KSR’s 2024 Kentucky High School Football Top 25 Rankings: Pre-state championships

After three-plus months of hard work, 12 teams have made it to the final round, but only six will leave Kroger Field as 2024 Kentucky high school football state champions.

Before we look too far ahead to this weekend’s schedule, we’re rolling out what will be our second-to-last Top 25 rankings update of the season. All 12 teams across the six title games cracked the latest update. Teams eliminated from the postseason have also been included and are bolded in black. There was plenty of movement in this week’s update following a thrilling semifinal round last Friday.

Before you dive into the updated Top 25 below, check out this weekend’s championship schedule at Kroger Field in Lexington. Also, at the very bottom of this article, you’ll find score predictions from a handful of our voters for all six games.

Friday, Dec. 6 | 12:00 PM	1A | No. 25 Raceland (10-4) vs. No. 22 Sayre (14-0)
Friday, Dec. 6 | 4:00 PM	2A | No. 7 Owensboro Catholic (14-0) vs. No. 12 Beechwood (13-1)
Friday, Dec. 6 | 8:00 PM	4A | No. 5 Franklin County (13-0) vs. No. 1 Paducah Tilghman (14-0)
Saturday, Dec. 7 | 12:00 PM	3A | No. 11 Christian Academy-Louisville (11-3) vs. No. 23 Union County (12-2)
Saturday, Dec. 7 | 4:00 PM	6A | No. 6 Ryle (12-2) vs. No. 3 Trinity (12-2)
Saturday, Dec. 7 | 8:00 PM	5A | No. 2 Cooper (14-0) vs. No. 9 Bowling Green (12-2)

KSR’s Top 25 Rankings: Playoffs Rd. 4

*Teams bolded in black have been eliminated from the postseason*

1. Paducah Tilghman [7 first-place votes]
2. Cooper [1 first-place vote]
3. Trinity [1 first-place vote] (+1)
4. Boyle County (-1)
5. Franklin County (+1)
6. Ryle (-1)
7. Owensboro Catholic (+1)
8. Frederick Douglass (+1)
9. Bowling Green (+5)
10. Covington Catholic (-3)
11. Christian Academy-Louisville (+4)
12. Beechwood (+8)
13. Highlands (-3)
14. South Warren (-1)
15. Corbin (-3)
16. DuPont Manual
17. Lexington Christian Academy (-6)
18. St. Xavier
19. Male
20. Great Crossing (-3)
21. Ashland Blazer
22. Sayre (+1)
23. Union County (+1)
24. Central (-2)
25. Raceland

Others receiving votes: Johnson Central (7)

KSR Top 25 voters: Jalen Daugherty, Vic Evans, Daniel Hager, Clark Howell, Troy Howell, Spencer Hutchison, Scott Ratliff, Phoenix Stevens, Stephen Turner

KSR predicts the state championships

*Final scores are averages from five voter predictions*

Class A

• Sayre 30, Raceland 13

Class 2A

• Owensboro Catholic 35, Beechwood 30

Class 3A

• Christian Academy-Louisville 30, Union County 16

Class 4A

• Paducah Tilghman 36, Franklin County 26

Class 5A

• Cooper 38, Bowling Green 26

Class 6A

• Trinity 22, Ryle 21