Hornets Harness Lightning, Defeat Wildcats 34-20

Edmonson County senior running back Michael Mills (24) carries the ECHS flag through the banner before competing against Metcalfe County in a high school football game Friday August 25 in Brownsville.

Story and photos by Joseph Barkoff:
​With the heat index in the triple digits throughout the day in Brownsville, the regular start time for the Edmonson County Wildcats to host the visiting Metcalfe County Hornets was pushed to 7:30 p.m. Friday, August 25 to help players, friends and families, enjoy the game a bit more.

Did it help? Perhaps.

The largest way it helped was get the fans, players and community closer to a double-digit heat index, with the sun setting over Wildcat Stadium at kickoff, and the breeze that eventually kicked in, it was anyone’s game to begin.

Though during pregame warmups, Metcalfe County loosened up without their shoulder pads and helmets in some cases. It could have ultimately been a sign of things to come, but, spoiler alert—there was a 30 minute lightning game delay with 6-plus minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Did the game delay give Metcalfe County a much-needed boost? It seemed so as the momentum left the Wildcats and shifted toward the Hornets.

It was a point brought up in the post-game interview on the Edmonson Voice live feed, where ECHS head coach Zach Vincent agreed.

Edmonson County elected to defer to the second half for the coin-toss and kicked to ball to Metcalfe to begin the game.

Lightning was not the only electricity on the field of play during the evening.

After stopping the Hornets at mid-field and forcing them to punt, the Wildcats, with great punt coverage from the visitors, stalled out themselves. Following a blocked punt, the Hornets capitalized on excellent field position and scored first.

The Wildcats then drove for a couple first downs and on third down and 5, from their own 35 -yard line, senior running back Michael Mills made it to the visiting sideline and followed it the endzone for a touchdown.

Edmonson County senior running back Michael Mills (24) breaks a tackle against visiting Metcalfe County in a high school football game Friday August 25 in Brownsville.

Edmonson County senior running back Michael Mills (24) outruns visiting Metcalfe County to the sideline in a high school football game Friday August 25 in Brownsville. Mills carried the ball 65 yards for a touchdown.

​The Wildcats were unable to convert the extra-point attempt and the score was 7-6 Metcalfe County with 4:41 left in the first quarter.

The electricity wasn’t done yet.

On the ensuing kickoff, Edmonson County elected to onside kick the ball and Aiden Seabolt was able to recover it for possession Edmonson.

The first quarter would end Edmonson down by one point with a 4th down and 15 on the 30. To begin the second quarter, they would ultimately turn the ball over .

The half would end with the score still 7-6 in favor of the visiting team.

In the third quarter Edmonson County tied the game at 14-14, after being behind 8 with a two-point conversion from Mills. By the end of the quarter, with 34 seconds remaining, Metcalfe would go back ahead.

The score was now 21-14, visiting Metcalfe County over Edmonson County.

With 6:26 left in the game, there was a lightning strike visible enough for an official to call a game delay.

Edmonson County would score again with 4:11 left with Mills in at the quarterback position on a 15-yard run to their right. The PAT went to the left following, and Mills did not have a path to the endzone this time.

Metcalfe County retained its lead 21-20.

Metcalfe would score twice more. The final score was on a pick-6 interception with only 20 seconds remaining in the game.

The final score was visiting Metcalfe County 34 and 20 for Edmonson County.

Edmonson County senior quarterback Noah Meredith (10) looks to pass against visiting Metcalfe County in a high school football game Friday August 25 in Brownsville.

Edmonson County senior quarterback Noah Meredith (10) breaks a tackle against visiting Metcalfe County in a high school football game Friday August 25 in Brownsville.

​“We tried to pull a rabbit out of our hat and it just didn’t go our way this time,” Vincent said.
 
I thought we were in better shape and didn’t see any of our guys take a knee, Vincent said. I was glad to see that, he said.
 
The players gathered around Vincent near the home endzone after the game.
 
“There’s nothing wrong with your work ethic,” Vincent said to his players after the game. “This one is on me. Right there towards the end, I made some bad calls.”
 
He said he is thankful for the patience and commitment of the families of the team. With the practice schedule consistently changing due to weather, but the desire to train and everyone believing in his system, he said.
 
“Getting the kids here and supporting them,” Vincent said. “I can’t ask for a better situation.”
 
“When we get to where we can play four quarters, we can play some football,” Vincent said.
 
They work hard, Vincent said. The kids, he wants a win for them, but he wants them to earn it, he said. 
 
“We are this close,” Vincent said holding up his thumb and pointy finger daylight close, “We are this close to being a different team.”
 
“I wish we would’ve, after we stopped them on that opening drive, I wish we could have come out and scored,” Mills said.
 
Mills hopes they can come out and score first to put the pressure on the other teams and looks forward to working hard in the next week to get ready for Muhlenberg County, he said.
 
Starting senior quarterback Noah Meredith feels his team played some good smash mouth football, he said. They just got the batter hand.
 
“I thought this was a very, very tough Metcalfe County team and I thought we played them really well,” Meredith said.
 
Meredith feels like his team often ends up playing from behind but feels as well like his coach and teammate Mills where if they can get ahead and score first, making the other teams have to catch up to them, it will be a good day, he said.
 
The biggest thing, Vincent said, is keep working boys, it’s going to happen.
 
Next week Edmonson County travels to play Muhlenberg County September 1 at 7 p.m.. 
 
 

Edmonson County head coach Zach Vincent speaks to his team after competing against visiting Metcalfe County in a high school football game Friday August 25 in Brownsville.