Wildcats Aced Out of KHSAA Region 3 Tournament 87-55

Wildcats senior shooting guard Will Alexander (0) finishes a layup against Owensboro Catholic in the KHSAA District 3 Tournament first round at the Owensboro Sports Center Wednesday March 6 in Owensboro.

Joseph Barkoff, story and photos:​ 
No one expects the Spanish Inquisition. They may not have expected Owensboro Catholic Aces to stomp effortlessly Edmonson County Wildcats in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Region 3 Tournament first round at the Owensboro Sport Center Wednesday March 6 in Owensboro.
 
In their past 10 meetings, the Aces have been victorious in eight of those meetings, with the Wildcats only having two wins, according to stat curator and guru WildcatsLive Edmonson Voice broadcaster Jamie Carnes before the game.
 
Under the principles of March Madness and the ever-present cliché of “anything can happen in March,” plus the similar season stats, on paper.
 
Both teams averaged 62 points, 33 percent 3-point shooting and 68 percent free-throws, while Aces with 47 percent from the field versus 46 percent from Wildcats, according to stat curator Wildcats Live Edmonson Voice Darren Doyle said before the game.
 
The Wildcats average rebounds exceeded the Aces, 31-28, too, Doyle said.
 
Anything can happen and it did. 
 
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, it did not play out as well, or evenly, as the stats on paper matched.
 
The Wildcats (14-16) end a sub .500 season, losing to the Aces (22-9) 87-55 on 
the road.

Wildcats junior center Joshua Decker (24) shoots a short jumper under pressure against Owensboro Catholic in the KHSAA District 3 Tournament first round at the Owensboro Sports Center Wednesday March 6 in Owensboro.

Wildcats sophomore shooting guard Tyler Wilson (1) shoots a short jumper under pressure against Owensboro Catholic in the KHSAA District 3 Tournament first round at the Owensboro Sports Center Wednesday March 6 in Owensboro.

​For first year head coach Trey Tinsley, it was a positive accomplishment to take his young Wildcats to the District Championship.
 
Long, lobbing, desperation passes under pressure are never what the coach, in any sport, draws up for the team.
 
With only two seniors finishing the year with the team, they could be considered young, but with five seniors, six juniors and two sophomores to be next year, their time in the Regional and District Tournaments, plus the rapport that grows between players and coaches, means next year the potential to extend their play is increased exponentially.
 
“I am a positive thinker,” Tinsley said before.
 
The Wildcats do not have a potential Division 1 caliber starting player at their disposal so they will have to rely on each other as a team to achieve.
 
Folks thought they would only win maybe eight games this year, Tinsley said in the Wildcats Live Postgame. While they didn’t double expectations, with 14 wins he is proud of his team.
 
“I didn’t feel like we laid down,” Tinsley said. “We kept fighting.”
 
Owensboro Catholic is a really good team, he said. He expects to look up and see them in the finals.
 
The aces shot 64 percent from the field for the game, and at half time had shot 75 percent beyond the 3-point line, connecting on six 3-pointers in a row at one point.
 
“I’m just proud of our bunch,” Tinsley said. “We’re going to continue this summer and keep working.”

Wildcats senior power forward Layne Ashley (23) takes the hardwood against Owensboro Catholic in the KHSAA District 3 Tournament first round at the Owensboro Sports Center Wednesday March 6 in Owensboro.

Wildcats senior shooting guard Will Alexander (0) takes the hardwood against Owensboro Catholic in the KHSAA District 3 Tournament first round at the Owensboro Sports Center Wednesday March 6 in Owensboro.

​For two young men though, two seniors, it was their last time on the hardwood for their high school.
 
“Those guys are fighters,” Tinsley said about seniors shooting guard Will Alexander and power forward Layne Ashley.
 
“I mean it’s tough,” Alexander said in the locker room after the game. “It’s the end of a chapter. It’s the end of my basketball career here, but I still have more to play. But I am going to miss these guys.”
 
“It’s been fun,” he said. “It’s been a good year.”
 
It is bittersweet, he said. But he is excited for the next step.
 
“Playing with the guys is always fun, but a tough loss,” Alexander said. “We’ll beat ‘em next year.”
 
Alexander plans to attend and play basketball at Alice Lloyd College, a private college in Pippa Passes in eastern Kentucky.
 
Layne has an offer to play at JV level with Alice Lloyd as well, said Tinsley.
 
“I am just proud of both of them,” Tinsley said. “I love ‘em both. I think they both have bright futures ahead of them. I’m not even gonna talk about sports, just them as people. They’re just two great young men.”
 
 “It’s defeating, for sure,” junior power forward Wyatt Gravil said after the game. “But we can come out here, do it again next year, hopefully, and you know, have a better result next year. It’s all we can hope for.”
 
They are going to put the work in during their off season, for sure, he said.
 
He enjoyed playing with the two seniors “all season long,” he said.
 
“They were our leaders,” Gravil said. “You hate to see them gone next year because we will always have connections with them.”
 
On the evening, Wildcats leading scorer was Alexander with 21 points and 3 rebounds.
 
Wildcats junior center Joshua Decker had 20 points with 6 rebounds, and Wyatt Gravil had 6 points with 5 rebounds. 
 
They shot 35 percent from the field on the evening, and it was noted it might be especially difficult to beat a good team who then shoots 64 percent from the filed in a high intensity “win or go home” type game.
 
Like Alexander said, it is the end of a chapter. Though often times we are lucky, and the end of one chapter means the beginning of a new one.
 
Life is a cliff hanger, and the Edmonson Voice will broadcast live views from them, including next season’s hardwood from both near and far.
 
Stay tuned.