 as a team. 
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The last team to win a district championship was the 1998 team, also coached by Kevin Jackson. They finished the season at 22-6, which is the lowest number of losses in a season. The 1994 team finished at 22-8 and the 1995 team finished at 22-7, those teams were back-to-back district champions under Jackson.

Jackson talked about this year's team and just how special it really is.

"When you go to the state tournament and you're a basketball buff like me, you read those programs and see the teams that are 30-3 and 31-4 and you think 'how in the world did they do that?' But we're on pace this year to kind of have one of those seasons. I think this bunch could go down as the greatest team that's played here in the first 44 years of Lady Cat Basketball."

Jackson also said he was extremely proud to be part of the current team and discussed the impact of having two of the top leading scorers on this team, with Simon and Martin.

"We've had some good teams but might have only had one good scorer, but when you have two like we have this year, it's why you can win some ballgames. It's not me, it's what they do out there and I'm so proud of how they've handled it."

Simon and Martin have certainly earned their time in the spotlight, but Jackson credited the entire team for not just their effort and game accomplishments, but for the total character and academics.

"When you have kids like these, it relaxes you as a coach," he said. "You don't have to worry about what they're doing after school. They're not running around down here smoking cigarettes and all that kind of stuff. They're taking care of themselves, they're going to their grandparents' house and having a meal, they're doing a good job in the classroom. We all hear that each class is made up of good kids, and they are, but I still say that this group of five seniors and the rest of this Lady Cat team is just a special, special group of young ladies and I hope that people will appreciate them, no matter what happens the rest of the way, I hope they appreciate what they've done for Edmonson County High School."

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle photos:
Edmonson County tied the all-time school record for the most number of wins in a single season last night with their largest margin of victory this year, as they defeated the Ohio County Lady Eagles on senior night 64-13. The team improved to 23-4, which is the best record in the history of Lady Cat basketball. The team has at least three more games remaining on the schedule.

Ohio County simply had no answer for Edmonson County's defense which caused one Lady Eagle turnover after another, which allowed the Lady Cats to convert on easy layups on the other end. Defensively, Ohio County failed to keep Edmonson from driving the lane for EC scoring opportunities. When they did, the Lady Cats were able to connect from the outside as they made 6 of 13 three-pointers. 

Edmonson County shot 70% from the free throw line and 53.5% from the field. The Lady Cats were led offensively by Caitlin Simon with 18 points. Peyton Martin added 16 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds.

Katlin Collins had 6 points and 6 rebounds, Madison Harrison and Emma Rose Vincent added 5 points each, Skylar Lewis scored 4 points and grabbed 5 rebounds, and Chanley Logsdon added 4 points.

Five seniors were recognized during the senior night ceremonies: Caitlin Simon, Peyton Martin, Abby Alexander, Katlin Collins, and Skylar Lewis. 

We sat down with Coach Kevin Jackson for an extended interview about the significance of this year's seniors and the record-breaking accomplishments from the entire team. Click here for the full article.

Edmonson County is scheduled to take on McLean County at home on Tuesday, February 13th for the final home game of the season in a girl/boy double header beginning at 6pm.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
Butler County stayed ahead of the Wildcats for most of the game and fought off Edmonson's solid comeback effort in the fourth quarter. A technical foul and confusion over how many timeouts were left for the Wildcats also made for a bizarre ending.

The first quarter was more like a tennis match as each team began by trading buckets, matched by tough defense and intensity. Butler County took a 21-18 lead going into the second. 

The Wildcats defense looked sharp against the Bears but Butler County found a way to knock down contested shots while Edmonson struggled with some open looks. The Bears took a 36-33 lead at the half.

Butler County went on a 10-3 run in the third and led by as much as 11 during the quarter. They outscored Edmonson County 18-11 in the third. 

After Butler County's Wil Moore, who scored 35 points, hit one of two free throws early in the fourth, the Wildcats went on a blistering 13-0 run that gave them a 57-55 lead, their first since early in the game. Senior Brayden Carey scored 6 of his 7 points during the run and his layup off a Logan Lindsey steal capped off the big run. 

Butler County nailed a three and after a Wildcat miss and a turnover, and the Bears were back on top 61-57 with less than two minutes to go. J.T. Vincent was able to make a basket while drawing the foul and he converted the free throw for a three-point play with 22 seconds remaining to cut Butler's lead to 61-60.

Butler County drew a foul call with 12.6 seconds remaining and as they were going to the line a technical foul was assessed to senior Brayden Carey. No explanation was given as to the reason for the call, nor was there any physical movement from Carey that seemed to warrant the call. Butler County hit one out of two for the regular foul call then hit two more for the technical to go up 66-60. 

Dalton Decker hit a three-pointer with three seconds to go and Coach Mike McClintic attempted to call timeout; however, the clock ran out and the game ended with the official explaining to McClintic that Edmonson County had no timeouts remaining. Edmonson's bookkeeper and the entire bench thought there was one more remaining, but the official book said otherwise. 

Leading the Wildcats was J.T. Vincent with 15 points and 7 rebounds, Tucker Cole finished with 13 points and 8 assists, Ryan Lindsey put up 10, Logan Lindsey added 8, Brayden Carey had 7, Nick Clemmons and Dalton Decker each had 3, and Chaz Wilson added 2.

The Wildcats fell to Butler County 66-63 and are now 8-18 on the season. They are set to take on Ohio County this Friday at home in a G/B doubleheader with girls action set for a 5:30pm tip off.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
Senior Lady Cat guard Caitlin Simon became the all-time leading scorer in the history of Lady Cat basketball tonight in Edmonson County's win over Butler County, 50-40.  Simon's performance not only included 26 points, but 10 rebounds, 5 steals, and 4 assists.

"I'm so glad that Caitlin Simon's on my team," said Coach Kevin Jackson. "She's a warrior. I get aggravated at her every once in a while because I expect so much out of her. I try to tell her that. If I didn't think she couldn't do it, I wouldn't say anything."

Simon was all smiles after the game. She discussed not only this game, but also her team role and expectations for this season.

"I knew it was going to be my senior season and I needed to be a scorer for this team; that's been one of my roles for the past three years," she said. "Going into it, I just said I'm going to do the best that I can to leave it out there every game, and with the team that I have, they make it really easy."

She also said that the scoring record was on her mind before tonight's game, but realized that she would have to get past the mind games and focus on winning a district game on the road.

"I told Coach Jackson that I just needed to play my game, forget about it, and if I get it, I get it, if not, it would probably be on Friday." 

Simon tied the record after and sinking the second of two free throws with around two minutes to go. She claimed the record after her next made free throw to surpass Stephanie Dennison's record of 2,390 points. Simon went on to hit one more during the game to stand sit at 2,392 points.

Peyton Martin finished with 15 points and 6 assists, Chanley Logsdon added 7 points and 5 rebounds, and Lauren Ballance added 2. 

The Lady Cats improve to 22-4 on the season.

"She makes everybody on the floor better," said Jackson of Simon. "That's what a great player does, and Caitlin Simon is a great player. The all-time leading scorer in Lady Cat basketball history; what an honor, and I don't know if the record will ever be broken, I really don't."

Edmonson County secured the number one seed in the district 12 tournament that begins in two weeks. They are scheduled to take on Ohio County on Friday, Feb. 9th at home in a girl/boy doubleheader beginning at 5:30pm.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
Two quick baskets got the Wildcats off to a 4-0 start against Grayson County Friday night, but the Cougars bounced back with a 17-5 answer in the first quarter that had the Wildcats playing catch-up for the rest of the night.

The Wildcats evened up the scoring 14-14 in the second quarter but still trailed by 8 at the half. Edmonson County only had 7 field goals at halftime.

The second half was a different story as senior leadership led the way for a comeback and the deficit was cut to 38-35 going into the fourth quarter. 

Logan Lindsey hit a runner in the lane to tie the score at 44-44 with 2:39 to go. After a Grayson County timeout, the Wildcats rebounded a Cougars' miss. Edmonson put up a three but was no good. Senior Brayden Carey grabbed the offensive rebound, made the putback, and Edmonson County led the game 46-44 for the first time since it was 4-2. 

After a bucket and a couple of foul shots from the Cougars, Logan Lindsey scored on a drive down the lane to tie things at 48-48. Grayson County turned the ball over and the Wildcats called timeout with 39 seconds to go. Sophomore Dalton Decker drew the foul and made two free throws to give back the lead to the Wildcats with 28 seconds left. Grayson County was able to score with 3 second left to tie the game; this forced the Cats to heave a prayer at the buzzer that was no good, which forced overtime.

Edmonson County couldn't connect on a couple of open looks in the overtime period. That, coupled with some costly turnovers allowed Grayson County to pull ahead by three with under a minute to go. Grayson County hit their free throws down the stretch and a three pointer at the buzzer by Decker narrowed the final score to 62-61 as the Cougars won.

"We had four turnovers the whole second half, then we have three more of them in the overtime alone," said Asst. Coach Bart Weaver. "A lot of times it comes down the last possession in a tight game like this. We could sit and nitpick but I think we just turned the ball over too much at times. But you have to remember, we fought back. We didn't give up, even though we were down 16."

Logan Lindsey led the Cats with 17 points, Tucker Cole and Dalton Decker each had 12. Ryan Lindsey had 8 points, Brayden Carey had 7 points and 7 rebounds, and Logan Minton had 3.

Edmonson County falls to 7-16 on the season. They are scheduled to play Hancock County on the road on Saturday at 3:30pm. There will be no audio or video broadcast of the game.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
Edmonson County's Caitlin Simon was back to her old self Friday night against Grayson County as she scored 27 points and led the Lady Cats to their 5th consecutive district 12 win in a 51-28 victory over the Lady Cougars.

After a bit of a slow start, the Lady Cats turned up the defensive pressure in the 2nd quarter and limited Grayson County to only 2 points during the quarter. Edmonson went on a 17-2 run and led 27-9 at halftime.

The third quarter was much of the same as the Lady Cats went on another run, this time a 15-7 series that kept the game out of reach from Grayson County. Edmonson County went on to win to remain perfect in district play.

"I'm really proud of the Lady Cats tonight," said Coach Kevin Jackson. "Our rebounding and our defense was the big focus. I wasn't real happy with the way we finished the Trinity game on Tuesday, but I'm so proud of the kids for the way they practiced the last two days and the way they came out and blocked out and rebounded. They allowed very few second chance points and with girls, if you can prevent the second, third chance shot, you've got a chance to win and I thought we did that tonight."

Peyton Martin scored 10 points, dished 5 assists, had 4 steals, and added 3 rebounds. The game was also the return of senior Skylar Lewis, who has battled injuries and illness all season long. Lewis scored 8 points off the bench.

Katlin Collins added 4 points and 8 rebounds, and Emma Rose Vincent scored 2.

Simon's performance drew her closer to the all-time Lady Cat scoring record. She needs just 23 points to become the leading scorer in Lady Cat basketball history.

"It's nice to see Caitlin Simon back tonight," said Jackson. "She struggled for the last 4 or 5 games and she'll be the first one to tell you that. She was her old self tonight and I think she will be the rest of the season. Sometimes you just need one game to get you going and I thought she hit some key baskets at key times during this game."

The Lady Cats are now 21-4 on the season and are scheduled to play Butler County on Tuesday, February 6 in a make up game on the road in Morgantown.