Looking Back at Saturday's Kentucky High School Football State Championship Games

Little drama and few surprises were featured in Saturday's finals as they favorites delivered championship performances

Christian Academy of Louisville's JaHyde Brown (1) makes a touchdown catch as the Centurions were up 28-0 over Murray at the KHSAA class 3A football state final at Kroger Field in Lexington Saturday, December 6, 2025. / Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Saturday’s slate of 2025 Kentucky hgh school football state finals fell short of Friday’s drama and excitement.

Title games were devoid of upsets and surprises

And despite the close games on day one, it was a state championship weekend devoid of upsets and surprises, and marked by met expectations; courtesy of Trinity High School, Christian Academy-Louisville and Boyle County High School.

Victories by CAL and Owensboro were anticlimactic

The anticlimactic victories by CAL and Owensboro High School Saturday seemed like formality at Kroger Field. However, Trinity’s win offered a defensive showdown that favored the Shamrocks.

Trinity made its fans proud

Trinity obliged its fan base on day two of the state championships by bringing home another 6A championship trophy to St. Matthews, taking down South Warren High School, 28-14. It was the 30th championship go-around for the Shamrocks, and their third consecutive 6A title.

South Warren is new to the 6A classification and won 5A championships in 2018 and 2021. The saving grace for the unbiased observer was the performance of the Trinity defense. It held South Warren to single digits on the ground and grabbed a couple of crucial picks. Otherwise, the predictable occurred. Anyone hoping for an Indiana-Ohio State type outcome wasn’t just going to get one. Interestingly, Cincinnati’s St. X — one of Trinity’s only losses this year — fell to Lewis Center Olentangy Orange, 28-14, in the Ohio Division I State Championship game.

CAL dominated throughout the postseason

CAL ran through the postseason meeting expectations and then some; its games never hung in the balance or imposed adversity. That pattern continued Saturday with a 42-7 rout of Murray High School in the 3A state championship contest. Quarterback Jackson Burke collected a handful of touchdowns and went 14-for-14.

Owensboro dominates Pulaski County

And yes, the Owensboro Red Devils cashed in, attaining their first state championship since 1986, after crushing Pulaski County High School, 35-7, in the 5A final.

How the finalists finished in our state rankings

In postseason hindsight, some of these teams should have maybe received a higher ranking in October and November. But the word “maybe” guides that statement. We’ll stick to our final High School on SI rankings. The 12 state finalist teams are listed in the Nov. 29 ranking order:

No. 1 Trinity Louisville (6A) [13-2]

No. 3 South Warren Bowling Green (6A) [13-1]

No. 4 Christian Academy-Louisville (3A) [15-0]

No. 5 Boyle County Danville (4A) [14-1]

No. 9 Franklin County Frankfort (4A) [14-1]

No. 10 Owensboro (5A) [13-2]

No. 12 Owensboro Catholic (2A) [13-2]

No. 13 Lexington Christian (2A) [12-3]

No. 14 Pulaski County Somerset (5A) [12-3]

No. 20 Murray (3A) [14-1]

No. 23 Kentucky Country Day Louisville (1A) [13-1]

NR Raceland (1A) [12-2]