It's time to hit the ball and touch 'em all! This week, the guys speak with Coach Bart Weaver and Coach Wyn Caudill. Give it a listen!

Who do you have winning the NCAA Tournament? Here's the bracket, good luck, and enjoy March Madness!

The guys wrap up ECHS Basketball this week and hear final thoughts on the 14-15 season from both Ted Hill and 3rd Region Coach of the Year, Mike McClintic. Give it a listen!

The Edmonson County Archery Team competed in it's first NASP State Tournament on Wednesday, March 11, in Louisville. That's pretty impressive, but it's down right phenomenal when you consider that just a few months ago, there wasn't even a team. "To be a program that's only 5 or 6 months old and competing in the state tournament is unheard of," said head coach Chris Shelton. 

What started out as a club with a handful of students that according to Shelton, "couldn't even hit a target," was quickly whipped into shape as they came together as a unit. "They've all made a commitment to this team and to each other. It's truly a team sport," Shelton said. 

The Board Of Education voted back in February to sanction the club as an official team, which granted it KHSAA affiliation. With that, the team now will have many more opportunities to compete on a bigger scale. 

The state competition was loaded with powerhouse teams that have been nailing the bulls eye for quite some time, and honestly, as a whole, Edmonson County didn't break any records...but they certainly broke new ground. Shelton said other schools and officials were very impressed with the team, considering the age of the program.

When asked how it was possible for the team to go from "zero-to-hero status" in such a short amount of time, Shelton quickly responded, "Character. This is a great group of kids, we don't have to worry about any of them. We hold these kids accountable, and they know that. They've worked hard to get here." 

The top EC scorers from the match were 8th Grader Jarrod Sanders, finishing in the top 9% of all middle school boys, and Caitlin Daniele, who finished in the top 39% of all girls statewide. 

In most sports, the conclusion of the state tournament is the end of the season. Not so with archery. It's a school-year round sport. Now, the team will continue to practice for other competitions in the near future. One in particular, The Best of The Bluegrass Competition, is an invitation-only event that allows only the best of the best to compete. This year's event has invited EC's own Trevor Roof to participate. Trevor, an eighth grader, finished in the top 12% of all middle school boys in the state competition. 

Even though the team is losing two seniors this year, Dakota Roof and Dakota Mills, Coach Shelton is already anticipating next year. He says with the group he has and the work ethic they've displayed, it will only get better. 

The team's coaching staff also consists of Wally Ritter, Jimmy Coniglio, Darren Smith, and Keith Sanders serves as booster club president. The team would like to thank the following sponsors for all their help so far:

• Jim Wilkerson, Forks of the River Archery
  
• The Edmonson County Local Chapter of the NWTF
  
• PBI Bank
• EconoSigns
• William Harp Photography
• Carroll Ridge Woodworking
• Sanders and Sanders Realty and Auction
• Mid-West Tax Group

The team is also selling cookbooks for $10 each as a fundraiser and you can contact any team member or coach for more information.

Darren Doyle
Edmonson Voice

Both the Wildcats and Lady Cats would have chosen different results in the Regional Tournament, however, two local players were recognized with All-Regional Awards, and the Wildcats head coach was crowned with Region 3 Coach of the Year honors.

Sr. Chase Turley is the son of Donnie and Jennifer Turley of Chalybeate. Freshman Caitlin Simon is the daughter of Jonathon and Jerika Simon of Chalybeate, and Michelle Allen of Bowling Green.

The Wildcats played their final game of the 2014-15 season as they fell to Owensboro Apollo 71-48 in the first round of the Region 3 Tournament on Saturday night, held at the Owensboro Sports Center. The height and athleticism of Apollo proved to be too much for the Wildcats as the boys in blue began to wear down as the game went on.

The Wildcats came out strong at the start of the game with a 12-12 tie after the first quarter. The second quarter saw Apollo take advantage of several Wildcat turnovers and held a 31-22 lead at halftime. 

The second half was all Apollo as they simply outmatched ECHS and pulled away for the victory. Senior Chase Turley led the way for the Wildcats with 13 points. Turley also made the Region 3 All-Tournament Team. Austin Sowders was the only other Wildcat in double figures with 10.

Also helping the cause was Senior Cole Bedwell with 6, Hunter Buttram with 6, Bailey Board and Iszic Blankenship had 4 each, Senior Dakota Woodcock added 3, and Senior Trevor Norris added two. 

It was an emotional time with 5 Seniors playing their last game, but there was still some reason to smile. Head Coach Mike McClintic was presented with Region 3 Coach of the Year Honors. "The award reflects the work the kids , coaches and support staff put in this year," Coach Mac said. "I was fortunate to have hard working kids and coaches that worked as a team and carried out that same theme from beginning to end of season. Great parent and fan support also helped carry out our team/family concept this season." 

A couple of bad quarters sealed the fate of the Lady Cats during last night's loss to Owensboro Catholic in the first round of the Region 3 Tournament at the Sportscenter in Owensboro. ECHS was able to hang with the number 2 rated team in the region during the first quarter, but the second was a different story as a couple of Lady Aces got hot. OC outscored the Lady Cats 18-6 during the second, taking a 32-16 lead into the locker room at the half. 

The third quarter was more of the same as the Lady Cats tried to play catch-up, yet trailed 54-28 going into the last quarter. ECHS hoped that maybe some good three point shooting would help the cause, but the girls only shot 17% from 3 on the night.  "I thought we had a good game plan," coach Ted Hill said. "We did a good job on defense the first half, we just couldn’t make any shots. We rushed some shots when we should have been more patient." Hill said his team fell victim to unforced turnovers and OC took advantage. "Catholic made a run on us at the end of the 2nd quarter when we didn’t take care of the ball.. We shut down their best player (Berry) the entire game, but Moore really hurt us. Jhonna Basil did a great job on Berry. "

Offensively, the Lady Cats were led by Caitlin Simon with 13 points and 3 rebounds. Senior Brandi Lindsey scored 9 points and dished out 9 assists in her final game as a Lady Cat. Peyton Martin added 7 points and 4 rebounds and Madelyne Taylor scored 2 while grabbing 6 rebounds. 

Other Lady Cat scorers were Jhonna Basil with 4, Skylar Lewis with 2, Senior Ceirra Whitman with 2, and Tori Browning added 3 with 3 rebounds. 

The Lady Cats finished their season with a 12-16 record. Brandi Lindsey tweeted this after the game: "Basketball has been so good to me. It has given me friendships that will last a lifetime. It will always be my first love." (@b3lindsey). Senior Ceirra Whitman also said, "Thanks to all my teammates and coaches for making my senior year great! I wouldn't trade it for the world. Love you all. #LCN" (@CeirraW).

Coach Hill was still very optimistic with the squad that will return next year. "The future looks good here. We have a lot of young kids that have gained valuable varsity experience. This should pay off in the long run."

The Edmonson Voice salutes all the Lady Cats and their coaching staff. Thanks for playing your hearts out, all of Edmonson County is proud. 

Edmonson Voice Staff

It's 3rd Region Basketball Tournament time! The guys preview Edmonson County's match-ups and speak with Coaches Ted Hill and Mike McClintic. Why wait? Listen now!