Wildcats Season Ends With Winning Record 14-11

Edmonson County junior shooting forward Owen Ruth (30) lays the ball up underhanded against Butler County in the KHSAA 12th District Tournament round one at Trinity High School Wednesday Feb. 26 in Whitesville.

Story and photos by Joseph Barkoff:
​No one expected the Edmonson County Wildcats to be only down by 2 points against the Butler County Bears at half time in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association 12th District Tournament round one on Thursday, February 26th at host Trinity High School in Whitesville.

No one except maybe the Wildcats. Their shirts say their faith is greater than other’s doubt.

The Wildcats knew one thing for sure. It was going to be a fight. Not in a dirty way, or like going to a fight where a hockey game breaks out, but a fight to stay playing basketball this season, for both teams.

Both times these teams met earlier in the season Butler County was victorious. The Bears crushed the Wildcats in their first meeting January 17th by a score of 93-64. The second meeting was around two weeks ago, and the Bears did win 88-68, but something happened in the second half of that game.

Edmonson County won the second half of the game, in homer terms. From a number’s perspective, the Wildcats outscored the Bears in that second half but just couldn’t overcome the damage that was done earlier in the game.

This Wildcats squad didn’t have a handful of returning starters this year. They saw kids leave to go play in places like Barren County. They got a new coach, after breaking some emergency glass. Folks seemed to feel like how folks felt about football, until recently, apprehensive.

They did not believe. Maybe the kids didn’t either, at first.

Edmonson County senior shooting guard Kollin Doyle (22) moves the ball up court against Butler County in the KHSAA 12th District Tournament round one at Trinity High School Wednesday Feb. 26 in Whitesville.

Edmonson County senior power forward Braxtin Lindsey (23) shoots a jumper against Butler County in the KHSAA 12th District Tournament round one at Trinity High School Wednesday Feb. 26 in Whitesville.

Edmonson County senior shooting guard Ben Sanders (21) shoots a jumper against Butler County in the KHSAA 12th District Tournament round one at Trinity High School Wednesday Feb. 26 in Whitesville.

​Since then, and with the end of the season, the Wildcats have proven the power of believing in the team.
 
“Nobody believed in us, you know from the start,” Edmonson County Wildcats head coach Brad Meredith said after the game. “Nobody believed in us. I have had multiple people tell me if we won five games it would be a great year cause we had one kid returning back that had any kind of varsity minutes. With that loss, puts us at 14-11, so a winning record. I’m more proud of that because it shows how much our guys bought in and fought for each other all year.”
 
“That is what I am most proud of, my favorite part,” Meredith said was his favorite thing about the season.
 
It was not the end they wanted, from a reluctant beginning wanted even less, they grew beyond all expectations, including hopefully theirs too.
 
It was all on the line in Whitesville, win and play on, in both the District final and Regionals, or lose and go home.
 
At halftime, the Wildcats were shooting 52 percent from the field, 5 for 6 from the free throw line and matched the Bears in rebounds at 13, according to stats curated by Edmonson Voice Darren Doyle on the Edmonson Live Halftime Show.
 
When the Wildcats came out in the third quarter, they were not as sharp as they were 10 minutes previous and the Bears made them pay. 
 
Unlike the two previous meetings, though, the Wildcats were not done and battled back from a 12 point and 10-point deficit, but ultimately could not overtake the Bears again.

Edmonson County junior shooting guard Blayne Deweese (3) has his arm and leg pushed while attempting to shoot against Butler County in the KHSAA 12th District Tournament round one at Trinity High School Wednesday Feb. 26 in Whitesville.

Edmonson County head coach Brad Meredith speaks to his team during a timeout against Butler County in the KHSAA 12th District Tournament round one at Trinity High School Wednesday Feb. 26 in Whitesville.

Edmonson County bench erupts in cheers after a successful 3-pointer is scored against Butler County in the KHSAA 12th District Tournament round one at Trinity High School Wednesday Feb. 26 in Whitesville.

“I love our boys’ fight tonight,” Meredith said on the Edmonson Voice Live Post Game Show. “You know, we had a belief in us that we could play with ‘em.”
 
“I’m very proud of them,” he said. “Very proud.”
 
When the final buzzer sounded the score was 78-68, Bears over the Wildcats.
 
“I’m sad that its over but we fought as hard as we could,” Edmonson County senior power forward Braxtin Lindsey said after the game. “There’s a few things that we could’ve done different, that probably would have won us that game.”
 
“That’s how coach has been preaching for us to play all season,” Lindsey said. “It’s takin’ a while for it to finally click.”
 
There may have been things out of their smooth control this evening. A detriment of 26 trips to the free throw line for the Bears, versus nine trips for the Wildcats.
 
Only three shooting fouls called in the second half on the Bears?
 
Some other unofficial stats saw the Wildcats just edge out the Bears in rebounds 28-27, according to Doyle on the Edmonson Live broadcast.
 
Edmonson County junior shooting forward Owen Ruth lead the Wildcats in scoring with 22 points and 6 rebounds. Junior shooting guard Tyler Wilson had 16 with 7 boards, sophomore point guard Braden Wright had 10 with 4, senior shooting guard Kollin Doyle shot down 10 with 3 boards, senior shooting guard Ben Sanders had 4 with 2, junior shooting guard Blayne Deweese had 4 with 3, and Lindsey had 2 points and a rebound.
 
Whatever the score is, win or lose, some of the young men will move on to new things and some will return to perpetuate what they have learned but the team will always be in their hearts wherever they are.
 
Edmonson County Lady Cats face off against Grayson County in the KHSAA 12th District Women’s Basketball Tournament Final tomorrow(today) at 6:30 p.m. at Trinity High School in Whitesville.