Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Lady Cats dominated the Lady Cougars of Grayson County in every way last night in a 38-14 Edmonson County at ECHS.

They out-rebounded Grayson County 27-13, shot 43% from the field on 13 of 30 shooting, made all 8 of their free throws, and held Grayson County to a season low 14 points and 16% shooting from the field. The Lady Cougars made only 5 field goals all night and were held completely scoreless in the third quarter.

The Lady Cats jumped out to an 11-2 lead after the first, led 20-7 at the half, and 26-7 after three.

They were led by freshman Cariann Williams who scored 15 and grabbed 8 rebounds. Callie Webb and Riley Roy each scored 5, Emma White, Jenna Cook, and Kennadi Swihart each had 3, and Annie Kiper and Lily Jayne Vincent had 2 points each.

Edmonson County improves to 14-6 on the season and 3-1 in district play. Their one loss comes from Butler County, who will be the other contender for the number one seed. The Lady Cats have two more district games remaining: one against Butler County on the road and Trinity at home. They must win both to have a chance at the top seed. With two wins and a Butler County loss, Edmonson and Butler will be tied 5-1 in the district. A coin toss would determine the number one seed.

Their next game is scheduled on the road at North Hardin on January 31st.

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With a nearly packed-out gym at Edmonson County High School for the 2023 basketball homecoming, the Wildcats took the floor with authority, as they jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never looked back in a 69-64 win over district rival Butler County.

Facing Butler County's offensive threats Ty Price, a sophomore guard that averages 30 points per game, and Lawson Rice, a sophomore forward good for 19 points per game, Edmonson County's game plan was to focus on fundamental basketball and not get caught up in a big game atmosphere, or who is scoring what.

The Wildcats did just that with solid defense and rebounding. They held the Bears' scoring stars to 25 and 14, respectively. While 39 points is still plenty of offense for two players, it's ten points lower than their combined averages, which could've been the difference in the game.

"They have two great players and we just wanted Price to work for everything he got--kind of 'kill the legs' and make him work for it," said Head Coach Brad Johnson. "I feel like we did that. If a guy makes a fade away in your face with you hand up, you know, good shot, man, and go the other way. We handled late-game situations better, but still threw it away a little bit. I told them before the game--what an atmosphere. One month from now in the district tournament, we're going to play better than we play tonight, but let's play better than we play tonight. We haven't played our best game yet."

Coach Johnson said free throw shooting must improve in order to be a late-season quality team and the Wildcats missed several opportunities late in the game. It allowed Butler County to close the scoring gap in the final minute, which made the game much closer than it actually was throughout the contest. The Cats shot only 44% from the line on 11 of 25 shooting.

From the field, shooting was a different story for the Cats. They shot 62% from the floor on 26 of 42 shooting and made 6 out of 12 from behind the arc (50%). They out-rebounded the Bears and took advantage of beating them down the floor in transition for several easy layups. While Price still put up 25 points for Butler County, they were spread out and relatively quiet for the game.

The Wildcats committed 17 turnovers, but Coach Johnson said that while that looks bad on paper, it's not as bad as it seems.

"When I used to press and play up and down the whole game, a reporter said to me once, "coach, you turned it over 17 times," but I said, "did you see how many times the game went up and down the floor?" There were so many possessions in that game that there's opportunities to make turnovers. But I get it, we can't make that many, and heck, we got caught up in the action and threw the ball over our heads a couple of times. So there's stuff to clean up. When you get a win, you can watch the negative stuff, you don't have to pound 'em on the back and build 'em back up. When you win, you get to play out the negatives, so we'll fix it."

Coach said that there is no rest for the weary and their schedule is difficult for a reason, and that's for the purpose of playing their best basketball during the postseason.

"We should be built 'Ford-tough' by the end of the year with the gantlet we've been through, so hopefully, that's the way it's going to work out."

It was a team effort by the Wildcats, with four players in double figures and one with a double-double.

Will Alexander led with 15 points and 7 rebounds, Braden Wall had 14 points and 11 rebounds, Braxton Highbaugh had 12 points, Tyler Anderson had 10, Zander Bass had 8, Caden Mills had a big 7 points off the bench, and Boden Bates had 3.

Edmonson County is now 11-8 on the season and 2-1 in District 12 play. They are scheduled to travel to Todd County Central on Monday for a JV/V match beginning at 6PM.

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While their defense kept them in the game and limited Butler County to a season-low 25 points, the Lady Cats' offense couldn't get going, which resulted in only 21 points of offense, also a season-low.

"When you hold somebody to 25 points, you're supposed to win," said Head Coach Bart Weaver. "We just couldn't put it in the hole. I don't know, but I bet we missed about 10 layups."

While turnovers were lower than average (10), out-rebounding the Lady Bears, and being able to considerably slow down the pace of the game, the slow offense wouldn't allow the Lady Cats to gain any momentum, playing catch up for the majority of the contest.

Scoring was led by Annie Kiper and Jenna Cook with 5 points each, Riley Roy added 4, and Lily Jayne Vincent, Cariann Williams, Callie Webb, and Kennadi Swihart added 2 points each.

"We just gotta regroup," Weaver said. "Listen, the rest of our schedule is set up, it's winnable--every game, and it's also lose-able every game. If you look at our schedule, from now on, it's pretty tough and you can win 'em or lose 'em. So we've got to have a mindset next week of playing Clinton (County) and getting that momentum back for the Grayson game on Friday."

The Lady Cats are now 12-6 on the season and 2-1 in district play, with wins over Grayson County and Trinity. They are scheduled to travel to Clinton County on January 24th and another district match next Friday as they host Grayson County.

Madison Doyle, story and photos:
Senior Margaux Lunot was named the Edmonson County 2023 Basketball Homecoming Queen during the ECHS girl/boy doubleheader against Butler County. Margaux, a foreign exchange student from France, is the daughter of Ricky and Kristen Jurisich, and was escorted by Timmy Johnson, son of Tim and Virginia Johnson.

The Freshman Princess was Lola Bolton, daughter of Andrew and Lindsay Bolton. She was escorted by Bladen Cook, son of Timmy and Dawnita Cook.

The Sophomore Princess was Mackenzie Baker, daughter of Jonathan and Tiffany Baker. She was escorted by Levi Minton, son of Kevin and Robin Minton.

The Junior Princess was Carly Burris, daughter of Brandy Burris. She was escorted by Haydn Burrell, son of Bobby and Andrea Burrell.

The Little Miss Wildcats and Mr. Wildcats from South Edmonson Elementary were Harper Deweese, daughter of Heather and Clay Deweese, escorted by Dean Beliles, son of Wesley and Callie Beliles. Also Charlotte Watt, daughter of Josh and Jordan Watt, escorted by Hayden Priddy, son of Jason and Amber Priddy.

Crowning the winners was last year's homecoming queen Hallie Cassady, daughter of Staffane and Kyle Cassady, escorted by Trace Taylor, son of Nathan Taylor and Heather Alexander.

Darren Doyle, story: Alyssa Doyle, photos:
After the Wildcats took a 19-18 lead in the second quarter, the Trinity Raiders went on a 23-2 scoring spree that put the game out of reach for Edmonson County last night in Whitesville, as the Cats fell 58-42.

Eight consecutive scoring trips for the Raiders that included 6 straight three-pointers throughout the end of the half and the beginning of the third quarter had the Cats on their heels. The Raiders shot 16 of 30 from the field for 53% shooting and 9 of 19 from behind the arc for 47%.

Head Coach Brad Johnson was obviously unhappy with the loss and took the blame upon himself.

"I'll take the blame, I didn't have us ready," he said. "I didn't have us ready for their half court traps and that's what we expected.

He said it was simply a bad night on all accounts for his team.

"They kind of disrespected us. I mean they stay out here and dance instead of going in at halftime and making any adjustments, they didn't tell us they didn't have any water for us over here, but that's not why we lost. It's just a complete bad night in every way it could be a bad night. I couldn't even talk in the dressing room for listening to them celebrate, so I just hope it burns us to our soul and we remember that the next time it comes around. But hey, credit them. They played great and made shots, made plays, and we didn't make plays."

Leading the scoring for the Wildcats was Braxton Highbaugh with 14 points. Braden Wall finished with 10 points, Will Alexander and Zander Bass each scored 6, Caden Mills added 2, and Boden Bates had 1.

Edmonson County is now 9-7 on the season and are 1-1 in district play. They are scheduled to take on Apollo at home tonight.

Darren Doyle, story: Alyssa Doyle, photos:
It was a sloppy first half for the Lady Cats last night as they traveled to Whitesville to take on district foe Trinity High School,  but they girls made enough adjustments in the second half to take a lead and keep it for their eleventh win of the season and to keep a perfect record in district play.

The Lady Raiders, who are winless on the season (0-14), held the Lady Cats to only 5 points in the first quarter and Trinity led 17-16 at the half.

Coach Bart Weaver said his girls were too passive during the first half.

"I had a pretty animated speech at the half because I had a couple girls that were 'me, me, me,'" he said. "Well I'm not getting the ball--they're not passing it to me, So I blew that up quick...It's we, we, we, not me, me, me. That's not how this team is, and that's not how it's ever been."

Edmonson County tightened up their defensive pressure and cut down on their turnovers in the second half, taking a 31-23 lead after the third. They extended their lead to as much as 20 in the fourth and went on to win 50-32.

Lily Jayne Vincent led the Lady Cats in scoring with 13 and pulled 8 rebounds. Riley Roy scored 12 off the bench and Annie Kiper and Jenna Cook each added 5 points. Cariann Williams, Emma White, and Callie Webb each scored 4 points.

Edmonson County improved to 11-5 on the season and are 2-0 in district play. They are scheduled to travel to Green County on January 16th for a JV/V match beginning at 5:30.

The full game is available for viewing on the Edmonson Voice YouTube Channel. The Edmonson Voice is proud to be the exclusive video stream provider for Edmonson County High School Sports since 2016.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
It wasn't the prettiest win, but bonus points for appearances aren't given in win/loss records, and the Lady Cats added another "W" to their list last night in a 38-36 win over South Warren.

The Lady Cats were out-rebounded 29-18 last night, which doesn't happen often. When it does, they usually lose. They also committed 19 turnovers, which is another stat line that usually results in a loss, and they also scored less than 40 points, which is the first win they've notched while doing so.

So how did they win?

Their defensive pressure helped result in 22 turnovers for the Lady Spartans and held them to 29% shooting for the game. They were also able to make free throws--something that has caused some issues in past games. They hit 16 of 21 from the line for 76% shooting, making key shots down the stretch.

Head Coach Bart Weaver said while the rebounding and turnovers weren't pretty, the Lady Cats overcame that with their defense and by hitting shots when they needed them.

"Sometimes you see in a lot of our losses, you'll see all those turnovers, and then we'll still shoot bad from the field, and shoot bad from the free throw line," Coach Weaver said. "But I've always told them, and I guess when they're 35 years old they'll still remember it, but if we can defend and rebound we'll give ourselves a chance. We didn't rebound tonight but when you look at the stat sheet, we shot well from the free throw line and we shot well from the field, so you know, if you do those things, it will take care of itself."

Cariann Williams led the Lady Cats in scoring with 13 points, including 7 of 8 from the free throw line. Annie Kiper finished with 11, Lily Jayne Vincent had 5, Callie Webb added 4, Riley Roy had 3, and Emma White had 2.

Edmonson County is now 10-5 on the season and are scheduled to travel to Whitesville to take on Trinity High School in a girl/boy district match up this Friday beginning at 6PM.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
Wildcat Head Coach Brad Johnson said in a pregame interview that he saw the Central Hardin Bruins (9-7) as the best team they would face so far in the season. With talented guard Brett Decker averaging 25ppg, guard Ace Jaggers scoring 16 per game, and 6'7" Jakob Frederickson scoring 10 points and 8 rebounds per game, it definitely appeared as though the Cats would have their hands full in Glendale last night.

With a game plan set on limiting Decker, spreading the floor on offense, and being patient with the ball, the Wildcats showed early that they were focused on taking care of business. Being without senior forward Braden Wall for the last two games and without senior guard Tyler Anderson for another two games a couple weeks ago (the Cats lost all four), Edmonson County appeared to be back at full strength last night.

It was Edmonson County's defense that was most noticeable early. A wide and active zone defense kept the Bruins out of the paint and forced contested long range shots. Central Hardin, who attempts around 20 three-point shots per game and hits almost nine of them, struggled from behind the line, thanks to the defensive play of the Wildcats. They also held Central Hardin's Decker, who scored 38 against them last year, to only 2 points at the half and 7 points for the game.

On offense, Edmonson County found success in driving the lane, making the extra pass, and simple ball fakes to put points on the board. They controlled the pace of the game for the most part, holding the Bruins to 5 points under their average.

The Wildcats also out-rebounded Central Hardin 25-24, holding them below their average of 30rpg.

Neither team ever led by more than 5. Edmonson County saw an odd turn of events with seconds winding down in the first half with a 5-point lead as the Bruins hit a three with an official calling a foul away from the ball. They counted the basket and then awarded Central Hardin with a one-and-one. The Bruins made both free throws and tied the score at 27 on a 5-point trip. The score would remain tied at 27 at halftime.

The third quarter was much of the same with both teams trading punches throughout. Wall's three-point play helped the Cats hang onto a 44-43 lead going into the 4th quarter. With the score tied at 52 in the fourth, Wil Alexander hit a big three on the left side to give the Cats a 55-52 lead and they never trailed again. Edmonson County also hit 10 of 11 free throws for the game.

Coach Johnson discussed the gritty performance of his team.

"We've been trying to mix it up with man-to-man and zone on defense, but what you're playing is not as important to how you're playing, playing with a lot of effort," he said. "We've really grown up, though. What I really like about us, is I feel like we're still getting better. These guys have only played with Braxton Highbaugh a year-and-a-half now, and hopefully some of the other teams have peaked out a little bit, but hopefully our best ball is still ahead."

Johnson also bragged on the toughness of the Wildcats during the final couple minutes of the game where they have faltered some this season.

"We didn't come for a moral victory. The team is starting to believe in each other a little bit, playing together, and sharing. So I told them to enjoy it and celebrate like crazy, and it's just too bad the Whistle Stop wasn't open tonight."

Scoring for Edmonson County was led by Braden Wall with 16, Highbaugh and Bates each had 10, Anderson had 9, Bass had 8, and Alexander had 7.

The win is now the Wildcats' second in a row after losing 5 straight. They are now 8-6 on the season and are scheduled to take on Metcalfe County on Thursday night at home in a JV/V match that starts at 6pm.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The Edmonson County Lady Cats followed their game plan last night, according to Head Coach Bart Weaver, but a couple of big shots and some free throws down the stretch proved to be all Hancock would need to hang on and win the All A Region 3 Championship last night, hosted at Cloverport High School.

The Lady Cats worked hard to slow down the tempo, holding the Lady Hornets, who average 50 points per game to only 37. Overall, they defended well against the three-point shooting of Hancock County, but some timely, very contested shots by Hancock shifted the momentum from a big second quarter from Edmonson County.

The Lady Cats were held only to 4 points in the first quarter but outscored the Lady Hornets 10-2 in the second, for a 14-9 Edmonson County lead at halftime. Strong defense held Hancock to 1-12 shooting from the three-point line in the first half; however, the Lady Hornets buried back-to-back threes to start the third and that's where things began to change.

Hancock County hit a long three at the buzzer to end the third to take a 24-21 lead going into the fourth.  As time began to wind down with Hancock in the lead, they held the ball, which forced the Lady Cats to come out of their zone defense, to man-to-man. The Lady Cats were forced to foul and Hancock County went 11-12 from the foul line down the stretch. Edmonson County struggled with free throws, hitting only 6 of 13 for 46%.

The Lady Cats also struggled from the field, shooting only 26% from the field on 10 of 38 and they were 0-13 from behind the arc.

Freshman Cariann Williams led the Lady Cats in scoring with 10 points and 9 rebounds. Annie Kiper added 7 points and 3 rebounds. Lily Jayne Vincent had 4 points and 6 rebounds, Callie Webb had 3 points, and Jenna Cook added 2.

The Lady Cats are now 9-5 on the season and are scheduled to take on South Warren at home on Tuesday, January 10th at 6PM.

Darren Doyle, story: Alyssa Doyle, photos:
Edmonson County trailed Metcalfe County by two points tonight when Lady Cat freshman center Cariann Williams went to the line after drawing a foul with 25.9 seconds to play. After tying the score with the first one, Metcalfe County called time out in an attempt to "ice the shooter," but the only ice was the water in Williams' veins as she calmly hit the second one to give the Lady Cats a 38-37 lead.

The Lady Hornets called a timeout with 12.2 seconds left to set up their final play where they would go for the game winner. They threw the ball down low but the shot was no good as Edmonson County swiped the rebound with 0.8 seconds left. Lily Jayne Vincent drew the foul and the Lady Cats held on for the win.

Williams would lead the way for the Lady Cats, scoring 16 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, while blocking 6 shots. Edmonson County pounded Metcalfe on the boards, winning the battle 37-20.

Callie Webb added 10 points and 6 rebounds, Lily Jayne Vincent and Annie Kiper added 4 points each, while Emma White and Jenna Cook added 2 points apiece.

Edmonson County is now 7-2 on the season and is scheduled to take on Danville Christian at Russell County at the Banker's Hardwood Classic on December 28th at 2PM.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Wildcats had a tough time down the stretch as Taylor County, top-rated in the 5th Region, came from behind to win 57-52 on the final night of the Rafferty's/Double Dogs Caveland Classic.

After hitting a free throw to take a 1-0 lead at the beginning of the game, Edmonson County led the rest of the way until Taylor County's Jackson Wise hit a three-pointer to take a 53-51 lead with 2:24 left in the ballgame.

The game had several controversial calls, and one with 18 seconds to go when Edmonson's Will Alexander and Taylor County's Jalen Gribbens fought for the ball with a Cardinal 53-52 lead. As both players struggled for possession, the Taylor County bench called for a timeout and it was granted by the official, although video replay shows it should have been a held ball as neither player had clear possession.

Edmonson County fouled with 12 seconds to go, where Taylor County hit one of two free throws; however, the Cardinals were able to grab the offensive rebound and put the ball back in for a 56-52 with 8 seconds left.

The Wildcats turned the ball over on the inbound pass and fouled Taylor County again. The Cardinals hit one of two free throws for a 57-52, which would be the final score.

Edmonson County was led by Zander Bass, who had 21 points and 3 rebounds. Braden Wall had 7 points and 2 rebounds, Braxton Highbaugh added 9 points and 6 rebounds, Caden Mills had 6 points and 3 rebounds, Boden Bates added 5 points, and Will Alexander added 4 points. 

It was the third consecutive loss for the Wildcats who now fall to 6-4 on the season. They are scheduled to play Meade County in the Independence Bank Classic at the Owensboro Sportscenter on December 28th at 10AM.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
It went all the way down to the wire at Edmonson County High School in the first night of games at the Rafferty's/Double Dogs Caveland Classic as the Wildcats took on the Southwestern Warriors (in Pulaski County, Somerset).

It was a career night for Edmonson County senior Braxton Highbaugh, who put up 35 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, but the Warriors were able to capitalize on some timely turnovers in the second half, turning those mistakes into points.

Southwestern jumped out to an 11-0 lead to start the game as the Wildcats struggled to put the ball in the basket; however, they went on a 15-7 run to end the first quarter, trailing 18-15. Edmonson County clawed their way through the second quarter and trailed 39-37 at halftime.

The Warriors led 58-55 going into the final quarter. While the Wildcats cut the lead to one point on multiple occasions, that would be as close as they would get. They had one final opportunity to tie or win as they trailed 72-70 with 8.4 seconds left but a three-point attempt at the buzzer fell just short and the Warriors held on for the win.

In addition to Highbaugh's performance, Will Alexander added 17 points, Braden Wall had 10 points and 10 rebounds, Zander Bass had 4 points, and Layne Ashley added one point.

Edmonson County falls to 6-3 on the season and is scheduled to take on Taylor County at 1PM at ECHS for the final day of the Caveland Classic. The Lady Cats will play Metcalfe County immediately afterwards.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
The Edmonson County Lady Cats were defeated in a 41-37 game against a tough Green County team last night on the first of two days of the Rafferty's/Double Dogs Caveland Classic.

Rebounding and defense, two major aspects of the Lady Cats' game in which they take pride, would definitely be key in grabbing a win last night; however, Green County won the battle of the boards 33-25 and had six different players in the scoring book.

It was also a tough night for scoring for Edmonson County, shooting 31% on 14 of 45 from the field.

Edmonson County was led in scoring by freshman Cariann Williams with 10 points and 8 rebounds. Lily Jayne Vincent added 7 points and 7 rebounds, Callie Webb and Jenna Cook each added 6, Emma White had 5, Riley Roy had 2, and Kennadi Swihart scored one point.

Edmonson County falls to 6-2 on the season and is scheduled to take on Metcalfe County today at approximately 2:45PM at ECHS for the final day of the Caveland Classic, immediately following the boys' game against Taylor County today at 1PM.

The Rafferty's/Double Dogs Caveland Classic is set to start today, with ten different teams over the course of two days.

The classic has been shortened by one day due to a wintery-weather forecast for Thursday night and Friday morning of possible snow and subzero temperatures.

The two-day schedule consists of:

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21ST:
11AM: GIRLS: GRAYSON VS METCALFE
12:30 BOYS: MEADE VS METCALFE
2PM GIRLS: PLEASURE RIDGE PARK VS. PARIS
3:45PM BOYS: DAVIESS VS TAYLOR
5:15 GIRLS: EDMONSON VS GREEN
7PM BOYS: EDMONSON VS SOUTHWESTERN

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22ND:
10AM: GIRLS: PARIS VS GRAYSON
11:30 BOYS: SOUTHWESTERN VS MEADE
1PM: GIRLS: GREEN VS PLEASURE RIDGE PARK
2:45: BOYS: METCALFE VS DAVIESS
4:15: GIRLS: EDMONSON VS METCALFE
6PM: BOYS: TAYLOR VS EDMONSON

Catch the Lady Cats and Wildcats both days on the Edmonson Voice video livestream.

Edmonson Voice Sports:
Cam Campbell, an Edmonson County senior basketball player, signed with Asbury University on Friday at ECHS.

Asbury is a college in Wilmore, Kentucky.

Cam is the son of Melinda Campbell of Brownsville and the late Michael Campbell.

Cam has a 4.0GPA at ECHS.

Madison Doyle, story and photos:
The ECHS Athletic Hall of Fame Inaugural Induction took place last night during halftime of the boys' game against Todd County Central. Those inducted now have a plaque hanging up on the "Wall of Fame" at ECHS, with a list of all their accomplishments.

Those inducted included the entire 1976 KHSAA Boys' Basketball State Champion Wildcats, those who were already part of the "Wall of Fame," located in the ECHS gym, as well as others.

The full list of inductees in addition to the '76 team include: Larry Starnes, Tracy Meredith, Johnny Pete Vincent, Edd Rich, Stephanie Dennison, Lauren Caudill, Pete Clemmons, Dale "Doc" Gray, Charles Alexander, Gerald Meredith, Wes Vincent, Steven Caudill, Keith Madison, Mike Rich, Willie Denham, Neal Booker, Dave Denton, Kevin Jackson, Norm Weaver, Rick Wood, Don Burton, Gary Key, Aaron Goad, Phil Rich, Tom Vincent, Brian Browning, Kevin Clemmons, Brett Meredith, Bo Davenport, Joseph Blanton, and KayDon Vanmeter.

The 1976 Championship team was honored as one inductee, even though multiple members are also being honored individually for sports besides basketball.

A reception was held in the inductees' honor, which was sponsored by Rafferty's.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
Edmonson County basketball continues moving in the right direction as both the Lady Cats and the Wildcats picked up wins over Todd County Central on Friday night at ECHS.

The girls improved to 5-1 on the season last night, led by freshman center Cariann Williams, who finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Eight different Lady Cats got into the game and seven of them put numbers in the scorebook.

Also scoring for Edmonson County was Jenna Cook with 7, Riley Roy 6, Emma White 5, Lily Jayne Vincent 4, Annie Kiper 3, and Callie Webb had 2.

Edmonson County shot 41% from the field on 16-39 shooting and 87.5% from the free throw line on 7 out of 8 attempts.

They will take on McLean County (0-6) at home today in the play-in round of the All A Classic.


The boys game went down to the wire with the Wildcats trailing nearly the entire game.

With two minutes to go, senior Braxton Highbaugh made a bucket with the foul to tie the score at 41. His free throw gave the Wildcats the lead, which they would not lose again.

Braden Wall grabbed the rebound of a Rebel's miss and was able to score on the other end as the Cats took a 44-41 lead. Zander Bass stole the ball from the Rebels on their next possession and laid it in for a 46-41 Wildcat lead with 1:03 to play.

Todd County missed a shot attempt on their next possession, which was rebounded by Bass. Wall was fouled but missed the front end of the bonus with 29.8 seconds to go; however, Bass rebounded again and this time Braxton Highbaugh would be fouled with 24.7 seconds left. Highbaugh also missed the front end of the bonus and Todd County rebounded.

Highbaugh stole the ball and was fouled but missed the free throw again, which was rebounded by the Rebels. They were able to draw the foul but missed the first of two shots from the line with 8 seconds left to go. They made the second shot, narrowing Edmonson's lead to 46-42.

Highbaugh was assessed a foul with five seconds left that was highly disputed by the Wildcat bench. Todd County missed the free throw, but they were able to grab the offensive board and make the put-back with 4.7 seconds on the clock, cutting the Wildcat lead to 46-45. 

Tyler Anderson was fouled on the inbound pass and made one of two free throws for a 47-45 lead. That's all the Cats would need as the last-second launch from Todd County would miss as the Cats went on to improve to 6-1 on the year on their 5th straight win.

Wall and Highbaugh led the Cats in scoring with 14 points each. Wil Alexander had 7 points, Boden Bates had 7, and Zander Bass added 4 points.

The Wildcats are scheduled to take on McLean County (also 6-1) today at home for the boys' All A play-in game.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The newly-formed Edmonson County Athletics Hall of Fame will hold its inaugural induction ceremony at halftime of the boys' basketball game Friday night at ECHS in a girl/boy doubleheader against Todd County Central.

Those being inducted include the entire 1976 KHSAA Boys' Basketball State Champion Wildcats, and those who are already part of the "Wall of Fame," located in the ECHS gym: Larry Starnes, Tracy Meredith, Johnny Pete Vincent, Edd Rich, Stephanie Dennison, Lauren Caudill, Pete Clemmons, Dale "Doc" Gray, Charles Alexander, Gerald Meredith, Wes Vincent, Steven Caudill, Keith Madison, Mike Rich, Willie Denham, Neal Booker, Dave Denton, Kevin Jackson, Norm Weaver, Rick Wood, Don Burton, Gary Key, Aaron Goad, Phil Rich, Tom Vincent, Brian Browning, Kevin Clemmons, Brett Meredith, Bo Davenport, Joseph Blanton, and KayDon Vanmeter.

The 1976 Championship team is being honored as one team, even though multiple members are also being honored individually for sports besides basketball.

EC AHOF Committee member Jamie Carnes said the HOF came together as the result of discussions among members of the community, as well as staff at ECHS.

"The "Wall of Fame" that we all have come to know in the high school gym provides a nice tribute, but the general consensus among those concerned was that we needed to establish an actual Athletics Hall of Fame with guidelines and a selection committee," Carnes said. "By doing this, we hope to broaden our scope of recognition in the future and offer eligibility for candidates who played at ECHS as well as those who played at county schools that existed before consolidation."

Carnes said once the committee began making preparations to honor individuals, it was decided that all those who had already been honored on the gym's "Wall of Fame" would make up our first official Edmonson County Athletics Hall of Fame class.  The inductees will be honored with a reception and food from Rafferty's at 5:30 P.M on Friday, December 16th at ECHS.  

Each inductee will have his/her own plaque that will hang in the gym, while the retired numbers will be moved into the commons area.

The Hall of Fame selection committee plans to consider and name new inductees annually according to its established guidelines. 

"Through this process, we hope to call attention to more of the people and stories that make up rich Edmonson County sports traditions," Carnes added.

Darren Doyle, story: Madison Doyle, photos:
Edmonson County head coach Brad Johnson said one of the keys to a win last night would be "handling the moment," meaning, being able to take care of business when the business was at hand. The Wildcats had several big moments, including some untimely turnovers, but they were able to withstand a tough atmosphere and a physical game for their first district win of the season, beating the Grayson County Cougars 47-39.

The back-and-forth contest was exactly what one would expect in a district rivalry with a big crowd at Grayson County, filled with zealous student sections, referee warnings, foul-outs, and technical fouls, as the first quarter ended tied at 10 each. Edmonson County clutched a 19-17 lead at the half.

Edmonson County finished the half with zero turnovers but they were beat on the boards 16-12 at the break. While the Wildcats finished with only 9 turnovers for the game, they came at times where Edmonson's momentum was starting to pick up. At one time, the Cats had only 3 turnovers, but they all came within a few minutes. The score was tied at 28 going into the fourth quarter.

Senior Tyler Anderson started the fourth quarter with a three-pointer at the top of the key. Grayson County turned the ball over on their next possession. Senior Braden Wall grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed three and then scored on a turnaround jumper to give the Cats a 33-28 lead. Edmonson County would not trail again in the ballgame. The Cougars trailed 36-32 with just over a minute to go but that's as close as they would get.

Wil Alexander, who led the Cats in scoring with 16 points, hit 8 out of 10 free throws down the stretch, including four in a row during the final seconds.

Wall added 9 points and 3 rebounds, Anderson added 7 points and 6 rebounds, Boden Bates had 6 points, Braxton Highbaugh had 5 points and 7 rebounds, and Zander Bass added 4 points.

Edmonson County is now 4-1 on the season and is scheduled to take on Hart County at home on Monday, December 12th.

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Early three point shooting from senior Emma White and strong post play by freshman Cariann Williams led the Lady Cats to their first district win of the season on the road last night against the Grayson County Lady Cougars.

White, who was a perfect 4-4 from behind the arc, helped Edmonson County take back the momentum after allowing the Lady Cougars to jump out to a 7-0 start. She finished with 13 points and 2 rebounds.

Williams, a 6'2" center, led the Lady Cats in scoring with 14 points and added 10 rebounds and 6 blocked shots.

The Lady Cats trailed 13-7 after the first quarter, but they went on a 9-0 run in the second quarter, capped off by White, who nailed a three-pointer from the right side that gave the Lady Cats their first lead of the game at 18-15. Edmonson County never trailed again.

A strong 10-0 run to start the third quarter snuffed out any hopes for a Grayson County comeback and the Lady Cats held on for the district win.

Lily Jayne Vincent finished with 5 points and 5 rebounds, Annie Kiper scored 5 points and added 3 rebounds, Callie Webb had 4 points and 2 rebounds, and both Jenna Cook and Riley Roy finished with 2 points each.

Edmonson County shot 44% from the field and 50% from the three-point line.

They are now 3-1 on the season and are scheduled to take on North Hardin Classical at home on Tuesday, December 13th in a JV/V game beginning at 6PM.

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Edmonson County's Lady Cats notched their first win of the season last night at ECHS as they defeated Russellville 49-30 in the 2022-23 season opener.

Zone defense from the Lady Cats held the Lady Panthers to 0% shooting from the field in the first half. Russellville did not score a field goal until 5:10 left in the third quarter. They made only four field goals all night, which included one three-pointer. The remaining 21 points scored by the Lady Panthers came from the free throw line, where they attempted 37 of them, compared to only 15 free throw attempts from Edmonson County.

The quick and athletic Lady Panthers couldn't buy a bucket, despite getting some good looks around the basket. Some went in and out of the rim while others bounced off the top of the backboard, or even over it.

Coach Bart Weaver credited his team for success early in the game.

"I thought we did a really good job first, you know, coming out and playing pretty well early," he said. Coach Weaver said his worry was playing sloppy in the second half with a big lead. Edmonson led 32-4 at the half. He said that while the turnovers were too high (18) and there were other things that needed to be "shored up," he was pleased with the defense early, where the Lady Cats caused some real trouble for Russellville with zone, shutting down Lady Panther senior guard A'miyah Collier.

"We've worked really hard the last couple days just working on that zone. Collier is one of the best players in the fourth region. She's very athletic and already signed to play softball at Central Arkansas. She's a really good player and she's such a good penetrator but not a good outside shooter, so we've worked really hard on closing those gaps in those zones. Overall, I thought we did a great job of keeping her out of the paint."

Senior point guard Annie Kiper led all scorers with 18 points and 3 rebounds. Freshman Cariann Williams had 15 points and 6 rebounds. Emma White had 6 points and 9 rebounds, Callie Webb had 3 points and 2 rebounds, and Lily Jayne Vincent had 2 points and 10 rebounds. Vincent also grabbed her 500th career rebound during the game. Kennadi Swihart and Jenna Cook each added 2 and Maggie Cassady added one point.

Edmonson County shot 53% from the field, 22% from three-point land, and 73% from the free throw line.

They are 1-0 on the season and are set to take on Cumberland County in a girl/boy doubleheader this Saturday at 3PM.

Edmonson County's boys earned their first win of the season on Tuesday night, defeating Nelson County on the road, 57-41. They are now 1-1.

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An unexpected early barrage of three-pointers from Daviess County, paired with some very untimely turnovers from Edmonson County resulted in the 63-60 Wildcats' loss to the Panthers in the 2022-23 season opener at home last night at ECHS.

The Wildcats looked to get the ball in the paint, which worked early as they led 15-14 after the first. The second quarter saw Daviess County start knocking down threes and taking the lead. They hit seven of them in the first half and went 10/20 for the game for 50% shooting from behind the arc. The score was tied at 34 at halftime.

While the Panthers hit a three to start the third quarter, Edmonson County did a much better job of fighting through screens and defending the three-pointer; however, a few of those untimely turnovers led to a 46-38 lead from the Panthers.

Edmonson County then went on an impressive 8-0 run to tie the score at 46 with 2:21 left in the third, finished off by Boden Bates' bank shot from the left side, which forced a Panther timeout.

Neither team scored for the next minute until Tyler Anderson's free throws gave the Cats a 48-46 lead with 1:27 left in the third. Anderson finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds and was a perfect 8/8 from the line. Edmonson County led 50-48 at the end of the third quarter.

The Wildcats looked as though they were taking command as the fourth quarter began with a 54-48 lead. They held Daviess County scoreless until 5:38 to go. The Panthers were able to close the gap to 54-52 when the Wildcats threw the ball out of bounds for an unforced turnover with 2:54 left. The Panthers took a 55-54 lead on their next possession as they hit a three with 2:21 to go.

Edmonson's Zander Bass nailed a tough jumper through contact to regain the lead at 56-55 with two minutes left, but the Cats gave up a wide open three on Daviess County's next possession and the Panthers were up again at 58-56 with 1:37 left. The Cats couldn't convert on their next possession and Edmonson's Will Alexander set up for the charge on the other end under the basket for the incoming Panther shot. He was called for a foul as the bucket went in. Daviess missed the free throw and was then charged a foul on the rebound attempt.

Edmonson's Braxton Highbaugh missed the front end of the bonus but the ball was tipped out and rebounded by Alexander. Tyler Anderson drove to the right side of the basket and banked in a layup under heavy contact. The Cats trailed 58-60 with 46 seconds to go. Edmonson County's full court pressure caused a turnover as Highbaugh swiped a pass in midair; he threw the ball to Bass near the Cats' basket but he couldn't hang on to it through contact from the defensive player. Both players went to the ground and Daviess County recovered the ball and called timeout with 33 seconds left. The Cats were back in the same situation, this time with 13 seconds less left on the clock.

Daviess County drew the foul with 25 seconds to go and hit both free throws for a 62-58 lead. Highbaugh drove the lane and drew the foul with 16 seconds left. He hit both shots to bring them within two points. Daviess was fouled with 12 seconds on the clock. They missed the first shot but made the second, (63-60) leaving opportunity for the Cats to tie it with a three.

Coach Brad Johnson called a timeout to set up a final play. The Cats weren't able to get off a good shot and Braden Wall was forced to put up a difficult turnaround three at the buzzer that fell short.

Coach Johnson gave his assessment of the loss after the game.

"We didn't take care of the ball at key parts of the game," he said. "I take the blame myself, I've got to have them more ready, but on a key possession up three or four and we just throw it out of bounds? I mean come on."

He said the Cats obviously have some things to fix while the season gets off in full swing with another game tonight on the road at Nelson County and on Saturday at Cumberland County.

"I'm just really disappointed with, daggone it, how we handled the ball," he said. "We answered the call (when) they made a little run there. I said 'ok, we're gonna see what we're made of right here,' when we're down five or six, and man, we answered the charge, came back and took the lead. But then we just fiddle-farted around and threw it out of bounds."

Highbaugh led the Cats in scoring with 15 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. Anderson added 14 and 6 rebounds. Boden Bates had 11 points off the bench. Alexander added 8, Wall added 6 points and 9 rebounds, and Bass had 6 points and 5 rebounds.

Edmonson County shot 47% from the field, 28% from behind the arc, and 77% from the free throw line. They committed 12 turnovers and out-rebounded the Panthers 28-15.

Edmonson County is 0-1 on the season and travels to Nelson County for a JV/V match tonight beginning at 6PM.

The Lady Cats will take on Russellville tonight at home in the season opener for a varsity game only, beginning at 7PM. The game will be streamed live through the Edmonson Voice.

The winning boys alumni team was coached by Johnny Pete Vincent and Slug Duvall, and the opposing team was coached by Kevin Clemmons and Phil Rich.

Afterwards, the Lady Cats divided up evenly into two teams and played a 30-minute quarter intersquad scrimmage. Team White won with a final score of 12-8. The Wildcats then divided into two teams and also played a 30 minute quarter. Team white won with a final score of 28-25.

The first official game of the season for the Wildcats is Monday, November 28, 2022 at home against Daviess County at 7:30PM. The Lady Cats will play Russellville at home on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 7PM.

Darren Doyle, story and photos: Peytin Manor, photo editing assistant:
The 2022 Edmonson County Wildcat football season came to an end tonight with a 48-0 loss to Lexington Christian Academy in Lexington.

The Eagles of LCA were hoping to showcase the passing skills D1 prospect quarterback Cutter Boley, a junior, who has already received offers from Alabama, Michigan, Penn State, UK, and several other schools. Boley effortlessly threw a 40 yard pass on their first play of the game but the receiver bobbled it untouched after the catch and the Wildcats were able to recover the fumble.

The Cats weren't able to get anything going on offense during the possession and LCA got on the board first with 9:30 left in the first with JConte Emerson scoring on a 1-yard run. The extra point was good for a 7-0 Eagles lead.

The Eagles would make another big play on their next possession; a 55-yard punt return from Evan Brown, another highly touted college prospect. The extra point made it 14-0 with 5:30 in the first.

The Cats were snuffed out every time they began to get some momentum, which included a huge interception from Edmonson's Tyler Anderson, and several penalties against the Eagles that afforded Edmonson County some extra opportunities.

First year head coach Zach Vincent said he couldn't be any prouder of his guys despite the loss and the season's end.

"We had them on their heels the first part of the game but just couldn’t punch it in," he said. "Like I told the boys, things happen that are out of hands but we have to keep fighting and they did."

Vincent said that no one wants to see their season come to end unless you are the team that hoists up the state championship trophy, but despite the ups and downs over the season and injuries at inopportune times, the Wildcats found stability and were able to accomplish some goals.

"To have a group that came out of a season like they had last year and do the things they did was great to be apart of.  This group had a tough schedule--playing five teams that were at least top ten in their respective classes. I believe what best describes this team is they are fighters. Win or lose, they fight. We had a simple goal this year. Enjoy the game and try and fight for a win."

Coach Vincent also credited his seniors for their leadership that meant so much to the team.

"Couldn’t ask for a better group of young men. They have helped build and improve this program and left something  special for the seniors next year to take over and keep building. We talk all year about how people are watching, especially those little-leaguers as we walk off and on the field and practice field. That’s what we're building and maintaining; pride in Wildcat football."

Edmonson County finishes their season 3-8 on the year. While the record may not turn many heads, it's an improvement from last year's very tough winless season. Both Coach Vincent and Wildcat fans are looking for even more improvement next year.