Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The Wildcats' season came to an end tonight as they fell to the Metcalfe County Hornets, 35-22. Edmonson County held a 16-14 lead at halftime but couldn't hang on as the Hornets dominated in the second half.

It was senior night for the Wildcats and Head Coach Justin Vessels gave his thoughts on not only the season as a whole, but also each of the 14 seniors that played their final game as a Wildcat. 

"The record's not like what we wanted, but the effort, the attitude, has been outstanding," said Vessels. "You know, we've had a lot of really close games this year, it seemed like we didn't quite get over the hump. But the players, they worked hard all year, good attitude, I mean, even their last practice, this week of practice up on the hill in the mud, it was not, you know, moping around or nothing. There was some high energy working hard, still having, you know, a good experience, I hope. And that's what I hope that all the players, even though we couldn't get the wins that we wanted, the whole thing, look back and say if they had a positive experience here playing for us."

"There were several games, you know, you could take three, four plays out of the game and you could possibly have had a different outcome. I mean, the first half here, I thought we'd played well, it was up 16-14 at the half. Out in the second half, I think we scored one more time. We just couldn't move it consistently in the second half, and then they started moving the ball, running it on us. It's like it's almost a microcosm of the season. We play well enough to keep it close, we can't quite get over the hump, and I mean, the work ethic is still there. It ain't like the boys wasn't working hard. It ain't like the coaches, wasn't working hard. Everybody still trying the best we could. We just couldn't quite pull out the wins." 

Vessels then went through the list of seniors and spoke on each one.

"Tristan Muse, Really good player, really good leader, has worked to make himself into a better quarterback. You know, last year, he could throw it, okay, but he really just managed the offense and was more of a runner than a thrower. Works extremely hard in the off season to get better. I thought his growth as a thrower this year was tremendous, and the good thing about Tristan is he'll stay after practice and work with anybody for as long as they want. From a varsity starter all the way down to the smallest freshman. He'll help anybody. That's the thing he love about him."

Blayne Deweese: "Very fast. explosive player, great hands, has a large catch rate as you throw the ball, anybody around him, he'll catch it. Has really grown from last year to this as far as his understanding the defense and the coverages, a tough player, about 155 pounds but plays much bigger."

Gabe DeArmond: "Good looking frame, 6'4", 205, played tight end and defensive end. He moved in from Warren East in the off season. He was a little sick early in the year, and then he worked his way back. Good positive player."

Colton White: "Like a jack of all trades, he can do a lot of things. He can play offense, he can play running back. Wing, slot. He can play the receiver some tonight. On defense, he's a safety. He kicks, he punts, kicks the extra point, field goal, kick off. He's a very, valuable player for his versatility."

Noah Justis: "This is first year playing football, extremely fast. He's one of the fastest guys in the school and on our team. Got to where he could have a backup role on defense and a really, really good on special teams because he could sprint down and cover so well on kickoffs, we really like him."

Will Saling: "Very similar to Blayne. One of our more explosive players, large catch radius. A guy that really worked in the weight room for a skinny guy. He's about 150, 155 pounds, but he can squat over 400. He's just really made himself into a good player. We're going to miss him. And he makes big plays-- offensive, defense, and special teams."

Jake Coates: "Another versatile player, because he's smart. He can play. He can play defensive end on defense, but he played a multiple positions on offense from slot, wing, tight end, power back. We can move him around and do different things with him. He played mainly tight ends tonight."

Adrian Soria: "This was his first year playing. He'd never played football before. He wanted to come out. Good attitude. You know, I hope he enjoyed it. He didn't get a lot of varsity playing time, but he got to play a lot of scout team in practice and we need people to want to come out and be a part of the team and because we need numbers for practice."

Kaylen Smith: "Another guy primarily a defensive player, played middle linebacker. He also plays a little tight end. He got better and better as the year went on, as far asmaking his reads, hitting his gaps. You seen that tonight on one of the last plays of the drive there. They ran a counter play. He shot the A gap, and tackled the guy in the backfield for like a two yard loss. He's one of them that I wish he had another year because he's really starting to make strides and understand it a little better."

Blake Webb: "Strong kid. Not overly big, but very strong for his size. He had a knee injury, sophomore year, the year before I got here, and he's had to fight to come back from that, get his legs stronger. And he really is another one of those guys that's really valuable on special teams. You always need those mid sized guys that are strong enough to hit, but fast enough to run, and so he play all the special teams, kick off. He's a lot like Noah Justis. He could run down and cover and tackle."

Caleb Lindsay: "His first year playing was last year, and if you could have seen the growth from last year to this year, I mean, when he first started in spring ball last year, having never played football, he couldn't even get in a stance. He's a lman body, like 6'3", 215, good looking frame, strong, He's one of those guys that's just another good, strong kid that we need. He's got where he can play a backup role on D line this year, and he'll play scout team on offensive and defensive practice. Very, you know, he liked to joke around and have a good time. He always kept the mood good. 'm glad he came out and played. I hope he had a good time."

Cameron Eldridge: "First year player this year. Very similar to to Soria. He came out, wanted to be a part of it, liked being around the program, liked being around the players, liked lifting. These are kids that me or Coach Muse have had in the high school that would be in our PE classes or our weight lifting classes. They got around us, they got around the football players. They liked what they seen, they wanted to be a part of it. He came out, another good scouting player."

Chance Seabolt: "Two year starter at left guard, big frame, big body. And got better from last year to this year. You know, you got to have some big linemen and you know, Chance has been a good one, and he's another one of them. He's always in a good mood, and you like having him around." 

Hunter Kinser: "Very, very good lineman. Offense, defense, extremely strong. Probably the leader of the offensive- defensive line. And a great work ethic, You never have to worry about Hunter, you know, whatever pace you set him at, sometimes you got to, you know, say "that's not a full speed drill, Hunter, don't hurt nobody," because he's that strong and explosive. But if he thinks it's full speed, you don't have to worry about his effort, whether it's running sprints, lifting weights, hitting people, he's a very, very good lineman.

Coach Vessels then gave his final thoughts on the season as a whole.

"I know the record's not what we wanted this year, but I think we're not that far away from being where we want to be. We've had several close games. We just couldn't quite get the win. But we're gonna take a couple of weeks off here, kind of heal, you know, let their bodies heal. We're banged up. We have a lot of injuries. And we'll have about a month there for the players that's going to play next year. We're going to lift pretty good that month before Christmas, we'll get us a loose max. When we come back after Christmas, we're going to get right back to work. We're not going to hang our heads and be satisfied. We're going to try to get better and get back to where we want to be. So we're going to let them heal up a little bit, ease up, and then about a month there, we'll get a good solid month of lifting for Christmas, get our max, and we come back in January. It's full throttle. January through May with the lifting and all season program, and all that."

The Wildcats finish the season with a record of 2-8.

Darren Doyle, photos:
It was a big night for senior fall athletes at ECHS on Thursday, October 30, 2025 as 33 of them were recognized at Wildcat Stadium for the annual event. 

The seniors and their families celebrated on the final football game of the season for the Wildcats.

Darren Doyle, story, Madison Jones, photo:
Edmonson County High School has announced Dr. Kevin Clemmons as the newest head coach for Lady Cat Softball.

The announcement comes shortly after Dr. Clemmons' daughter, Alex Jane Massey, stepped down as head coach to focus more on family. Massey, one of the newest members of the ECHS Athletics Hall of Fame, helped lead the Lady Cats to the 2024 District 12 title, with her father helping as assistant coach. She had served as head coach since 2020.

Coach Clemmons noted the return of what he called a "great group of girls," and that he was excited to help them improve both on and off the field.

"I’ve been fortunate to be a player on some great teams and coach some great teams as well. If we can get this group of girls to push themselves past that point where they think they’ve done all they can do… just past that is where you really see teams separate from good to great.”

Clemmons has a storied career in athletics, both at the high school and collegiate level. He is a member of the 1976 State Championship basketball team, received All-State Honors as a member of the ECHS Football team, and played multiple sports at Transylvania College. 

His father, Pete Clemmons, was also a longtime coach, teacher, and principal at Edmonson County High School.

Coach Kevin Clemmons is a 2022 member of the ECHS Athletics Hall of Fame, a 2023 member of the Edmonson County Hall of Distinguished Alumni, and served as head Lady Cat Softball Coach from 2012-2014. He also served multiple seasons as assistant softball coach.

Edmonson Voice Sports: 
The Edmonson County Emeralds, an age 8 and under youth baseball team,  are charging through the Warren County youth season without a single loss. The young ballplayers are proudly sporting their signature emerald green and enter the final week of play seeking a perfect regular fall season.

The coaching staff is made up of Chris Harper, Jordan Ellis, and Dakota Green.

Their next game is scheduled for this Thursday, September 25th at Ephram White Park at 7:15PM, weather permitting. Players and parents encourage everyone to come out and support their team.

The Wildcats had some missed opportunities as the game nearly went down to the wire against the Hart County Raiders, falling 22-14. 

A big crowd at Wildcat Stadium witnessed a back-and-forth contest that came down to the wire, with the Raiders sealing the victory in the final minutes.

The Wildcats struck first, setting the tone early with a 4-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Tristen Muse. The extra point was good, giving Edmonson County a 7-0 lead with 5:52 remaining in the first quarter. The Wildcats’ defense held strong, keeping the Raiders scoreless through the end of the first quarter.

Hart County responded in the second quarter, as senior Jacob Shoulders powered his way into the end zone, tying the game at 7-7 with 8:21 left in the half. Both teams’ defenses tightened, and neither could find the scoreboard again before halftime, leaving the game deadlocked at 7-7.

The third quarter saw the Raiders take their first lead when Shoulders struck again, this time with a 3-yard touchdown run. The extra point put Hart County ahead 14-7 with 9:05 to go in the quarter. Not to be outdone, Muse answered for the Wildcats with a 38-yard rush down the left sideline down to the one yard line. It was Muse again on the next play for a 1-yard touchdown run to knot the score at 14-14 with 3:46 left in the third. The quarter ended with both teams locked in a stalemate, setting the stage for a dramatic fourth quarter.

Both teams went back-and-forth in the final quarter when Raider Jake Crump broke through for a 3-yard touchdown run, and a successful two-point conversion gave Hart County a 22-14 lead with just 2:26 remaining. The Wildcats fought desperately to mount a comeback, with Muse leading the charge. However, Hart County’s defense stood tall, keeping Edmonson County out of the red zone in the final minutes and securing the hard-fought victory.

Edmonson County also failed on three separate field goal attempts during the close contest.

Despite the loss, Wildcat Coach Justin Vessels described the loss as a "moral victory."

"Hart County is a very good team and we played them and fought them hard," he said. "The boys played extremely hard like they always do. The margin for error is very small in a game like this, where you're facing a quality opponent like Hart."

He noted Muse's solid performance.

"He played a gritty game. I mean down there on the field, I could tell he was delivering some big hits, and also, he took a few hits running the ball, but he's a tough kid and we were running the option tonight. He done a great job distributing the ball and making his reads."

The Wildcats will look to rebound next week as they hit the road against Butler County while Hart County celebrates a memorable road win.

Edmonson County is now 1-4 on the season.

Darren Doyle, story:
The Edmonson County Athletic Recognition Committee has announced the members of the 2025 Edmonson County Athletics Hall of Fame Class. 

"This class, as with others, includes representatives from a broad sampling of sports throughout the history of the school," the committee said in a released statement. 

Individuals were nominated by the public for the committee's consideration and selected according to its guidelines.

The Edmonson County Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025 inductees are as follows:

• 1982 Wildcat Baseball Team
• 1983 Wildcat Baseball Team
• Dion W. Houchins - Wildcat Football, Basketball, and Baseball (1980-1983)
• Alex Jane Massey - Lady Cat Softball and Basketball (2003-2007)
• Gary Meredith - Wildcat Basketball and Baseball (1971-1974)
• Linuel Meredith - Wildcat Baseball (1962-1965)

1982 Wildcat Baseball Team:

• 17 Wins - 4 Losses
• 1982 12th District Champions (defeated Grayson County 5-1 in the Championship game)
• 1982 4th Region Champions (defeated Grayson County 10-8 in the Championship game)
• 1st Regional Champion Baseball Team at Edmonson County High School
• Defeated by Henderson County 7-2 in the 1982 Kentucky High School State Baseball Tournament
• Team Batting Average of .348
• Team Members Seated from L to R: Lois Ann Miller, Mark White, David Alexander, Keith Ohlmer, Deanna Parsley, Tana Demunbrun Second row: Shane Meredith, Craig Browning, Kevin Ray, Eugene Spradlin, Mike Buttrum, Sonny Prunty, Allen Vincent, Jason VanMeter, Lynn Meredith, Robbie Alexander 3rd row: Coach Mike Houchin, Greg Meredith, Barry Vincent, Kevin Raymer, Dion Houchins, Todd Webb, Chris Raymer, Tim Basil, Roland Simmons, Scott Key, Glendale Meredith, Coach Ricky Houchin

1983 Wildcat Baseball Team, 14 Wins - 5 Losses

• 1983 12th District Champions (defeated Grayson County 15-2 in the Championship game)
• 1983 4th Region Champions (defeated Grayson County 6-3 in the Championship game)
• 2nd Regional Champion Baseball Team at Edmonson County High School
• Defeated by eventual State Champion Owensboro 7-6 in the 1983 Kentucky High School State Baseball Tournament
• Team Batting Average of .308
• Team ERA of 2.06
• Team Members Seated from L to R: James Vincent, Mike Miller, Steve Jordan, Brian Browning, Joey James, Scott Mello Second Row: Craig Browning, Allen Vincent, Eugene Spradlin, Jason VanMeter, Brad Houchin, Greg Meredith, Shane Meredith, Jim Wilson, Kevin Ray, Bryan Thompson 3rd Row: Coach Mike Houchin, David Alexander, Scott Key, Roland Simmons, Dion Houchins, Chris Raymer, Tim Basil, Keith Ohlmer, Mark Woosley, Robbie Alexander, Coach Ricky Houchin

Linuel Meredith

• Jefferson County Commissioner of Baseball (1985-1993)
  
• Murray State University Baseball (1966-1972)
  
• ECHS Wildcat Baseball (1962-1965)
  
• Notable Stats: No-Hitters 4/23/64 vs. Auburn 5/1/64 vs. Caneyville 4/27/65 vs. College High Strikeouts 13 vs. Greensburg (4/10/65) 16 vs. Leitchfield (5/13/65)
  
• Wins 13-2 (1965) Allowed Only 2 Earned Runs In 87 Innings Throughout Regular Season and District Tournament Play (0.16 ERA, 1965)
  

Gary Meredith, ECHS Wildcat Basketball (1971-1974)

• Team Record - 22-7 (1973) Team Record - 24-6 (1974)
  
• Team’s Highest Ratings in School History (1974) ● #10 in Kentucky (AP) ● #1 in Southcentral Kentucky All-American Honorable Mention - “Coach and Athlete” (1974) Top 50 Best Players - “Inside Kentucky Sports” (1974) AP All-State Honorable Mention (1974) UPI All-State Honorable Mention (1974) Courier-Journal All-State Honorable Mention (1973, 1974) Lexington Herald-Leader All-State Honorable Mention (1974) Park City Daily News 1st Team All-Southcentral Kentucky (1974) Park City Daily News 3rd Team All-Southcentral Kentucky (1973) Messenger-Inquirer 1st Team All-Region (1974) All-Region - Coaches’ Poll (1973, 1974) All-District - Coaches’ Poll (1973, 1974) All-Region Tournament (1974) All-District Tournament (1972, 1973, 1974) Various Invitational All-Tournament Teams
  
• Notable Stats ● 1400+ Career Points ● 400+ Career Assists ● 534 Seasonal Points (1974) ● 214 Seasonal Assists (1974) ● Most Individual Game Points - 34 (vs. Park City, 1/16/73) ● Most Individual Game Assists - 12 (vs. #3 Owensboro, 1/18/74)
  
• ECHS Wildcat Baseball (4-Year Letterman, 1971-1974) Western Carolina University Basketball Scholarship (1974) Delta State University Basketball Scholarship
  
• (1976) Edmonson County High School Head Basketball Coach (1985, 1986, 1987, 2002, 2003) ● District Finalist (1985, 1987) ● Regional Semi-Finalist (1985, 1987)
  
• Edmonson County High School Athletic Director (1989-1992) Developed The Caveland Classic, The Shooting Stars, The Wildcat Dribblers, and Directed The Edmonson County Little League Basketball Program
  

Dion W. Houchins

• ECHS Wildcat Football (1980-1982) ● 58 receptions in a single season* ● 756 yards in a single season* ● 125 career receptions* ● 1,481 career yards receiving* ● 14 career TD receptions* *School record upon graduation ● A captain on the 1982 District Championship winning team ● All-Southcentral Kentucky 1st team receiver (1981, 1982) ● Honorable mention AP All-State receiver (1982) ● Honorable mention Courier-Journal All-State receiver (1981, 1982)
• ECHS Wildcat Basketball (1980-1983) ● 15th District All-District (All-Seasonal) Team (1982, 1983) ● Led team in assists (1983) ● A captain on the 1983 District Championship and Regional Runner-up team
• ECHS Wildcat Baseball (1980-1983) ● Led team in hitting with a .471 average (1982) ● Second in hitting with a .426 average (1983) ● .364 career batting average ● Undefeated career pitching record of 9-0 ● 1.40 ERA (1983)
• Member of teams that won 3 District Championships (1980, 1982, 1983) ● Member of teams that won 2 Regional Championships (1982, 1983) and were Regional Runners-up (1980, 1981)

Alex Jane Clemmons

• ECHS Lady Cat Softball (2003-2007) ● 15th District All-Tournament Team (2004) ● 12th District All-Tournament Team (2006) ● 12th District All-Seasonal Team (2006, 2007) ● Second Team All-State (2006) ● Honorable Mention All-State (2007) ● KY Junior All-Star Team (2006) ● KY Senior All-Star Team (2007) ● KY West All-Star Team “Spirit of Competition” Award (2007) ● Lady Cat Offensive Player of the Year (2004, 2006, 2007)
  
• Career Stats: ● #3 in Career Home Runs (7) ● #4 in Career Hits (134) ● #4 in Career RBIs (81) ● #6 in Career Batting Average (.346) Seasonal Stats: ● #4 in Home Runs in a Season (4, 2007) ● #9 in Single Season Batting Average (.446, 2007) ● #9 in Single Season RBIs (26, 2006) ● #10 in Single Season RBIs (25, 2007) ● #14 in Single Season Batting Average (.398, 2006) ● Lettered 5 years Team Stats: ●
• District Champions (2006, Player) ● Team Records: 26 W-9 L (2006, Player), 21 W-8 L (2007, Player)
• Coaching Stats: ● District Champs (2013, Assistant Coach and 2024, Head Coach) ● Regional Runner-up (2013, Assistant Coach) ● Team Records 29 W-6 L (2013, Assistant Coach)
• Campbellsville University (2009-2011) ● All Mid-South Conference First Team (2009, 2010, 2011) ● NAIA All-American Honorable Mention (2010) Career Stats: ● #1 in Career Stolen Bases (63) ● #2 in Career Slugging Percentage (.697) ● #3 in Career Triples (9) ● #3 in Career Home Runs (43) ● #6 in Career Batting Average (.377) ● #9 in Career Runs Scored (154) ● #10 in Total Bases (366) Seasonal Stats: ● #1 in Single Season Home Runs (17, 2011) ● #1 in Single Season Stolen Bases (28, 2009) ● #3 in Single Season Triples (4, 2010) ● #3 in Single Season Stolen Bases (20, 2010) ● #6 in Single Season At-Bats (197, 2011) ● #6 in Single Season Runs Scored (60, 2009) ● #6 in Single Season Stolen Bases (15, 2011) ● #7 in Single Season RBIs (55, 2010) ● #7 in Single Season Home Runs (15, 2010) ● #8 in Single Season Slugging Percentage (.762, 2010) ● #9 in Single Season Total Bases (128, 2010 and 2011) ● #10 in Single Season Triples (3, 2009)
  
• ECHS Lady Cat Basketball (2003-2007) ● 12th District All-Tournament Team (2007) ● Class A 4th Region All-Tournament Team (2005) ● Lettered 4 years

ECHS Principal Jonathan Williams said the athletics program and the school were excited about this incredibly talented group of inductees." 

"The individuals were excellent athletes and the two teams were back to back regional champions, which doesn’t happen often at a school our size," Williams said. "We’re all so proud of this class and we hope everyone will come out Friday night and help us recognize the 2025 Class."

Inductees to the 2025 HOF Class and their invited guests will attend a private reception in the Edmonson County Middle School cafeteria on Friday, September 19th at 5:00 P.M. prior to the ECHS Football game against Hart County.  The new class will also be recognized at halftime of the football game.

Edmonson Voice Sports:
The Edmonson County Lady Cat volleyball team finished in second place in Saturday's Class AA Volleyball sectional at home after defeating Allen County-Scottsville 3-2 (25-20, 25-19, 17-25, 19-25, 15-9) to advance to the finals.

Sophomore Rylee Skaggs led the Lady Cats in kills with 9 against the Lady Patriots. Eighth grader Amira Seymour added 8. Junior Reagan Ferguson had 29 assists while senior Allie Faulkner added 27 digs, with junior Bailey Ferguson adding 23 digs.

Bailey Ferguson also led the Lady Cats in service aces with 6.

The Lady Cats fell to Warren East in the finals 3-0 and are now 4-9 on the season.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The Wildcats celebrated their first win of the 2025 season over the Clinton County Bulldogs 28-20 on the road in Albany.

The Wildcats, powered by solid performances from Will Saling, Tristan Muse, and Jacoia Orvis, controlled the game from the opening whistle, building a lead that Clinton County couldn’t overcome.

Edmonson Voice Sports:
Two senior players and one manager were celebrated along with their families Monday night at ECHS for senior night 2025-26 for Lady Cat Soccer.

Zoey Wachowiak, Jenna Lashley, and manager Makaila Palmer were all honored at midfield for the senior night celebrations.

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.

Edmonson Voice Sports:
ECHS senior Lady Cat golfer shot a personal best in competition yesterday at Park Mammoth Golf Club in the AA sectionals with a score of 86. She was the leading scorer for Lady Cat Golf and finished second overall in the girls' individual category. 

She now qualifies to compete at the AA state level later this season.

The ECHS boys' golf team has shown major improvements since the last couple of seasons with some young players that have been putting up impressive numbers.

While the boys did not qualify for AA state play, they had a very solid showing with junior Ian Madison tying for 10th place overall with a top score of 79 for ECHS. 

Junior Zach Cook shot an 83 for the Wildcats. They finished 5th overall in team play with a score of 347.

Edmonson's boys finished ahead of Warren East, Hart County, and Butler County in yesterday's tournament. They have already notched wins against Trinity (Whitesville) and McLean County this season. Today's match against Grayson was postponed due to the heat index.

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Edmonson Voice Sports:
With two senior nights rained out and failed attempts at reschedules, it looked like Senior Night for the Edmonson County Lady Cats wouldn't happen for the lone senior on this year's squad, pitcher Julie Norris.

Thanks to some creative work from the Lady Cat staff, teammates, and the Norris family, a last-minute Senior Night was able to happen at James Woodcock Field at ECHS on Sunday, May 18th after practice.

Julie was honored along side her family when practice concluded on Sunday, as the team prepared for first game of the District 12 Tournament, hosted in Whitesville tonight at 7PM against Butler County (9-22).

Norris has been the starting pitcher in all 25 Lady Cat games this year. She has an ERA of 3.43 in a total of 161.1 innings with 149 strikeouts this season. She also has the second-highest batting average on the team this year (.383) with five home runs.

She is the daughter of Brent and Pauline Norris of Chalybeate.

​Story and photos by Joseph Barkoff:
Sandwiched in between storms rolling through the Mississippi Valley and up past Edmonson County, Wildcat baseball was finally able to complete a last-ditch senior night Thursday, May 15th in Brownsville.

Storms rolled in cancelling home games Monday and Tuesday, so a last attempt for a make-up was scheduled for Thursday.

With only one senior on the team, it made for an easy ceremony as senior third baseman Garrett Lyons was flanked on both sides by his teammates as he mounted the field from the home dugout to meet his mom and dad at home plate with, of course, a small bouquet for mom.

All things considered, it was a beautiful night for baseball with a slight breeze in the humid, approximately 86-degree air with a cloudy cushion above to keep the sun off the field.

Despite a few errant large rain drops scattered intermittently throughout the game, the Wildcats were able to come out strong in the first inning and hold down their visiting opponent Todd County Central Rebels.

​It helped having junior right-handed pitcher Hunter Wilson on the mound tossing darts across the plate.

In the previous night’s work for Wilson, he surmounted the 300 strikeout mark for his career at Edmonson County, and he earned another 15 to his tally against the Rebels in 7 innings pitched Thursday.

Wilson allowed only one hit and 4 BBs, facing 28 Rebel batters. He helped his cause with two hits and a walk in three plate appearances with an RBI as well.

Wilson said he didn’t think he would be in the race for beating the strikeout record at Edmonson County, now in place for around 15 years, according to head coach Michael Meredith.

“It’s amazing,” Wilson said before the game. “It’s something I didn’t see happening coming in. Starting varsity in seventh grade I did not think I would even be in this spot to beat the record. Being in this spot to beat it is amazing.”

He noticed last year after surpassing 200 strikeouts, he could be close. Now with his junior year ending with over 300 strikeouts, the target 375 record is within reach.

He thinks he will break it as long as he stays healthy, he said.

​“There’s very few pitchers that get the opportunity to get that many, but it’s because he’s worked hard,” Meredith said before the game. “It’s not because of me. He is one of the hardest workers I have ever coached.”

One thing that makes his career stat so impressive is the fact he achieved it with the team having a dozen games cancelled due to weather and Wilson missed a potential four more starting opportunities to increase his K’s, Meredith explained.

“We’ve won three out of the last four,” Meredith said. “So, hopefully we have peaked at the right time. Hoping for a win tonight.”

With District play starting next Monday, Meredith hopes his team is ready, he said.

The Wildcats were able to score one run in the first, second and fifth inning each, while holding the Rebels to just the one hit through seven, for a final score of 3-0.

Lyons was able to get on base twice with two hits in three at bats. The Wildcats made eight hits in the game through 24 at bats and only struck out six times.

“It feels great to come off a win,” Lyons said in the dugout after his final regular season game as a Wildcat. “I’m definitely gonna miss it. Always gonna wanna come back here and play, but I am glad I ended it with a win.”

With weather rolling in, there is a game scheduled for tomorrow, 5:30 p.m. Friday May 16 at the Bluegrass Blazers Home School, but if it doesn’t cooperate, District play is scheduled to begin Monday May 19.

Lady Cat softball also struggled with finding a game to celebrate senior night for their lone senior, Julie Norris, due to the same problem with recent weather cancelations. Norris has been a staple of Lady Softball for several years.

They will begin district tournament play next week in Whitesville.

The Wildcats are set to face Butler County at 5 p.m. in Morgantown May 19 to begin their District 12 Tournament.

Photos by Joseph Barkoff:

Edmonson Voice Sports:
ECHS Junior Brayden Johnson has won his second consecutive Region 3 Tennis Championship.

The third region tennis tournament kicked off Saturday, May 10th, at the Owensboro Tennis Complex, where the ECHS team had eight participants. Junior Brayden Johnson, the tournament's top seed, was the only Wildcat to advance and had a bye the first round.

On Saturday, Johnson defeated Grayson County’s Ethan Kingrey: 6-0, 6-0, which advanced him to the quarterfinals. On Monday, Johnson defeated Hancock’s #1 Lukas Anderson: 6-1, 6-0. After advancing to the semifinals, Johnson then defeated Owensboro Catholic’s #1 Jack Haines:  6-2, 6-3 to advance to the finals on Tuesday, where he defeated overall #2 region seed, Daviess County’s Landon McDuffee: 6-7, 6-1,  with a 10-6 super tie breaker.

“Brayden came through last night  under immense pressure— in front of a large crowd—against an outstanding opponent., said ECHS Tennis Coach Jodi Johnson. “He showed great composure and played his best when it mattered the most.”