Cougars Defeat Wildcats in Season Opener 39-15

The Edmonson County offensive line squares up against Grayson County on August, 22, 2025.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The Grayson County Cougars overpowered the Edmonson County Wildcats and secured a decisive 39-15 victory in the season opener at Wildcat Stadium on Friday, August 22, 2025. The Cougars’ relentless offensive attack was led by Kadin Hanshaw, and while the Wildcats fought back with grit, they couldn’t close the gap.

The tone was set early as Hanshaw powered through for a 9-yard touchdown run with 8:41 left in the first quarter, though the extra point was missed, giving Grayson County a 6-0 lead. The Cougars’ momentum continued into the second quarter when Hanshaw struck again with a 20-yard touchdown run at 9:19, but a failed two-point conversion kept the score at 12-0.

The Wildcats struggled to run the ball early but got on the board with a 33-yard field goal by Colton White at 3:43, narrowing the gap to 12-3. However, Hanshaw’s third touchdown, a 5-yard run with 47.2 seconds left in the half, plus a successful extra point, sent the Cougars into halftime with a solid 19-3 lead.

Senior wide receiver Will Saling avoids a Grayson County defender on August 22, 2025.

Senior running back Blayne Deweese runs the ball against Grayson County on August 22, 2025.

Senior Tristen Muse throws a pass against Grayson County on August 22, 2025.

The Wildcats showed resilience in the third quarter with Jacoia Orvis scoring a 5-yard touchdown run at 6:00, though a missed two-point conversion left the score at 19-9. Grayson County answered swiftly, as Ethan Mudd broke free for a 32-yard touchdown run at 2:55. The extra point was no good, making it 25-9. Hanshaw continued his performance with a 7-yard touchdown run with just 10.5 seconds left in the third, pushing the Cougars’ lead to 32-9 after the extra point.

In the fourth quarter, Hanshaw capped his night with a 56-yard touchdown run at 9:17, extending Grayson County’s lead to 39-9. The Wildcats refused to go quietly, as Connor Self punched in a 5-yard touchdown run with 2:12 remaining, though a failed two-point attempt left the score at 39-15. Despite their late push, Edmonson County couldn’t overcome the Cougars’ early dominance, and the game ended with a final score of 39-15.

When asked if a halftime speech seemed to motivate the team to come out a little stronger in the third quarter, Coach Vessels said no.

"We really didn't change anything I was trying to do. I think, you know, it was no kind of fired up speech or nothing to get them going," he said. "They played hard in the first half. We just had some mistakes. We were out there a little too long on defense."

Vessels also noted the nine penalties that gave the Cougars 60 extra yards.

"We don't want to give them cheap yards like that, you know, get them easier conversions on the downs. But then offensively, it took us a little while to get rolling, but, you know, we're still, we knew how to attack them coming in. We didn't change how we was going to attack them in the second half. It's just, we started opening the holes a little better. We started hitting a few passes. And when we watch film, you know, we're going to see mistakes that we made, and you know, it should give us some hope like, hey, if we do this, this, fix this, fix that, we could be pretty good. I know last year when we played Grayson they really got a hold of us. It was 35-0. I think it was 39-15 tonight. We're not into moral victories, but we're getting better, I think. They're still very big and strong and physical when they ran the ball on us, and there were times we just couldn't get stops, and then there were times where we couldn't sustain drives. We can't have the fumbles and turnovers. We can't have the silly penalties. You know, there's lots of things to work on. And I told the boys, this is not the end of the season. You know, you' got nine more regular season games. If we had one tonight, we'd feel good. Tomorrow, we'd get right back to work on Clinton. We end up losing tonight. Nobody feels good about it. I feel horrible about it, but I can't dwell on it past the night 'cause tomorrow I've got to get to work on Clinton County and try to get a win next week."

For the Wildcats, Jacoia Orvis and Connor Self provided offensive sparks, while Colton White’s field goal kept Edmonson County competitive early. The Cats also showed signs of tough defense, breaking blocks, and making solid tackles.The game highlighted Grayson County’s ability to capitalize on big plays and maintain pressure, while the Wildcats showed flashes of potential that they’ll look to build on in upcoming games.

The Wildcats are 0-1 on the season and are scheduled to travel to Clinton County next Friday night at 7PM with the WildcatsLive crew going live at 6:45PM with the pregame show.