Wildcats Fall In Season Opener, Lady Cats Win: Brother & Sister Combine For 59 Points In Both Games

Senior Iszic Blankenship goes for 2 of his 23 points against Breckinridge County.

Darren Doyle story
Madison Doyle, photos:
The Wildcats dropped their season opener on the road last night at Breckinridge County 69-65 but the ECHS coaching staff was still pleased with several things they saw during the game, one of which was a 23 point, 14 rebound effort from senior Iszic Blankenship.

The 6'7" forward/center had a solid performance, going 10 for 12 from the field, including a three-pointer and a two-handed slam dunk. Not to be outdone, his sister Caitlin Simon, a junior guard for the ECHS Lady Cats, set the gym on fire in Brownsville with a 36 point outburst in a 74-45 rout of Logan County in the Lady Cat season opener at home.

The boys team got off to a solid start with an early lead but saw it quickly vanish as Breckinridge County's three-point shooting was red hot. The Tigers grabbed a 21-15 lead after the first quarter.

The Wildcats played point-for-point in the second, but took a 33-27 deficit into the locker room at the half.

Edmonson County looked much better in the second half outscoring the Tigers 38-36, but the 3's were the difference in this contest as Breck shot 42% from behind the line while the Cats were only 3 for 13 (23%).

Bailey Board drives to the basket as a Breck Co player flops underneath.

Assistant Coach Bart Weaver said there were still some positive aspects that they were taking home in spite of the loss.

"The thing that blows my mind is how we out-rebounded them (35-20) and still came out on the losing end," said Weaver. "Of course, you have to figure in turnovers and shooting percentage and that makes up for it, but we place a big emphasis on rebounding and we're proud of that."

Coach Weaver also said the coaching staff was pleased with the overall effort and the attempts to drive to the basket.

"Bailey (Board) and Caleb (Skaggs) were struggling from outside, and we just tell them 'if you're struggling, go to the rim.' If they can get some baskets like that, well, that lid gets a little loose."

Board, a senior, finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, and senior Daniel Caudill was the other Wildcat in double figures with 11 points and 8 rebounds. Also helping the effort was junior Brayden Carey who had 6 points off the bench, senior Caleb Skaggs with 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, junior Tucker Cole had 2 points and 3 assists, and junior J.T. Vincent had 2 points and 2 rebounds.

The Lady Cats dominated Logan County all night long in Brownsville, led by Simon's 36, as they jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. The Lady Cougars were not able to overcome the early deficit as the Lady Cats went on to win easily.

Other double figure scorers in the Lady Cats game were junior guard Peyton Martin with 18, and junior Skylar Lewis, who had 12.

The girls are scheduled to play at Warren East this Thursday in a JV/V match up with JV action beginning at 5:30. You can listen to the game live on EdmonsonVoice.com as the WildcatsLive crew will be there bringing you all the action.

The boys are slated to take on Allen County in the Wildcat home opener this Friday in a JV/V series. The JV game is scheduled for a 6pm tip-off. WildcatsLive will broadcast the varsity matchup, but everyone is encouraged to attend both games.