Football: Wildcats Win Over Metcalfe, 4-1 On Year

Edmonson Voice Sports
The Edmonson County Wildcat football team moved to 4-1 on the season with a 21-6 victory over Metcalfe County this past Friday night in Edmonton.

The Wildcats and Hornets played good defense early in the contest as the Wildcats were forced to punt on both teams' first three possessions. The Wildcat defense played exceptionally well as the Wildcat offense was pinned twice inside their own 10-yard line on Hornet punts. The Wildcat offense found their spark midway through the second quarter as sophomore quarterback Tucker Cole found sophomore receiver Logan Lindsey down the Wildcat sideline for a 54-yard touchdown pass. Sophomore kicker Brett Brannon made the extra point for a 7-0 lead. Both teams traded punts as the first half ended with the Wildcats holding on to a 7-0 lead.

The Wildcat defense came up with a huge play when junior cornerback Rheece Berkley intercepted Hornet quarterback (and last year's Wildcat QB) Jake Dial’s pass at the Hornet 45-yard line. The Wildcat offense struck immediately as sophomore running back Zack Farmer took a handoff, ran right for a few steps and then threw a long pass to Lindsey who broke free behind the Hornet defensive backs for a 45-yard touchdown pass. Brannon’s extra point gave the Wildcats a 14-0 lead early in the third quarter. 


The Wildcat defense stepped up with another big play as senior defensive end Tyler Hayes jumped on a fumble on the next offensive snap from the Hornets. The Wildcats needed just five plays as junior running back Daniel Caudill broke loose for a 19-yard run to set the Wildcats up at the 1-yard line. Cole used a quarterback sneak to score the Wildcats last touchdown. Brannon added the extra point for a 21-0 lead with a few minutes left in the third quarter.


 After both teams traded possessions, the fourth quarter began and the Hornets were deep in Wildcat territory after a 12 play drive that was aided by two Wildcat penalties. On 4th and goal at the five yard line, Dial found tight end Zack Fancher for a touchdown. The Wildcats stopped the Hornets on their two point conversion attempt to keep the score 21-6. The Wildcats moved the ball to midfield before being forced to punt the ball deep to the Hornets. 


Metcalfe County’s offense moved the ball downfield inside the Wildcat red zone. However, the Wildcat defense stepped up when Farmer intercepted Dial and gave the Wildcats the ball deep inside their own territory. The Wildcats punted the ball back to the Hornets around midfield and this time the Wildcat defense stopped the Hornet offense quickly with two sacks. This gave the Wildcats the ball back to take two victory snaps as the Wildcat offense took a knee to run out the clock and secure the 21-6 win.

According to ECHS head football coach Kyle Pierce, this win was another big step in the right direction. “I am proud of our guys for the way they came out and handled the business at hand," he said. "We've won three straight games by out-playing our opponent and staying focused in on every play and eliminating big mistakes. We're still making some mistakes, but we've done a good job of minimizing those big plays against us. Defensively, we held them out when we had very bad field position most of the entire first half. Our offense made some big plays Friday night with two long touchdown passes and a couple nice runs. Our special teams played well and did a great job in coverage. We're improving each week and that's what any coach wants to see.”

Now the Wildcats turn their attention to their Class AAA, Region 1, District 2 schedule. The new district returns familiar foes Hart County and Adair County, and adds new faces with Larue County and Elizabethtown.

The Wildcats will play E-Town this Friday night in Brownsville, and currently the Panthers are ranked #4 in last week’s Class AAA state ranking. 


According to Pierce, the Panthers are deserving of their ranking. “They're a really good football team. They're well coached and have a really good group of senior athletes that have played since their sophomore season. E-town runs a mis-direction offense that you don't see much anymore but it is really effective, and especially effective if you don't stay disciplined defensively. They are a really good defensive team as well. Every game is important, but with district play beginning, each game has an added importance for us if we want to make a playoff run come November. Our guys are starting to come together and play well. You don’t always get to play a ranked opponent at home in a district opener, so this is a great opportunity for our guys to see where we are as a team. Our goal is to play good football. Minimize mistakes and play tough football. We are halfway through our regular season with a 4-1 record. Now it’s a new season so to speak with four of our next 5 games being district games. I know our guys want to continue playing good football. We will need a big crowd Friday night. It is amazing what a great crowd can do for the kids when our community rallies around them.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00. You can listen to the game broadcast live, right here on Wildcats Live, only on EdmonsonVoice.com.