Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
It was a tough end of the season for Edmonson County as the Wildcats struggled for most of the night in a 70-39 loss to Muhlenberg County in round one of the Region 3 Tournament on Tuesday night at the Owensboro Sportscenter.

Edmonson County shot poorly early and Muhlenberg was able to jump out to a 15-7 lead after the first quarter. The Mustangs continued both knocking down threes and pounding the paint. Early turnovers were also another factor for the Cats early and Muhlenberg led 29-17 at halftime.

Muhlenberg doubled down in the second half and their lead only grew as the Wildcats failed to get any momentum. For one senior, it was the last game of his high school career. Senior Griffin Spainhoward left the court for his final game as a Wildcat basketball player. He led the team with 9 points.

"I can't say enough about him," said Coach Mac. "He could've quit on me two years ago, he wasn't getting in JV games, he wasn't hitting the floor, but by golly, he stuck with us, he came back 40 pounds heavier this year, he became a better ball player, and he's the leading scorer tonight. He got quick fouls and we had to pull him, but he didn't give up. He never gives up. He's one of the best kids I've ever coached, attitude-wise."

Not only Spainhoward was the talk of McClintic, it was a team effort for 32 minutes, despite a hefty deficit throughout most of the game. A very emotional Mike McClintic struggled with the words.

"Muhlenberg shot the ball really well and we just didn't have an answer. I know you get tired of hearing this, but some of that's on me. We just didn't have an answer, but the kids didn't quit, though. I know it's a 31-point game, but they didn't quit. They, uh...they played until there was no time left on the clock," said Coach Mac as he fought through tears.

Nick Clemmons had 8 points, Mason Pierce added 7, Dalton Decker and Eli Booker each had 4, Chaz Wilson had 3, Daniel Woosley and Gavin Rose each had 2. 

Edmonson County ends their season as the District 12 runner-up with a record of 12-18.

Edmonson County Youth Basketball has updated their schedule after inclement weather and other conflicts. The remaining schedule is as follows:

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
Edmonson County saw a 20-point lead with 1:40 left in the third quarter disappear as Grayson County pulled off a remarkable comeback in the fourth quarter to force overtime where they eventually won against the Cats, 63-58.

The Wildcats trailed 9-8 after the first quarter but they found success in the second by forcing Grayson into turnovers and converting those into points by both driving the lane and hitting jumpers from all over. Edmonson took a 24-12 lead in the locker room at the half.

It was much of the same for the Wildcats in the third as they continued to extend their lead. Once once it hit twenty late in the quarter, Edmonson County began to picture themselves cutting down the nets; however, Grayson County decided to hang around for another quarter. 

The Cougars went on a 27-10 run in the fourth that shook the Wildcats and stunned fans. Edmonson County struggled with turnovers and missed some crucial free throws down the stretch. Grayson County climbed all the way back and tied the score at 52, which forced overtime.

​​The trend continued in overtime as the Wildcats struggled handling the ball and hitting free throws. Grayson County took advantage and the lead as they held on for the District 12 title.

The Wildcats were led by Chaz Wilson's 21 points and 14 rebounds. It was the final home game at ECHS for the 2018-19 season and the last for senior Griffin Spainhoward.

Several Wildcats and cheer team members were named to post season honors.

• Jenna Butts and Adrianna Harp: All District Cheer
• Eli Booker: All District Academic Team
• Dalton Decker and Chaz Wilson: All District Season Team
• Dalton Decker, Chaz Wilson, and Griffin Spainhoward: All District Tournament:

Edmonson County now awaits the regional draw which will determine the Region 3 Tournament bracket. The tournament is set to be held at the Owensboro Sportscenter next week. 

Madison Doyle, photos:
The Edmonson County Lady Cats won the District 12 title on Thursday night over Trinity, 45-43. In addition, several Lady Cats were named to All-District Teams:

• Chanley Logsdon, All-Academic Team, All-Season, All-Tournament
• Lauren Ballance, All-Season, All-Tournament
• Katie Lindsey, All-Season, All-Tournament
• Madison Harrison, All-Tournament

Check out the slideshows below to see all the post game excitement as the team and fans celebrated the back-to-back win.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Edmonson County Lady Cats won their 12th straight game, which also turned out to be the 12th District Championship, Thursday night in a tight win over the Trinity Lady Raiders 45-43. The win also marks the first time the team has won back-to-back titles since the 1994-1995 seasons under former coach Kevin Jackson.

Jackson was also at the helm for last year's title, which was the first since he led the team to the 1998 championship. There were several eyebrows raised going into this year's season, as the Lady Cats lost 4 starters and two of the top leading scorers in Lady Cat history; however, new Head Coach Bart Weaver said he never doubted that his team would win if they'd buy into his system. He said he predicted to win at least 20 games--the current record is 24-7--and he wanted to prove the doubters wrong.

"We certainly did that tonight," he said. "I give all my girls the credit. My assistant coaches, they've been there, they've done a great job, and you know, sometimes you can take advantage of people not believing in you. I've done that and the whole team has done that. Hats off to Trinity. They came out and played a heck of a game, but we just found a way, and it's special."

Edmonson County couldn't throw a basketball in the Green River off the middle of the Brownsville Bridge during the first quarter. They missed eight shots in a row, some of which were wide open layups and finished the quarter 3 for 12 from the field and 1 out of 2 free throws. Trinity took a 9-8 lead going into the second. 

Point guard Katie Lindsey began to find some success by penetrating the lane, splitting defenders, and taking it to the hole. She scored on a combination of buckets and from drawing fouls, where she scored at the line. 

The second quarter saw a little better shooting from Edmonson County, but their rebounding and defense kept them in the game. They pounded the boards and forced double-digit turnovers against Trinity in the first half and took a 22-21 edge into the locker room at the break, despite shooting 26% from the field and only 1-11 from behind the three-point line for a season low 9%.

Edmonson County responded big in the third, outscoring Trinity 16-6 in the quarter and took a full head of steam into the fourth; however, the Lady Raiders answered with lights-out shooting while the Lady Cats went cold again. Trinity went on a 14-2 run that gave them their first lead at 41-40 with two minutes left. 

Trinity got a stop against the Lady Cats on the next possession but Edmonson County cranked up their defense and forced Trinity into a timeout. The Lady Cats forced a turnover on the next play and Katie Lindsey was able to draw a foul as she drove to the basket on their next possession with 56 seconds remaining. Lindsey calmly hit both free throws as EC regained the lead at 42-41. 

Trinity missed a three-pointer and as Edmonson's Madison Harrison pulled the rebound, she was immediately fouled with 36 seconds to go. Harrison missed the front end of the bonus which was rebounded by Trinity's Morgan Kinsey; however, Lindsey sneaked around and swiped the ball loose and it went out of bounds off the foot of another Trinity player with 32 seconds remaining.

Lindsey was fouled once more on her way to the basket. She hit one of two from the line and Edmonson held a 43-41 lead. A foul was called on senior Chanley Logsdon on the next play and Trinity's Nina Wathen hit two free throws to tie the score again at 43 with 20 seconds left.

Lindsey once again did what she did all night long: drove to the basket and drew the foul with 14 seconds left. She iced two free throws to regain the lead at 45-43, which would be the final score. Trinity missed a difficult runner in the lane as time expired and the Lady Cats claimed the District 12 title.

Katie Lindsey said she knew how crucial the free throws were down the stretch, but shooting only 66% on the season, she was nervous when she went to the line. 

"I thought 'Oh gosh' because I haven't shot them really well this season, but I knew what I needed to do and it helped us get the win." 

Lindsey said the chip on their shoulders still remains and that Coach Weaver has turned it into motivation.

"He's taught us to play that way all season and we still are," she said. "Yes, we got this district championship, but we still want to go forward. We're going to keep going as far as we can in the region."

While senior Chanley Logsdon was held scoreless during this game, her ball handling was superb with no turnovers. She also dished out 4 assists and grabbed 6 rebounds, all at what seemed to be crucial moments. She is the only returning starter on this year's team. 

"It's even more awesome this year than last year, and it's just an amazing feeling because I know how hard we've worked for this," she said. "We worked for it all year, and everybody thought we couldn't do it--but we did do it. We talked about that every game, during halftimes, all season. We're going to keep playing our hearts out, keep playing with that chip on our shoulder, and keep doing what we've been doing."

Lindsey finished with 17 points, Lauren Ballance had 14 points and 7 rebounds. Madison Harrison had 8 points and 8 rebounds, and Emma Vincent had 6 points and 6 rebounds.

Edmonson County will draw Saturday for their Region 3 tournament first round game, which will either be held on Wednesday or Thursday of next week (tentatively). 

Edmonson's boys will also be playing in the District 12 finals tomorrow night at 7pm against Grayson County at ECHS. You can listen to the live audio on the Edmonson Voice.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
It was a fight to the end, but that's exactly what Edmonson County expected going into tonight's game against Butler County, a very solid team that came for business. As in all first round games in a district tournament, one team advances to the finals, the other ends their season. Tonight, it was Edmonson County that came out on top in a physical match and according to lots of Wildcat fans, overcame some lopsided foul situations.

Emotions ran high as the game featured a double technical foul, an intentional foul, multiple warnings from the referees to players for trash-talking, and even the student sections were warned by officials. 
​
No matter which team you pulled for, it was easy to see the foul discrepancy. Butler County had made 19 free throw attempts before Edmonson County took their first foul shot, which didn't happen until a couple minutes into the fourth quarter; however, few good teams will complain about the officiating. Instead, they figure out ways to power through, as was the case with the Wildcats tonight, led by junior guard Dalton Decker.

"The refs let us play and it was a battle from start to end," said Decker. "They played us harder than any team before, but me and my teammates always give it all, every night we step on the court. I'm so thankful for my team, my coaches, and our senior Griffin (Spainhoward). It was a great team win."

While it was indeed a team win, Decker iced the game in the final minute on four consecutive free throws, two coming with 9.6 seconds on the clock. He shot the first free throw of the game for the Cats with 6:45 left in the game. After missing his first few, it was the final four that counted.

"I was kind of shaken up by the first I missed, but knew I had to hit the ones that would keep us in the game so I didn't let it stop me," said Decker. "I'm glad I was able to knock down the big ones."

Edmonson County held the edge in the first half, thanks to 13 turnovers by Butler County, which kept the Bears from gaining too much momentum. The Wildcats took a 23-18 into the locker room at the break. Butler County responded in the third by narrowing the gap and outscoring the Cats by 1 to cut EC's lead to 33-31 going into the fourth. The Bears tied the score at 33 just over thirty seconds into the fourth quarter. It was the first tie since the score was 8-8 in the first.

Butler County took a 35-33 lead on a couple of free throws with 5:38 to go, but that lead was was short-lived. Edmonson County bounced back with a 6-0 run that included back-to-back layups on steals from both Chaz Wilson and Nick Clemmons. Butler County began fouling in the final minute and Decker went back to the line with 17 seconds left, where he hit both shots. A late 3 by Butler County's Parker Rice kept the Bears' hopes alive, but Decker's final free throws were just enough to withstand a layup from Butler County with 2.6 seconds left. Decker grabbed the ball and held it out of bounds as time expired.

"The kids stepped up and they kept grinding. It was a grinding game," said Coach Mac, who was back in action after some illness. "We got into some foul trouble very early in the second half and didn't realize we were in that bad of shape, but again, we had some kids come in that hadn't played a whole lot, but by-golly everybody that got in the game tonight knew their role, did their job, played aggressive, and didn't back down."

While no Wildcats wowed the crowd with crazy stat lines, the rebounds, buckets, and defensive plays were timely, especially from senior Spainhoward, whose 6 points and 4 rebounds seem to come at just the right time. 

"I'm happy for everyone of them boys. I love them, they're like my sons, but I can't be more happier for Griff," said McClintic. "That boy could've quit on me two years ago, because we never got him on the floor, nothing. But when it came down to gut-check time tonight, he was there."

Spainhoward agreed that it was one of the most physical matches he'd seen all season, but didn't expect anything different. 

"For us to rebound the way we did and battle in the paint, it really played a big factor in helping us win the game," he said. "If we continue to, I believe good things will happen."

He also said the opportunity to play for a district championship as a senior is an amazing feeling.

"I've wanted nothing less than to play in this game since I was a sophomore sitting in the stands, watching the 2017 team win it. I've thought about this game every time I've walked in the gym all year long and with the great teammates I have, I like our chances."

Edmonson County will take on Grayson County in the championship game this Friday, at 7pm at ECHS. Edmonson's girls will have a shot at back-to-back titles as they take on Trinity in the girls finals on Thursday night, also at 7pm. The audio stream will be carried live on the Edmonson Voice.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
Edmonson County's girls endured a physical match against Butler County in the first round of the District 12 tournament, hosted at ECHS on Monday night, as they prevailed 59-43.

The win puts them in the finals of the tournament, which is scheduled for this Thursday. They will take on the Trinity Lady Raiders, who defeated Grayson County tonight 55-39. Trinity's win marks the first time since the 1999 season that Grayson County failed to advance past the first round. 

The Lady Bears caused some problems for Edmonson early with an effective spread 2-3 zone that kept the Lady Cats from penetrating the paint. Edmonson struggled with their outside shooting and Butler County held them to only 6 first quarter points, a season low. 

The lead would be short lived as Edmonson County went on an 18-6 run that allowed them to take a 27-15 lead at the half--a lead that would eventually make the difference in the game, despite a third quarter run by Butler County.

The Lady Bears outscored Edmonson County 19-13 in the third quarter which cut their lead to 40-34, but a 19-9 final run by the Lady Cats was more than enough to end Butler's season and put the Lady Cats back into the district finals.

"Tonight was typical tournament basketball," said Coach Weaver. "Some of them understand it, the ones that were here last year. Some of the others that didn't play much, they learned that a one seed vs. a four seed don't always means what you think it means. Butler County came to play with nothing to lose, and we talked about that before the game. I'm really proud of my girls, they took a shot in a real physical game and they persevered to the end." 

Lauren Ballance was a spark for the Lady Cats early. She led Edmonson with 9 points and 4 rebounds at the half. When a rebound was needed, she seemed to be there. When a loose ball was within reach, she grabbed it. When Butler County pushed, she was the one to lead the push back. She finished with 18 points and 6 rebounds. She was also a perfect 5/5 from the free throw line.

"When she gets determined, and sometimes it may take a while to get to that point, but when she gets determined, I don't want to be the one to stand in front of her. She answered the call in a physical game, and I thought Mia (Goad) also played physical." 

Goad finished with 8 points and 3 rebounds.

Point guard Katie Lindsey finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Emma Rose Vincent tallied 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Madison Harrison had 6 points and 6 rebounds, Chanley Logsdon had 3, and Macie McCombs had 2.

A win in the finals on Thursday against Trinity would mark the first back-to-back District titles since the '94 and '95 seasons. Lauren Ballance's mother, Tyra (formerly Parsley), who is also an assistant coach, and Mia Goad's mother, Stacy (formerly Graves) were teammates on the last repeating championship team. 

In the preseason, several media outlets mistakenly predicted that Edmonson County would fail to have a winning season, likely as a result of the Lady Cats losing two of the all-time leading scorers in ECHS girls basketball history from last year's team, along with two other starters, and the departure of Region 3 Girls Coach of the Year, Kevin Jackson. Edmonson County is now 23-7 on the season and have won 11 straight games. 

Edmonson County is scheduled to take on Trinity this Thursday at 7pm at ECHS. The audio broadcast will be available on the Edmonson Voice. 

First round ECHS boys action is set for Tuesday night at 7:45 in game two as the Wildcats will take on Butler County.

Edmonson County High School will host the District 12 Tournament, which begins tonight with the Edmonson County Lady Cats taking on the Butler County Lady Bears at 6pm. 

Grayson County will take on Trinity in game two, which will follow tonight's game one, approximately at 7:45pm.

Girls action will resume on Thursday night with the both winners of tonight's games going head-to-head for the girls' championship at 7pm.

The boys' teams are set to begin on Tuesday night with Grayson County taking on Trinity at 6pm and Edmonson County taking on Butler County at 7:45pm. The winners of those games will advance to the boys' championship, which is scheduled for Friday, February 22nd at 7pm. 

You can listen to live Edmonson County action only on the Edmonson Voice both Monday and Tuesday. We will also carry the live audio of the championship games should either or both Edmonson County teams advance. 

The Lady Cats take a 10-game winning streak into tonight's game. A win will guarantee them not only a chance for a District Title repeat, but also a regional tournament spot. A loss tonight will end their season. The boys must also win tomorrow night in order to advance to the district finals as well as the region tournament.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Greenwood Gators were too much for the Wildcats to handle on Friday, February 15, 2019 on the final regular season game of the year, also senior night for two seniors: Griffin Spainhoward and Nick Johnson. Edmonson County fell 73-48 to Greenwood.

The Wildcats struggled to get open shots against Greenwood and had trouble knocking them down once they did. The Gators were effective behind the arc, in transition, and in dribble-drives. 

Head Coach Mike McClintic returned to the team after illness this week; although he took more of an assistant's role on the bench behind Assistant Coach Joe Wells. He is hoping to be back in action on Tuesday when Edmonson County will host the District 12 Tournament, where they're scheduled to take on Butler County at 7:45pm in the first round.

Dalton Decker led the way for the Cats with 11 points. Chaz Wilson had 10, Nick Clemmons had 8, Mason Pierce had 7, Eli Booker had 5, seniors Griffin Spainhoward and Nick Johnson each had 3, and Gavin Rose had 2. 

Edmonson County is now 11-16 on the season. You can listen to the audio stream of the District 12 Tournament on WildcatsLive, only on EdmonsonVoice.com. Video is not available due to District 12 tournament rules.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Edmonson County Lady Cats extended their winning streak to 10 with a 42-24 win over Greenwood at home Friday on senior night. 

Fittingly, Edmonson County was led by lone senior Chanley Logsdon with 12 points, all from three-pointers. A strong start by the Lady Cats and consistent defense against the Lady Gators were the keys in the win.

Edmonson County was 15/34 from the field for 44% shooting, while making 7 of 8 from the free throw line. Other offensive contributors for the Lady Cats were: Lauren Ballance with 10 points and 8 rebounds, Emma Vincent with 6 points and 6 rebounds, Madison Harrison and Mia Goad had 5 each, while Katie Lindsey and Macie McCombs added 2 apiece.

Edmonson County now puts the focus on hosting the District 12 Tournament, which begins Monday night at ECHS at 6pm against Butler County, where the Lady Cats are the number one seed. They have an opportunity to be the first repeating girls' district champs since the '94 and '95 seasons under Coach Kevin Jackson. A loss on Monday night would be a devastating end to a successful season. 

Edmonson County improves to 22-7 on the year.  

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
Sports teams sometimes have nights where things just don't go according to the plan and on Tuesday night against McLean County, that was certainly one of those nights for the Wildcats as they fell 84-72 to the Cougars.

Head Coach Mike McClintic, who was suffering from the flu, was unable to attend the game, so the routine was already shifted for the Wildcats. Routines can have a major impact in sports, specifically in high school.

Edmonson County shot poorly, was out-rebounded, and struggled at times with turnovers in the hard fought contest on the road.

The first quarter saw two teams battling back-and-forth as the Cougars clung to a one-point lead as the clock wound down, but a 35 footer at the buzzer for McLean lit everyone up on their side as they took a 22-18 lead going into the second. While the Wildcat effort was there, as it is night after night, the momentum never seemed to shift back their way as McLean went on to win.

Dalton Decker led the Cats in scoring with 20 points on 5 three-pointers. Chaz Wilson finished with 18 despite only having two points at the half. 

Also scoring for the Cats: Nick Clemmons 10, Griffin Spainhoward 8, Eli Booker 7, Mason Pierce 6, and Trent Taylor 2. 

The Wildcats fall to 11-15 on the season. They have one regular season game remaining, which is scheduled for this Friday against Greenwood. It will also be senior night at ECHS. Both audio and video streams will be available on the Edmonson Voice beginning at 5:50pm for the girls match. Senior night festivities will also be live streamed.

​Coach Mac is hoping to be back with the team on Friday.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
With only one more regular season game left, the Lady Cats have their eyes on the District 12 Tournament, which will be hosted at Edmonson County next week. Nothing helps the morale of a team more than a winning streak, and Edmonson County is officially right in the middle of one; which is currently at 9 with last night's win over McLean County on the road.

The Lady Cats started things off the right way by attacking McLean's offense. The Lady Cougars struggled to get open shots and Edmonson County was there to rebound. The Lady Cats also attacked in transition and thanks to a hot hand from Emma Rose Vincent (22 points-7 rebounds-3 blocks) who had 16 points in the first half on 8/9 shooting from the field, the Lady Cats created a deficit that McLean County couldn't overcome.

Edmonson County held McLean County to only 8 points at halftime (27-8) and even though the Lady Cougars outscored the Lady Cats in the second half (27-21) it wasn't enough to derail EC in their effort to earn their 21st win of the season.

Senior Chanley Logsdon had 12 points--all on three pointers, Lauren Ballance added 4 points and 10 rebounds, Madison Harrison had 4 points and 6 rebounds, Mia Goad had 3 points and 3 rebounds, and Katie Lindsey and Josi Morrison each had 2.

Edmonson County is scheduled to take on Greenwood this Friday night at home at 6pm in a G/B doubleheader, which will be the final regular game of the year. It will also be senior night at ECHS. You can listen to the audio broadcast and watch the video stream, including the senior night festivities, beginning at 5:50pm. 

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
It was a tough night for the Wildcats as they faltered in their game plan and fell to the Ohio County Eagles on the road, 78-59.

In a game where Edmonson County needed to out-rebound the Eagles while keeping a hand in the face of three-point shooters, they did neither and as a result, were easily beaten by Ohio County.

The Wildcats gave OC all they could handle during the first quarter with a 14-12 lead; however, Ohio County began crashing the offensive boards and getting 2, 3, sometimes even more extra shots on one possession. 

The Eagles outscored the Wildcats 26-13 in the second quarter, took a 38-27 lead at the half, and they were never in danger of losing the lead again. 

Dalton Decker led the Wildcats with 16 points and 7 rebounds, Chaz Wilson notched 15 points and 10 rebounds (right at his season average), Griffin Spainhoward added 10 points, Nick Clemmons scored 8, and both Eli Booker and Isaiah Johnson scored 3 each. 

Edmonson County is now 11-14 on the season and is scheduled to take on McLean County on the road on Tuesday night. You can listen and watch both the girls and boys games here on the Edmonson Voice. 

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
​Lady Cat Head Coach Bart Weaver knew that in order to beat Ohio County (20-8) on the road, Edmonson County would have to win the rebounding battle, shoot well from the free throw line, and crank their defense up a notch. Whatever he said in the locker room prior to the Lady Cats taking the floor must have been just the thing, as Edmonson's girls did all three as planned and grabbed a big road win, 51-41, despite 21 turnovers.

"This team amazes me because we can be deficient in one area but we'll make it up in others," Weaver said. "The two constants that these girls do every night is defense and rebounding. A lot of times it has to overcome our poor shooting, tonight it was us throwing the ball away 21 times."

Weaver said he thought his team played defense in the second half really well, especially the third quarter. Edmonson County held the Lady Eagles to only 7 points in the third.

The first half was close the entire way as the score was tied 9-9 after one. Several ties and lead changes later, a late three-pointer put Ohio County on top at the break, 24-22. The third quarter is where the Lady Cats began to take control. They were stingy with Ohio County second-chance points and four EC players had at least 5 rebounds or more. 

Edmonson County ran their lead up to seven as time began to wind down. They spread the floor and ran some clock as the Lady Eagles were forced to begin fouling. Edmonson County hit their free throws, hitting 18 of 24 for 75% as a team, and held on for the tough win.

Leading the way for Edmonson was Katie Lindsey with 22 points and 6 rebounds, followed by Emma Vincent with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 blocked shots. Lauren Ballance added 8 points and 3 rebounds, Chanley Logsdon scored 5 while grabbing 8 rebounds, Mia Goad had 4 points and 2 rebounds, and Madison Harrison added 2 points and 6 rebounds.

On an 8-game winning streak, Edmonson County improves to 20-7 on the season, which is currently the second-best record in Region 3. They are scheduled to take on McLean County on the road on Tuesday in a G/B double header beginning at 6pm.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
It was a big night for Wildcat fans after Edmonson County's 71-66 win over the Caverna Colonels, but for none bigger than EC's manager/fan/player extraordinaire, senior Nick Johnson. Nick, arguably the biggest Wildcat fan in school history, started tonight in place of Chaz Wilson.

Nick, a basketball team manager and former football manager, suffered a stroke while in the womb. Doctors said he'd never walk nor talk. His mother, Elysia, said she and her husband Mickey, weren't satisfied with that diagnosis so they got a second opinion. Another group of doctors said otherwise and Nick began physical and speech therapy at around 8 months of age. 

​Nick's right side is weakened somewhat and he has occasional trouble lifting certain objects with his right hand, but that didn't seem to cause him any problems tonight as he attempted a shot on the Wildcats' first possession of the game. Fans went crazy when Johnson fired a three-pointer on the right side and buried it for his first career varsity points. 

That was actually the bright spot for the Cats for a while as the Colonels (1-20 on the season) took a 31-29 lead at the break. That lead grew to 8 in the third quarter but the comeback Cats chipped away and took the 59-57 lead with under three minutes to go and Caverna would never tie or take the lead from there on.

​

While the game was a win, Coach Mike McClintic discussed what he liked and didn't like; however, he said he was just as proud as how the community, fans, and schools responded, as he was the win.

"Nick's one of my top assistant coaches," Coach Mac said with a smile. "If you don't believe me, just ask him. But this whole community, this whole school has always been great. I've been in a lot of schools and this place has just always been awesome with the way people are. I'm sure there are some doubters of me, which that's just part of coaching, and the coaching job. But you guys, the enthusiasm, the crowd, the kids, and my team--I can't say enough about my team. I wish I could play all of them, but in the game of basketball, in a varsity game, you can't do it a lot of times. But I want to thank the fans, everyone that watches you guys, listens to you guys, it means a lot to us. It does.

Johnson finished with three points. Leading the Cats was Chaz Wilson, who was big down the stretch; hitting 14 of 16 free throws on the night. He finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Dalton Decker had 9 points, Eli Booker finished with 8, Nick Clemmons had 7, Griffin Spainhoward had 6, Jon Smith had 6, Daniel Woosley had 4, and both Mason Pierce and Trent Taylor finished with 2 each.

The team also shot 25/30 from the stripe (83%).

The team improved to 11-12 on the season and is scheduled to take on a very tough Allen County-Scottsville team Tuesday night at home in a JV/V match beginning at 6pm with JV action. You can listen to the audio live on the Edmonson Voice. ​

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
A 17-0 Lady Cat run in the first quarter established Edmonson County's presence early against Caverna on Monday night as the Lady Colonels fell 59-47 in Brownsville, despite a scrappy second half and a second half run from Caverna.

The Lady Colonels began with a 4-0 lead, but they wouldn't score again until the score was 20-6. Early hot three-point shooting and impressive defense from Edmonson County allowed them to amass a 38-13 lead at the half.

Caverna made some adjustments and started causing some problems for Edmonson County in the third. They upped their defense and Edmonson began to commit turnovers. An 18-9 Lady Colonels run cut their deficit 47-31 going into the fourth quarter.  Caverna cut Edmonson's lead to as little as 12 with just over 4 minutes to go, but the Lady Cats held on for their 7th win in a row.

Katie Lindsey led the Lady Cats with 16 points and 4 rebounds and senior Chanley added 15 points, all on three-pointers and pulled 6 rebounds. Mia Goad scored 11 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, Madison Harrison had 8 points and 2 rebounds, Lauren Ballance had 7 points and 6 rebounds, and Emma Vincent had 2 points and 5 rebounds. 

Edmonson County shot 48% from the field for the game and hit 40% from behind the arc. They also shot 87.5% from the free throw line (7/8). They are now 19-7 on the season.

They are scheduled to take on Ohio County on the road this Friday in a G/B double header beginning at 6pm. You can listen to the live audio only on the Edmonson Voice.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
Losing to a district rival on the road is tough, doing that on a last-second shot is tougher, and that was the case in Grayson County as a three-pointer at the buzzer by the Cougars broke a 30-30 tie to give Grayson the win in the final regular season district match of the year.

Edmonson County started the game cold but an 8-0 run put them on top at the end of the first quarter 8-6. Both teams battled back-and-forth but Grayson County hit a three-pointer at the end of the second quarter to tie the score at 17 at halftime.

Edmonson County clung to a 24-23 lead going into the fourth quarter and the game came down to the wire as Grayson County set up their next possession after the Wildcats tied the score at 30 on Chaz Wilson's layup with one minute to go. The Cougars spread the floor and wound the clock down to 17.8 seconds when they called a timeout to set up their final play. Grayson sophomore Jaxson Higdon hit a three-pointer at the buzzer for the win.

Edmonson County was led by Dalton Decker's 11 points. Wilson added 9 points and 9 rebounds. Spainhoward added 7 points, Mason Pierce scored 2, and Trent Taylor had 1.

Wildcat starter Eli Booker was out with the flu. 

The Wildcats are now 10-12 on the season with Edmonson currently tied with Butler County for the best District 12 record (3-3); however, Trinity (2-3) is scheduled to play at Grayson County (3-2) next week. A Trinity win would create a four-way tie in the district standings, which would require a draw for district 12 tournament seeding.  A Grayson win next week would change the seeding entirely and would put Grayson at no. 1 (4-2), Edmonson and Butler would be tied for 2nd (3-3), and Trinity would take the fourth seed with a record of 2-4.

Best case scenario for Edmonson: Trinity wins against Grayson next week and EC gets the luck of the draw and grabs a one seed. Worst case scenario for EC: Grayson defeats Trinity next week and Edmonson will play Butler (2 and 3 seeds are basically equal). Bottom line: all four teams have similar records and have played equally as good and bad against each other all season long, and the entire district 12 tournament is a toss-up.

Edmonson County is set to take on Caverna at home in a G/B match on Monday night. Audio and video will be brought to you only on the Edmonson Voice.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
Edmonson County scored their second lowest point total of the season last night (32) against district rival Grayson County; but the Lady Cats also held Grayson to their second lowest point total of the season (31), which was enough to win their last regular season district game of the year.

Most importantly, the win secured their number one seed in the upcoming district tournament, which will be hosted at Edmonson County this year, beginning on February 19th.

Edmonson County has enjoyed a winning record this year (17-7), which is likely a surprise for many. The team not only lost two of their leading scorers from last year, but also two of the top 5 leading scorers in Lady Cat basketball history, which were Caitlin Simon and Peyton Martin.

Although Head Coach Bart Weaver has coached high school sports for more than 30 years, this season marks the first time he's sat at the helm of a girls' basketball program. When asked if his team was looking to make a statement this season, his reply was simple.

"Yes sir. Yes sir," he said. "Our girls still carry that chip. Even before the season started-- and they still carry it now, as well as myself."

While there are still five regular season games remaining and the district tournament (which can be wildly unpredictable), Edmonson County is in a favorable position to be the first Lady Cat team to repeat as district champions since the 1994 and '95 teams. 

Edmonson County only shot 25% from the field against Grayson, were edged in the rebounding category (28-26), and had no players score in double figures; however, they kept their turnovers down (12) and found a way to win, despite two consecutive open shot attempts from the Lady Cougars at the buzzer that would've won it.

"We did all the wrong things to finish a game," Weaver said with a grin. "We missed free throws, we missed that layup at the end of the game that was huge, but I told them--good teams find a way to win, despite the adversity. We've had a few games like that this year, none bigger than this one. They just kept fighting and kept fighting."

Senior Chanley Logsdon hit what would be the game winner with 1 minute remaining in the game. Edmonson County trailed 29-30 when Logsdon buried a three on the right side that gave Edmonson County the lead for good. It was only Edmonson's second three of the game, both by Logsdon.

​Grayson County would manage only one more point off a free throw as they missed two opportunities for the win on the last possession of the game. Logsdon led the Lady Cats with 8 points.

Also scoring for the Lady Cats: Katie Lindsey and Madison Harrison had 7 each, Emma Vincent and Mia Goad had 4 each, and Lauren Ballance had 2.

Edmonson County will host Caverna at home on Monday in a G/B doubleheader, which will be broadcast live with audio and video on the Edmonson Voice.