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It’s almost football time in the Bluegrass. With the 2025 Kentucky high school football season set to begin on August 22nd, KSR will preview all 48 districts and all six classes. Up first is Class 1A, home to the Sayre Spartans, who went 15-0 last year en route to their first state championship victory in program […]

2025 Kentucky High School Football Preview: Class 1A graphic by KSR

Class 1A | District 1

Ballard Memorial (2024: 4-7), Caverna (2024: 6-5), Fulton County (2024: 1-7), Russellville (2024: 6-6)

After a rocky 1-4 start to its 2024 season, disappointment seemed inevitable for the rest of Russellville’s year. However, following a dominating 41-6 win over Todd County Central on the road, the Panthers would only lose two games the rest of the way. One of those losses came to Paducah Tilghman, who won the Class 4A state championship last year, and the other came to Campbellsville in the second round of the playoffs.

While 6-6 isn’t great by any means, it’s certainly an improvement from their 2-9 record in 2023 and 1-10 campaign the year prior. Slowly but surely, head coach Mikie Benton is building the Panthers back up. Perhaps Russellville could see its first winning season since 2021 when they went 12-2 on a run to the state championship game.

Caverna, like Russellville, is on the rise. Going 6-5 in 2024, the Colonels saw their first winning season in 20 long years. They return running backs Tyson Martin and Kenyon Martin, who combined for 2,241 yards and 34 touchdowns on the ground last season as juniors.

Class 1A | District 2

Bethlehem (2024: 5-6), Campbellsville (2024: 11-3), Holy Cross (Louisville) (2024: 6-6), Kentucky Country Day (2024: 10-3)

District 2 features two of the toughest teams in all of Class 1A — the Campbellsville Eagles and the Kentucky Country Day Bearcats. It should once again be a neck and neck battle for who comes out on top in that district. In 2024, KCD got a 20-18 victory over Campbellsville, and it could be the tight of a matchup again this season when the two powerhouses meet on October 24th.

The Bearcats could make a big leap this season, even after being as good as they were last year. Practically the entirety of their production came from underclassmen, like rising senior Parker Rudolph, who had 1,088 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns along the way. With a plethora of returning talent, KCD is a sleeper to get back to the state championship game for the first time since 2020.

Campbellsville, on the other hand, will be led by perhaps the best player in all of Class 1A. Kace Eastridge returns for his senior season after tallying 1,990 passing yards, 1,346 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns total last season. If he can build upon the numbers he put up a year ago, then the Eagles may just win it all in December.

Class 1A | District 3

Bellevue (2024: 5-5), Dayton (2024: 2-9), Newport (2024: 9-3), Newport Central Catholic (2024: 9-4)

The most straightforward way to put it is that District 3 should belong to a school in Newport. Now, whether that is Newport or Newport Central Catholic, only time will tell. NCC got the best of Newport last year, beating the Wildcats 35-7.

NCC gets quarterback Emmanuel Miles back for what can be a really promising senior season for him behind center. As a junior, Miles racked up 1,428 yards and 19 touchdowns through the air. Maybe even more impressively, he threw just three interceptions on the year.

After losing a ton of talent in the backfield, Miles will need to continue to elevate his game if the Thoroughbreds want to maintain their winning ways in District 3.

Class 1A | District 4

Bishop Brossart (2024: 9-3), Holy Cross (Covington) (2024: 3-8), Ludlow (2024: 8-4), Trimble County (2024: 0-11)

Bishop Brossart went 9-3 last year under first-year head coach Adam Kozerski, but a 46-35 loss to Ludlow on October 18th prevented the Mustangs from capturing a district championship. It’ll be interesting to monitor how Kozerski’s squad does this season after losing its top two passers and rushers.

Ludlow, on the other hand, is looking to take that next step after back-to-back eight-win seasons under the leadership of head coach John “Woody” McMillen. In just two years with the Panthers, McMillen has essentially brought that program back to life. Senior tailback Dameyn Anness put up 1,472 yards on the ground, getting into the end zone 17 times (one of those touchdowns coming through the air).

Trimble County, on the other hand, is currently on a 15-game losing streak — not counting when they had to forfeit their game against Newport Central Catholic in the first round of the 2023 playoffs. Perhaps a brighter future lies ahead for the Raiders in 2025.

Class 1A | District 5

Berea (2024: 0-11), Eminence (2024: 6-5), Frankfort (2024: 4-6), Sayre (2024: 15-0)

Speaking of winless teams, maybe Berea will end its 23-game skid this year. Maybe they won’t. We’ll have to see.

Something else we’ll have to see is how Sayre moves forward following an absolute dream of a 2024 season. Not only did head coach Chad Pennington lead the Spartans to its first state championship victory in program history, but they didn’t lose a single game along the way. Sayre quite literally had a perfect season last year.

They can’t do any better than they did last year, but that doesn’t mean that the Spartans are going to be content heading into this year by any means. Why not go back-to-back, right? It’ll be a tall task, especially when you consider that they lost their leading passer, rusher, top four receivers and four of their top five tacklers to graduation. It could be a bit of a rebuilding year for Sayre.

Class 1A | District 6

Fairview (2024: 5-6), Nicholas County (2024: 5-6), Paris (2024: 7-5), Raceland (2024: 10-5)

District 6 is home to the Raceland Rams, who have been so, so close to winning it all under head coach Michael Salmons. However, after getting to the state championship game with a talented group of sophomores and juniors to lead the charge in 2024, the Rams have serious potential to finish their story, leaving Kroger Field in December as champions of Class 1A.

Jacob Waller comes back for his junior season after putting up 1,491 yards and 11 touchdowns at quarterback last year. Plus, he’ll have some weapons to target considering that eight of Raceland’s top nine receivers from a year ago will all be back in 2025. All eight of those receivers tallied north of 100 receiving yards last year, and seven of those eight recorded at least three touchdowns as well.

Oh, and in typical KSR fashion, let’s point out the most ridiculous (yet maybe awesome, depending on who you ask) thing in Class 1A — Paris’ orange football field that went insanely viral on social media last year.

Class 1A | District 7

Harlan (2024: 2-9), Lynn Camp (2024: 3-7), Middlesboro (2024: 4-6), Pineville (2024: 1-9), Williamsburg (2024: 8-2)

Middlesboro took a bit of a step last year, finishing with an underwhelming 4-6 record after going 9-3 the year prior. It seemed like they just needed some time to get their chemistry figured out last year — winning four consecutive games after an 0-3 start — but things fell apart for the Yellowjackets to end their 2024 season as they would go on to lose their final three games of the season.

However, they can get back on track in 2025 behind junior quarterback Deakon Partin if he’s able to elevate his game heading into this season. As a sophomore, he showed flashes of potential as he threw for 803 yards and seven touchdowns.

Williamsburg has always been one of the more underrated programs in Class 1A, and that remains the case heading into 2025. After going 8-2 a year ago, the Yellowjackets could once again make some noise in Class 1A.

Class 1A | District 8

Hazard (2024: 8-5), Paintsville (2024: 4-8), Pikeville (2024: 7-6), Jenkins (2024: 0-7), Phelps (2024: 2-7)

What happened to Pikeville in 2024? After winning not one, not two, but three consecutive Class 1A state championships, they’ll fell apart, finishing the year 7-6 and seeing their season come to an end against the eventual state champs, the Sayre Spartans.

It’s hard to look at the Panthers and really gauge what they can be this year. They lost a multitude of leaders on both sides of the ball, including Isaac Duty and Brenden Anthony, who have been two of the best players in Class 1A for the last few years. Maybe head coach Chris McNamee can get Pikeville back where they’ve been before with a reloaded roster.

However, Hazard could have something to say about that. After going just 1-10 in 2023, head coach Matthew Chandler went 8-5 in his first year at the helm of that program. Max Pelfrey was one of the best passers in the state last season, but the Bulldogs will have to make it work without him if they want to build upon what was a very successful 2024 campaign, all things considered.