Basketball is here! Join us as we talk to Lady Cat Head Coach Ted Hill and update scores from all the latest action. Also, find out what Larry Starnes has to do with the Big Reedy Christmas Wreath...a Wildcat Alley exclusive!

Fishing Report 11/22/14

Barren River Lake

Water Temperature 47

Water Clarity: Stained

  The past few weeks have brought significant weather changes across south central Kentucky.  Snow, sleet, wind, rain….you name it and we’ve experienced it.  Front after front has moved through the area and fishing has been challenging to say the least.  Cold weather coupled with falling water in our reservoirs will make you scratch your head at times trying to find some fish.  The good news is, they can still be caught.  A short trip to Barren River Lake this past Saturday afternoon proved to be great fun catching fish.  

Square bill cranks proved to be the best weapon for black bass in shallow water adjacent to the main lake.  You’ll have to cover a lot of water to find them but rest assured they are there although scattered.  Barren is also well known for its hybrid bass population and if you want to experience a feisty tug of war just hook a nice one and hang on for the ride.  The hybrids were feeding and a 3/8 oz lipless crank in shad color was the hot offering.  Just look for the shad activity and you’ll find the hybrid bass…simple as that.  

Once you find them just work the area back and forth and you’ll catch as many as you can stand and have a load of fun doing it.   Enjoy your time on the water and remember to always practice safe boating by wearing life jackets and paying close attention during low light hours with your lights on.  Winter weather brings additional necessary safety precautions so please be careful.  It’s best if you can fish with a partner because cold water is dangerous if you find yourself taking the unplanned dip in the lake.  If that’s not possible, always let someone know where you are going to be in the case of an emergency.  Get in there and fish!

UK Basketball, Lady Cats, Wildcat Basketball, and ECMS Lady Cats. Also featuring Mike McClintic.

Attention all Cincinnati Reds Fans: Thanks to the Reds and Edmonson Voice sponsors The Redlegs Radio Report on ESPN Radio in Bowling Green, we're giving away a pair of tickets for RedsFest, held on Dec 5-6th, at the Duke Energy Center in downtown Cincinnati.  What is RedsFest, you ask? If you're a Reds fan, it's something you don't want to miss. It's basically a Star Trek convention for Reds fans. For two days, the Duke Energy Center (a huge convention center) is filled with player autograph booths, photo opportunities, merchandise, game-used items for sale, meet-and-greets, live interviews, and tons more. An assortment of Reds players, past and present, coaching staff, broadcasters and mascots, give you the opportunity to meet them, one-on-one. There are several stages where you can watch and hear live interviews with players and coaches, and on one stage, the Redlegs Radio Report will be in charge, doing a live, three-hour show. 

How do you win? Just email us and tell us you want 'em, it's that simple. Be sure to give us your full name, address, and phone number and we'll give two passes (valued at over $100) to the first person we get.  

On Monday November 3rd, the ECMS Lady Cats traveled to Beaver Dam, KY to square off with the Lady Eagles of Ohio County.  Coach Tom Vincent’s 7th grade squad controlled the game from the tip of the ball until the final horn, never trailing in the game and winning 24-13. Lauren Ballance led the 7th grade team with 12 points.

The 8th grade Lady Cats came in with a chip on their shoulder looking to prove something as Coach Tyra Ballance saw her team get off to a hot start on both offense and defense with a 10-2 lead after the first quarter, and a 17-8 lead at halftime. The Lady Cats hot hands continued in the second half as the toppled the Lady Eagles 34-20, sweeping both games in Beaver Dam. The 8th grade team was lead in scoring by Chanley Logsdon with 12, Lauren Ballance with 11, and Madison McCombs contributed 6 points.

On November 8th, Hancock County traveled to Edmonson County for a Saturday midday game against the Lady Cats. Once again the 7th grade team came ready to play with a near perfectly executed first half for Coach Tom Vincent, heading to the locker room at halftime with an 18-0 lead. Not looking back, they finished the game off with another mark in the win column, beating Hancock County  31-5, and keeping the 7th Grade Lady Cat’s record perfect, at 4-0.

Hancock County’s 8th grade team came out on fire in the first quarter, as they outscored the Lady Cats 7-4. But it wouldn't last as the Lady Cats turned their defense up in the second quarter, limiting Hancock County to only 5 points, as they entered the locker room at halftime, leading 16-12. The Lady Cat’s hot hands continued on into the second half, outscoring their opponent in the 3rd and 4th quarters, taking home the victory 39-25. The 8th grade team improved their record to 3-1. Lauren Ballance and Keely Doyle both added 7 points, Hannah Meredith came up with 8 points and starting point guard Chanley Logsdon lead the way with 11 points.

On Monday, November 10,  ECMS hosted Breckenridge County at home for both 7th and 8th grade matches. Like all the previous games, the 7th grade Lady Cats came to play, and on fire. At halftime they lead 19-2, eventually winning 31-16.  Starting point guard Katie Lindsey had a big game with 10 points, 4 steals, as starting center, Emma Rose Vincent may have had the best performance of the night with 8 points,  4 steals, and 4 rebounds.

Hoping to not repeat the outcome of their first game with Breckenridge County, Coach Tyra Ballance made adjustments and played some different schemes this time around, but it took the girls a while to get going, trailing 21-16 at halftime. Breckenridge County focused most of their defense on Lauren Ballance, consistently sending her to the free throw line. In the end, Breckenridge County proved to be too tough for the Lady Cats, and stole one at home from them 41-32. Madison McCombs lead the Lady Cats with 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal.

On Friday, November 13, the rivalry between Grayson County and Edmonson County continued as the Lady Cougars traveled to ECMS.  The 7th grade Lady Cougars (6-2) came out firing on all cylinders, taking the Lady Cats by surprise and outscoring them in the first quarter 8-5. At the half, Grayson County lead 13-12 and Coach Tom Vincent entered the locker room for the first time all year with a deficit.  However, whatever he said in the locker room worked, because the Lady Cats dominated the 3rd quarter as they shut down Grayson, not allowing a single point  by the Lady Cougars while having their highest scoring quarter of the year. The 7th grade Lady Cats ran away with the W, with a final score of 35-15. Katie Lindsey finished the game with 9 points and 6 steals, and Emma Rose Vincent had 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block for the Lady Cats. The 7th grade team is now at a perfect 6-0.

As the the 8th grade teams took the court, The Lady Cougars came out ready to play. The ECMS got into foul trouble early and put Grayson County in the bonus just after the start of the 2nd quarter. The Lady Cougars started to run away with the game and at half time lead the Lady Cats 22-10.  Grayson County remained in control into the 4th quarter, but with  2 minutes left, ECMS point guard Chanly Logsdon made a key basket, along with some free throws to tie the game with just under a minute to play. As Grayson began setting up the next play,  Lady Cat forward Madison McCombs stole the ball, took it from coast to coast, scored and was fouled, giving ECMS their first lead of the game 37-35 with 53 seconds left to play. Lauren Ballance got a huge rebound on the McCombs free-throw miss, and was fouled on the attempted put back. Going 1 for 2 at the line, Ballance increased the Lady Cats lead to 38-35, and that would be all the Lady Cats needed as they held on for the comeback win over Grayson County’s Lady Cougars.  Ballance lead all scorers with 15 points, adding 8 rebounds, with 3 assists, Madison McCombs added 6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals and Chanley Logsdon finished the game with 8 points. The 8th grade Lady Cats improve to 4-2.

ECMS will play 3 games this week, with a home game tonight, while traveling to Barren County Middle School tomorrow night, and Hancock County on Saturday.

This week's Edmonson Voice ECMS Lady Cats player of the week will be the 8th Grade Starting 5, Chanley Logsdon, Hannah Meredith, Keely Doyle, Madison McCombs, and Lauren Ballance.

Logan Hagan, 13, an 8th grade student at ECMS, has been selected to Team Kentucky, a team compiled of the best middle school football players in the state. This is the second year in a row that Logan has been part of the team. Logan, who is 6’ 5” and 325lbs, was selected to the Eastbay All-American Team East last year where he competed in San Antonio, Texas.

There are many factors for being selected to Team Kentucky, the first being grades, where Logan has close to a 4.0 GPA. Size, speed, physical ability, are also considered, in addition to attitude and toughness.

 Logan will travel to Nelson County to begin practice next weekend and his first game will be on December 6th in Paducah against Western North Carolina. If Team Kentucky advances, they could compete in the National Championship in Naples, Florida.

Logan obviously has a passion for football, but also enjoys hunting and is a member of the ECMS 8th grade basketball team.  Good Luck, Logan! Congratulations, we’re all proud of your accomplishments and we hope you do well for Team Kentucky.

Edmonson Voice Staff
Crystal Frederick, Contributor, Photos

LOUISVILLE, Ky. –  A Jackson, Mississippi, man was sentenced to 24 months in prison by Chief Judge Joseph H. McKinley Jr,  in United States District Court Monday, November 3, 2014,  following his conviction for the attempted online extortion of the University of Louisville Athletic Association, announced David J. Hale, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky.
Thomas E. Ray, age 36, of Jackson Mississippi was convicted of a single count of extortion, by means of threatening communication, by a federal jury in Louisville, on August 13, 2014. The jury deliberated less than two hours before reaching a guilty verdict.
According to evidence presented at trial, Ray used the alias “Melinda White” when he knowingly sent an email communication from his home in Jackson, to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, on April 23, 2013.  Ray’s email was sent to two University of Louisville employees with a threat to injure the reputation of the University of Louisville Athletic Association and a demand for $3.5 million.
Ray was indicted by a federal grand jury in Louisville, on October 16, 2013. The indictment was unsealed on October 24, 2013, following Ray’s arrest in Mississippi, by the U.S. Marshal Service.
Ray faced no more than two years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 and a one year period of supervised release.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney A. Spencer McKiness and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Louisville Metro Police Department, and Office of the Kentucky Attorney General.

As the Friday Night Lights of fall sports get closer to the end, that means only one thing for sports fans: it’s time for Basketball in the state of Kentucky.  From Owensboro to Pikeville, Lexington to Connecticut, boys and girls have already been practicing for months now, preparing for the 2014-2015 basketball season, and that would include our own Edmonson County Middle School  Lady Cats. Coaches Tyra Ballance and Tom Vincent have been hard at work preparing their girls for the upcoming season.  Learning new plays, new positions on offense, and new defensive schemes are just a few of the many things these young Lady Cats have been working on since practice began at the start of the school year. 

To help with team building and developing team chemistry, they've participated in tons of activities outside the gym. The Lady Cats attended a double header at Bowling Green Ball Park to watch the Hotrods in action, and then in early October they held their annual Pancake Breakfast at The Byrd Activity Center in Chalybeate, where the guest speaker was Coach Daniels from  Austin Peay. Entering into her 9th year as Head Coach, she spoke to the girls about being team players, role models, (on and off the court), and the importance of hard work. The pancake breakfast is the biggest booster event they have each year, and it brings in about 90% of the money raised annually.

After months of practice, the ECMS Lady Cats traveled to Breckenridge County for their first game of the year on October 21. The 7th grade team, with Coach Tom Vincent at the helm, came out firing on all cylinders. With the inside play of Madison Harrison and Lauren Ballance, they cruised to an easy 28-19 win.  Harrison led the team in scoring with 12 points. 

Not to be outdone, coach Tyra Ballance’s 8th grade team started out strong in their season opener, with a 13-11 halftime lead for the Lady Cats. This game was back and forth until the very end, but Breckenridge’s strong outside shooting let them slip away with the win against ECMS 36-25. The Lady Cats were led in scoring by Chanley Logsdon with 10 points, and Lauren Ballance with 8. 

Two days later on October 23rd, the Lady Cats returned to action in their home opener against Butler County.  Again, the 7th grade team came out on fire, lighting the nets up offensively and wearing down the Lady Bears with their full court-style defense. Coach Tom Vincent and the 7th grade Lady Cats picked up their 2nd win of the season, routing BCMS 35-9, with Lauren Ballance leading the way with 10 points. 

The ECMS 8th grade Lady Cats were looking to bounce back in their first home game, and bounce back they did... from the tip off until the final horn.  The Lady Cats looked were virtually untouchable with a 25-2 lead at half time, then cruising to a  38-16 victory. Hannah Meredith and Lauren Ballance led the team in scoring with 11 points each. Coach Ballance said she was proud of the way her Lady Cats played. "We're looking forward to getting back into practice, to hopefully keep the girls on a roll, and work on things we need to do to improve," she said.

The Lady Cats travel to Beaver Dam TONIGHT,  Nov 3rd, to play the Ohio County Lady Eagles in a much anticipated game. The 7th grade game tip off is at 5:30. The next home game will be Nov 8th when the Lady Cats will  play Hancock County Middle School,  tipping off at 11 am.

My pick for The Lady Cats player of the week is Lauren Ballance. She scored 39 points in 4 games for ECMS and is a key player for both the 7th and 8th grade teams. Good luck to the girls in their games this week.

Shawn McCombs, 
Edmonson Voice

The Edmonson County Wildcat football team fell to 4-6 on the season after last Friday night’s 26-6 loss in Morgantown. The Wildcats trailed 8-6 after the first half, but turnovers and some injuries played a major factor in the second half.

The Bears got on the board first when a Wildcat punt snap when high out of the back of the endzone for a safety. On the ensuing kickoff, the Bears returned the kickoff for a touchdown. The Wildcats stopped the extra point to keep the score at 8-0 to end the first quarter. The Wildcat offense bounced right back. Freshman Tucker Cole took a sweep around right end for a 47 yard run to the Bears 9 yard line. Two plays later, sophomore Jake Dial scored from 2 yards out on a quarterback sneak. The Wildcats two point conversion attempt failed and kept the score at 8-6 with 8:36 left in the first half. The Wildcats moved the ball into Bear territory but an interception right before the half kept the Bears in front 8-6.

The second half remained a defensive game as both teams traded punts. The Bears defense came up with a big play when a defensive lineman intercepted a Wildcat screen pass and returned it 10 yards for a touchdown.  The extra point attempt was wide to keep the score 14-8 with 6:18 left in the third quarter.  The Bears extended their lead when a Butler County receiver caught a short pass on the Bears sideline and a missed tackle led to a 65 yard touchdown pass.  The extra point failed to keep the score 20-6 with 2:40 left in the 3rd quarter. The Bears scored their final touchdown on a 2 yard pass with 10:20 left in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats stopped the two point conversion attempt to keep the score 26-6. Both teams traded possessions to end the game.

According to head football coach Kyle Pierce, the game was decided by a few key plays. “I thought we played extremely well defensively for most of the night. Two of their touchdowns came on a kick return and an interception return. Our defense gave up two big pass plays all night. One went for 65 and the other set up their last score.  We held them to 6 yards of offense in the first half. We had too many turnovers offensively, and too many mistakes in our kicking game.  Butler has a good football team this year and you simply cannot make the amount of mistakes we did and beat them.”

The Wildcats now turn their focus on the Class AAA playoffs where they will travel to Trigg County in the first round.  Pierce says the Wildcats will have to be physically and mentally tougher than they have played this season. “Trigg County has some monsters on their offensive and defensive line. They have a few really nice skill players in their running backs and quarterback. They really try to spread you out with formations and run you over. We will have to stop their running game and create some big plays. We know it’s a challenge, but we know if we come out and take care of the football and play well defensively and in our kicking game, that we will be alright. We’ll go back to work this week and have a great week of practice and prepare as hard as we can for Trigg County.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 in Cadiz. 

ECHS Athletics