Lady Cats Are 2025 District 12 Champions, Defeat Grayson County 55-45

The Edmonson County Lady Cats celebrate with the 2025 District 12 Championship trophy after defeating Grayson County 55-45 in Whitesville on Feb. 27, 2025.

Story and photos by Joseph Barkoff:
​There might be something in the water in Edmonson County. Maybe it’s the cheese sticks with magical properties at the KHSAA 12th District Championship 2025 host Trinity High School Thursday, February 27th in Whitesville.
 
“It’s the growth and maturity of this group,” Edmonson County Lady Cats head coach Jody Booth said after winning the 12th District Championship.
 
Indeed.
 
The odds showed the Lady Cats at a numerical disadvantage against their rival opponent Grayson County Lady Cougars.
 
Since 1998 the Lady Cats were 22-45 against their neighbor Lady Cougars. 
 
This season, the Lady Cats lost their first game against the Lady Cougars on December 13, 2024, by a score of 41-48. When they met for the second time this season January 24, 2025, the Lady Cats were victorious by a commanding 52-36.
 
The Lady Cougars have won more District Championships than any Lady Cat parent would like to admit, Edmonson Voice broadcaster Jamie Carnes said.
 
Adding to the comfortable-in-big-games-mindset adversity the Lady Cats faced against the Lady Cougars, the Cougars also carry a scorer who is 40th in the state, and the team is 17th in free throw percentage at 70 percent per game as well as 43rd in 3-pointers, according to stats curated by Carnes.
 
The Lady Cats have their own ranked in the top of Kentucky too.
 
The No. 39 in the State in shooting happens to also be No. 4 in rebounding from Edmonson County Lady Cats junior power forward Cariann Williams at 14 per game.
 
The Lady Cats are also 33rd in defense with 42.6 points allowed per game, No. 6 in rebounding in the State hauling in 43.2 rebounds per game and 12th in free throw percentage at 72 percent, according to stats curated by Carnes.

Edmonson County Lady Cats junior power forward Cariann Williams (30) cuts a piece off the net after defeating rival Grayson County Lady Cougars 55-45 in the KHSAA 12th District Championship at host Trinity Thursday February 27 in Whitesville.

 
“Just us,” Booth said, quoting and summarizing Phil Jackson who won 11 NBA titles. “You can’t worry about other teams, you can’t worry about other fans, you just gotta go play basketball. And when you have a talented group like we do that play well together, when you just focus on ‘just us’ it’s some pretty basketball.”
 
Pretty it was. 
 
It was tough too.

​“We told the girls, District Championship, it’s always gonna be tough,” Booth said after the game. “So, it’s just us.”
 
“There were times where we were really challenged tonight,” Booth said. 

Edmonson County Lady Cats senior power forward Julie Norris (21) shoots a jumper against Grayson County Lady Cougars in the KHSAA 12th District Championship at host Trinity Thursday February 27 in Whitesville.

Edmonson County Lady Cats senior shooting guard Jenna Cook (3) gets control of the ball from Grayson County Lady Cougars in the KHSAA 12th District Championship at host Trinity Thursday February 27 in Whitesville.

Edmonson County Lady Cats senior shooting guard Kennadi Swihart (12) steals the ball from Grayson County Lady Cougars in the KHSAA 12th District Championship at host Trinity Thursday February 27 in Whitesville.

By the end of the first quarter the Lady Cats trailed the Lady Cougars 10-11.
 
But then things seemed to settle a bit more with Edmonson County and all those deep breaths they were taking before game.
 
The Lady Cats would end the first half outscoring the Lady Cougars 14-7 and at halftime the score was 24 to 18 in favor of the scoreboard home team.
 
Some other stats at the half saw both teams with 8 rebounds each, according to stats curated by WildcastLive Darren Doyle on the Edmonson Voice Live Half Time Show. The Lady Cats were shooting 8 for 20 from the field and 5-8 from the free throw line. They also had 6 turnovers versus Grayson County’s 8 team turnovers.
 
Each starter stepped up and played some of their best basketball yet this season.
 
If Williams was the fantasy starter for rebounds, she did not have her usual numbers by the end and she fouled out with 2:55 left in the fourth quarter.  
 
Williams would make her mark on the game and would end her night with an impressive 21 points and 6 rebounds, plus a handful of blocked shots. Six rebounds is excellent, but Williams seems to push herself up to 11 and plays better than excellent.
 
As well, it is not often she gets to play against young women her height, and despite having less mass than her tall Lady Cougar opponent, she won the battle of the inside for the evening.
 
It was 47-39 in favor of the Lady Cats with 2:55 left and senior power forward Maggie Cassady would come off the bench to offer some assistance.
 
“Playing without Cariann, it’s not the first time we’ve done it, but it definitely makes it harder,” Edmonson County senior power forward Julie Norris said. “Cause you always know she’s gonna be there for you if you mess up on something, so it’s definitely hard playing without her.”
 
But Edmonson County showed they could still play without their star forward. 
 
Booth reminded his players about being without her on the floor against Daviess County, “for the longest time.”
 
“So, go finish the job,” Booth told his players.
 
He trusts the kids, he said.
 
“I know they are gonna play smart knowing they have those two or three fouls,” Booth said on the Post Game Show. “It’s great to watch that you can trust those kids.”
 
Play smartly they did. 
 
One of the smallest people on the court, in terms of physics, might be senior shooting guard Jenna Cook. She plays as though physics do not concern her because her speed, timing, toughness and tenacity saw Cook grab the most rebounds for the Lady Cats on the evening with 8. She also scored 5 points and had a handful of steals.
 
Edmonson County Lady Cats sophomore point guard Shelby Sowders scored 15 with 5 boards while keeping the ball safe, moving it up the court and out of trouble most of the night. 
 
One new skill Sowders has recently exhibited is a reverse layup and at first, she had done them successfully going left. Against Grayson she showed either direction is a score.
 
Fellow Lady Cat starter and physics denier, senior shooting guard Kennadi Swihart is the balance and other half to Cook’s speed, timing, toughness and tenacity. Knee-brace-equipped Swihart fearlessly swarms her back court opponents attempting to move the ball and makes teams pay when they leave her unguarded. 
 
Swihart scored 10 points, 7 from the free throw line going 7 for 8, and had 1 rebound.
 
Only starters scored points for the Lady Cats on the evening including Norris with 4 points and 3 rebounds. Norris scored a key shot from the corner to set the Lady Cats in motion to swing momentum their way.
 
“Oh it’s so awesome,” Edmonson County senior Julie Norris said after the game. “I mean this is what we have been working for all season, right? And the past couple seasons and last year was kinda sad cause we thought we were gonna go farther, but this year we did it. This is it.”

​When the last buzzer sounded the score was 55-45 in favor of the Edmonson County Lady Cats with their fifth district title in the last eight seasons.

Edmonson County Lady Cats head coach Jody Booth speaks to his team during a timeout against Grayson County Lady Cougars 55-45 in the KHSAA 12th District Championship at host Trinity Thursday February 27 in Whitesville.

Edmonson County Lady Cats junior power forward Cariann Williams (30) finishes a steal-fast break with a layup against Grayson County Lady Cougars in the KHSAA 12th District Championship at host Trinity Thursday February 27 in Whitesville.

Edmonson County Lady Cats sophomore point guard Shelby Sowders shoots a free throw against Grayson County Lady Cougars in the KHSAA 12th District Championship at host Trinity Thursday February 27 in Whitesville.

Since the 1997-98 season, the Lady Cats have won only one Regional Game, said Booth who is a self-proclaimed “stat nerd” with a spread sheet of information.
 
“Every player that played, made some really big plays,” Booth said. 

Booth credits their determination with their strength and conditioning starting back before the season, he said. 
 
“Last year there might have been times where we would freak out, but this year, even turnover-wise and basketball-wise we’re a much better team,” he said.
 
“That is the best reward as a coach,” Booth said on the Edmonson Voice Live Post Game Show while watching his players cut pieces of the net down.
 
Booth does not want to be a team that is just okay, he said. 
 
Okay with winning or losing, it was a good run?
 
No, Booth said. Not at all.
 
“I don’t want to be okay with just a first-round exit,” Booth said on the Post Game Show. 
 
“I feel like this team can give challenges to whoever we draw in a Regional Tournament,” Booth said on the Post Game Show. 
 
They will for sure.
 
The games will be drawn Saturday, March 1st and announced. The Lady Cats expect to play Monday or Tuesday night for Round 1 in the KHSAA Region 3 Tournament.
 
They will be played at the Sportscenter in Owensboro.