A first-time Class A state champion will be crowned as undefeated Sayre faces Raceland

Neither the No. 25 Raceland Rams nor the No. 22 Sayre Spartans have won a state title in their school’s respective history, but that will soon change for one team. No matter who comes out on top, a first-time Class A Kentucky state champion will be crowned on Friday in Lexington.

And it should be a thrilling matchup to boot. Sayre has yet to drop a game all season long, going into the title bout with a 14-0 record along with the top-rated offense and defense in the entire class. The Spartans score 44.4 points per outing while giving up just 5.6 points to the opposition. Meanwhile, Raceland has come up short in the Class A championship the previous two seasons. But the third time is usually the charm.

Can Sayre stay undefeated and win a state championship in the school’s first-ever appearance? Or will Raceland finally get over the hump after coming up short three times before (2017, 2022, 2023)? This matchup will actually be the first of the six-game championship weekend. Kickoff at Kroger Field is scheduled for Friday at noon EST.

Let’s learn a little bit more about both teams.

No. 25 Raceland Rams (10-4)

Raceland head coach Michael Salmons is 0-3 in Class A title games with the Rams, including back-to-back losses. Despite a 1-3 start to the season, he coached his team to five straight victories before running into Lexington Christian Academy in the regular season finale. Since then, Raceland has won its four postseason games by a combined total of 160-20.

The Rams rank 11th in Class A in scoring (31 PPG) and third in points allowed (12.4). It’s not quite as stark a scoring margin compared to Sayre, but Raceland has played an objectively tougher schedule along the way. On offense, the Rams score by committee. 16 different players have gotten into the end zone so far this season. There is a balanced approach to passing and running the ball, although it’s been more run-heavy in the postseason.

Junior Shannon Marushi is the player to watch on both sides. He has nearly 600 rushing yards with 11 touchdowns on the ground. He’s also recorded 46 tackles on defense. Senior Linden Sammons is the defensive leader with 80 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and nine sacks. Sophomore quarterback Jacob Waller has thrown for just under 1,400 yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions.

No. 22 Sayre Spartans (14-0)

Led by former NFL quarterback Chad Pennington as head coach, Sayre is looking to polish off easily its best run since bringing back the football program in 2018. The Spartans have flat-out dominated Class A, shutting out six schools while taking down defending state champion Pikeville in the third round of the playoffs. They’ve been unstoppable all season long on offense and defense.

Sayre will trot out a couple of the best players in Class A, namely senior Brock Coffman, who flipped his commitment from Ohio to Louisville on National Signing Day. Coffman leads the class in receiving yards with 1,387 on the season to go along with his impressive 24 touchdowns. He also lines up on defense and is currently third on the team in tackles with 67. Throwing Coffman the ball is the head coach’s son, senior Luke Pennington, who has tossed an unreal 50 touchdowns to just three interceptions this season.

The Spartans’ defense is equally as dangerous. That unit has accumulated 25 sacks, 19 interceptions, and 16 fumble recoveries this season — all Top 10 marks in the class. Senior Charlie Slabaugh, who also serves as his team’s top ball carrier on offense (827 rushing yards for 12 touchdowns), is one to monitor on the defensive side of the ball with his team-leading 93 tackles.

Score Prediction

*KSR’s Prediction: Sayre 30, Raceland 13

**Massey Ratings’ Prediction: Raceland 28, Sayre 20

*KSR’s Prediction is an average from five voter predictions.*

**The Massey Ratings is a system created in 1999 by statistician Kenneth Massey that was used to help determine the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) until 2013.**