Top players and picks for Kentucky’s high school football state championships
The 2025 UK HealthCare Sports Medicine State Football Finals kicks off six state championships over two days beginning at noon Friday when Raceland takes on Kentucky Country Day in the Class A title game at Kroger Field.
Here’s a look at this week’s entire state finals slate in the order of their kickoffs along with a few details and a glance at which teams might have a Mr. Football candidate. Rankings are from the KHSAA’s RPI Standings, which were locked in at the end of the regular season.
The Mr. Football award for the state’s most outstanding senior is chosen by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association and is typically announced sometime after all the finals have been played.
I’ve also included my predictions for each game. I was 10-2 last week. I went 4-2 in last season’s finals.
Class A
No. 1 Raceland (12-1) vs. No. 2 Kentucky Country Day (12-1)
Kickoff: Noon Friday.
Finals history: Raceland (0-3): Four straight finals appearances, runner-up to Sayre last season and Pikeville the two before; KCD (0-1) : Class A runner-up in 2020.
Class A offensive ranks: Raceland, No. 2 (41.3 points per game); KCD, No. 3 (40.5).
Class A defensive ranks: Raceland, No. 3 (14.5); KCD, No. 4 (14.9).
Standouts: Raceland — Jacob Waller, Jr. QB (1,707 yards, 26 TDs passing, 256 yards, 2 TDs rushing); Landen Stiltner, Jr. RB (1,382 yards, 22 TDs rushing, 55 yards, 1 TD receiving); Eli Evans, Jr. WR (387 yards, 6 TDs receiving); Bryson Rowsey, Sr. WR (229 yards, 6 TDs receiving); Landyn Goodall, Sr. DB (63 tackles, 5 interceptions). KCD — Parker Rudolph, Sr. RB (1,018 yards, 15 TDs rushing); Tyler Wilson, Sr. RB (916 yards, 16 TDs rushing; 235 yards, 6 TDs receiving); Bowen Johnson, Sr. LB (110 tackles, 5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks); Pierce Bahm, Sr. S (50 tackles, 1 sack, 3 fumble recoveries; 4 interceptions).
Notes: KCD senior kicker Filip Popa has a five-star rating from ProKicker.com as its No. 3 senior in the nation. His 10 field goals on 11 attempts lead the state.
@HLpreps pick: Raceland.
Class 2A
No. 1 Owensboro Catholic (13-1) vs. No. 2 Lexington Christian (11-3)
Kickoff: 4 p.m. Friday.
Finals history: Owensboro Catholic (0-6): Seventh finals appearance, including the past two. LCA (1-3): 2009 Class A champs; A runner-up in 2007, 2A runner-up in 2020, 2021.
Class 2A offensive ranks: OC, No. 6 (42.4); LCA, No. 8 (36.4).
Class 2A defensive ranks: OC, No. 4 (15.5); LCA, No. 10 (20.2).
Mr. Football watch: The Aces’ Miles Edge and Xavier Maddox and LCA’s Tyler King could be darkhorse candidates. Edge and King earned KFCA district players of the year honors. Edge, a 5-foot-7 senior RB/LB, is having his best season with 1,221 yards and 20 TDs rushing to go with 438 yards and 4 TDs receiving. On defense, Edge has 101 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Maddox, a 6-1 senior WR, has 1,290 yards and 14 TDs receiving. King, a 5-9 senior WR, has 950 yards and 12 TDs receiving and can be a special teams threat.
Other standouts: OC — Dre’Mail Carothers, Jr. QB (3,753 yards, 46 TDs passing, 111 yards, 1 TD rushing); Cameron Woodward, Sr. WR (789 yards, 11 TDs receiving); Jude Evans, So. LB (113 tackles, 2.5 sacks). LCA — Nash Whelan, So. QB (2,299 yards, 26 TDs passing, 1,000 yards, 14 TDs rushing; Daven Hood, Jr. RB/LB (479 yards, 12 TDs rushing, 38 tackles); Logan Mays, Sr. TE/LB (47 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks).
Notes: Carothers garnered a Kentucky offer during UK’s June player camp and tops 2A’s passing charts in yards, TDs and yards per game.
@HLpreps pick: Owensboro Catholic.
Class 4A
No. 1 Boyle County (13-1) vs. No. 3 Franklin County (14-0)
Kickoff: 8 p.m. Friday.
Finals history: Boyle County (12-2): last won 4A in 2023; Franklin County (0-2): 2020, 2024 4A runner-up.
Class 4A offensive ranks: Boyle, No. 10 (35.4); Franklin, No. 1 (46.1).
Class 4A defensive ranks: Boyle, No. 1 (11.6); Franklin, No. 3 (13.7).
Mr. Football watch: Boyle County’s Ji’Dyn Smith-Hisel could make a longshot case for the award with a big game Friday. The 5-7 senior running back has 1,609 yards and 16 TDs rushing and 229 yards and a TD receiving this year. This is his first season as Boyle’s featured back.
Other standouts: Boyle — Seneca Driver, Jr. TE/LB (852 yards, 10 TDs receiving, 77 yards, 1 TD rushing, 60 tackles, 1 sack, 5 interceptions, including 2 for TDs); Jhet Raleigh, So. QB (1,965 yards, 22 TDs passing, 336 yards, 5 TDs rushing); Darryl Yancey, Sr. RB/LB (359 yards, 8 TDs rushing, 78 tackles, 19 TFLs, 7 sacks). Franklin — Delano Collins, Sr. WR (888 yards, 12 TDs receiving, 5 punt return TDs, 3 kickoff return TDs), Knox Barrett, So. QB (3,035 yards, 37 TDs passing); Jacob Taylor, Sr. WR (903 yards, 10 TDs receiving), Shalom Moore, Sr. DB (80 tackles, 7 interceptions, including 3 for a TD).
Notes: Driver, a 6-7, four-star junior, has a reported 40 Division I offers, including Ohio State and Notre Dame.
@HLpreps pick: Franklin County.
Class 3A
No. 1 Christian Academy-Louisville (14-0) vs. No. 3 Murray (14-0)
Kickoff: Noon Saturday.
Finals history: CAL (5-0): Three time defending 3A champs; Murray (2-2): Class A champs in 1961, 1974, Class A runner-up in 1960, 1994.
Class 3A offensive ranks: CAL, No. 1 (47.4); Murray, No. 2 (45.3).
Class 3A defensive ranks: CAL, No. 2 (9.2); Murray, No. 9 (16.5).
Mr. Football watch: A shocking win for Murray could propel quarterback Wyatt Robbins or wideout/defensive back Isaiah “Zaye” Martin into serious consideration. Robbins, a 6-1 senior with offers including Murray State, has thrown for 3,199 yards and 35 TDs and rushed for 533 yards and four scores and earned KFCA district player of the year honors. Martin, a 6-1 senior with offers including Murray State and Eastern Kentucky, has 1,230 yards and 19 TDs receiving to go with two rushing TDs. He also has 107 tackles and two interceptions on defense.
Other standouts: CAL — Jackson Burke, So. QB (3,202 yards, 48 TDs passing), Ja’Hyde Brown, Jr. WR (1,376 yards, 22 TDs receiving), Gaines Howard, Jr. WR (1,000 yards, 14 TDs receiving), Tyree Stoner, Sr. RB (752 yards, 20 TDs rushing), Micah Newsome, Jr. LB (128 tackles, 19 TFLs, 3 sacks). Murray — Amarion Bomar, Sr. RB (893 yards, 13 TDs rushing, 487 yards, 3 TDs receiving), Joshua Bridges Jr., Sr. WR (897 yards, 9 TDs receiving), Simon Rickman, Sr. LB (163 tackles, 8 sacks).
Notes: CAL’s Brown is a 5-11 three-star recruit with 20 reported offers including Alabama.
@HLpreps pick: CAL.
Class 6A
No. 1 South Warren (13-0) vs. No. 4 Trinity (21-2)
Kickoff: 4 p.m. Saturday.
Finals history: South Warren (3-0): 2015 4A champ, 2018 and 2021 5A champ; Trinity (29-4): Back-to-back defending 6A champs.
Class 6A offensive ranks: South Warren, No. 1 (43.6; Trinity, No. 2 (42.9).
Class 6A defensive ranks: South Warren, No. 3 (15.5); Trinity, No. 1 (9.5).
Mr. Football watch: South Warren’s Kayden York could merit consideration if he has a big game in a Spartans upset. A 5-8 senior who earned KFCA district player of year honors, York has rushed for 1,008 yards and 21 TDs to go with 266 yards and three TDs receiving and 30 tackles at safety with four interceptions, including one for a touchdown.
Other standouts: South Warren — Camden Page, Jr. QB (2,123 yards, 23 TDs passing, 280 yards, 7 TDs rushing), Jake Carter, Sr. WR (941 yards, 9 TDs receiving), Takyon Darden, Jr. LB (65 tackles, 16 TFLs, 3 sacks), Isaiah Bridges, Jr. DB (37 tackles, 5 interceptions. Trinity — Zane Johnson, Sr. QB (2,763 yards, 51 TDs passing), Jamaurion Berry, Jr. RB (714 yards, 10 TDs rushing), Cross Watson, Sr. WR (719 yards, 12 TDs passing), Juleone Carney, Jr. LB (38 tackles, 11.5 sacks), Luke Vize, Jr. LB (78 tackles, 3 sacks).
Notes: Trinity junior defensive back Allen Evans ranks as a four-star recruit who is No. 1 in his class in the state and the No. 6 player at his position in the nation, according to 247Sports.com. … Trinity’s Johnson has two state titles and a championship game MVP already to his credit, making him a frontrunner for 2026’s Mr. Football.
@HLpreps pick: Trinity.
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Class 5A
No. 1 Pulaski County (12-2) vs. No. 2 Owensboro (12-2)
Kickoff: 8 p.m. Friday.
Finals history: Pulaski County (1-3): Won the 2014 5A title during a run of four straight appearances from 2013 to 2016. Owensboro (2-5): 2A champ in 1974; 3A champ in 1986; last appearance in 5A finals in 2020.
Class 5A offensive ranks: Pulaski, No. 6 (35); Owensboro, No. 1 (43.4).
Class 5A defensive ranks: Pulaski, No. 9 (20.2); Owensboro, No. 2 (12.4).
Mr. Football watch: Owensboro’s Evan Hampton, a 6-foot, three-star senior signed with Vanderbilt, could lock up Mr. Football with a standout performance Saturday. This season, he’s rushed for a Class 5A-leading 1,927 yards and 28 TDs and had 280 yards and three TDs receiving. For his career, he has 5,151 yards and 79 TDs rushing. Both of those totals, as they stand, would chart him in the KHSAA record book.
Other standouts: Pulaski County — Kasen Brock, Jr. RB (1,659 yards, 21 TDs rushing, 431 yards, 4 TDs receiving), Will Adams, So. QB (517 yards, 9 TDs rushing, 393 yards, 1 TD passing), Cohen Finley, Jr. DB (159 tackles, 10 TFLs, 6 sacks), Bryan Ford, Sr., LB (105 tackles, 15 TFLs, 11 sacks); Owensboro — DaMarcus Ganaway Jr., Jr. QB (2,558 yards, 35 TDs passing, 262 yards, 5 TDs rushing), Kingston Dillard, So. WR (1,232 yards, 18 TDs receiving), Ty Ashley, Jr. LB (130 tackles, 10 TFLs, 3 sacks).
Notes: Pulaski junior offensive lineman Brady Hull, a 6-3, 280-pound junior, is a three-star recruit with offers including Kentucky and at least 17 other Division I schools.
@HLpreps pick: Owensboro.
KHSAA State Football Championships
At Kroger Field in Lexington
Friday’s finals
Class A: No. 1 Raceland (12-1) vs. No. 2 Kentucky Country Day (12-1), noon.
Class 2A: No. 1 Owensboro Catholic (13-1) vs. No. 2 Lexington Christian (11-3), 4 p.m.
Class 4A: No. 1 Boyle County (13-1) vs. No. 3 Franklin County (14-0), 8 p.m.
Saturday’s finals
Class 3A: No. 1 Christian Academy-Louisville (14-0) vs. No. 3 Murray (14-0), noon.
Class 6A: No. 1 South Warren (13-0) vs. No. 4 Trinity (21-2), 4 p.m.
Class 5A: No. 1 Pulaski County (12-2) vs. No. 2 Owensboro (12-2)., 8 p.m.
Tickets
General admission is $17 plus fees. Other options vary. Purchase online at KHSAA.org.
Video broadcasts
There are two options to watch the video stream of this week’s games:
Subscription service: Video coverage of every state championship game will be available through KHSAA.tv as part of the NFHS Network, which requires a subscription. The NFHS Network currently offers two subscription options — a monthly pass for $13.99 that will renew automatically, but can be canceled anytime and a $79.99 annual subscription that will renew automatically until canceled. A subscription also grants users access to games aired by the NFHS Network from other states. Click here to purchase an NFHS Network subscription.
Pay per view: PrepSpin.com will also be offering HD streaming of individual games at a cost of $19.95 per game or $69.95 for all six games on its streaming website go.prepspin.com and its app, available in most app stores, including Roku, FireTV and AppleTV.
Audio broadcasts
Streaming audio: Audio coverage of every state championship game will be provided for free by the KHSAA through mixlr.com/khsaa/events/. The Mixlr app is available in most app stores.
Class A game audio: Glicod.com will stream an audio broadcast of Friday’s game between Raceland and Kentucky Country Day.
Live stats
Live statistical updates of every state championship game will be provided freely by the KHSAA through Stat Broadcast via KHSAA.org.
This story was originally published December 4, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
