KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl


The KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl is a series of football games, typically held on the first weekend of December, that determine the high school champions of the U.S. state of Kentucky. The tournaments that lead to the championship games, as well as regular-season competition, are governed by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.

History

The KHSAA began conducting state football championships in 1959. Throughout its history, the competition has been divided into classes based on enrollment. The history of classifications is as follows:
  • 1959–1974: Three-class system. All schools in Jefferson County, which includes the state's largest city of Louisville, were placed in Class 3A regardless of enrollment. Remaining schools were placed in Class 2A or A based on enrollment.
  • 1975–1986: Quasi-four-class system. Initially, all high schools in Jefferson County were placed in Class 4A regardless of enrollment, though by the end of this era smaller schools began to be placed in their appropriate enrollment classes. In this era, there were two separate 4A champions—a "State 4A" winner from outside Jefferson County and a "Jefferson County 4A" champion—that would meet for an overall 4A title.
  • 1987–2006: True four-class system, with all Jefferson County schools classified according to their enrollment.
  • 2007–present: Six-class system, again based on enrollment, but with a slight change in calculation of enrollment. Historically, schools were classified based on total enrollment in grades 9 to 12, with all-boys schools treated as having twice their actual enrollment. With the expansion to six classes, the KHSAA changed the basis for classification to enrollment of boys only in the same grades.
Traditionally, the championship games were held in Louisville, first at the old Cardinal Stadium on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center and later at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, previously known as Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, on the campus of the University of Louisville. From 2009 to 2016, the games moved to Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium on the campus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. In 2017, the KHSAA announced that the 2017 and 2018 games will be played at Kroger Field on the campus of the University of Kentucky in Lexington. With the expansion to six classes, the Gridiron Bowl is now a two-day affair, with three championship games on Friday and three on Saturday.

List of champions

Below is a complete list of state champions from all six of the KHSAA Divisions

1A State Champions

YearChampionScoreOpponentState Champion Head coach
2025Kentucky Country Day20-16RacelandMatthew Jones
2024Sayre27–22RacelandChad Pennington
2023Pikeville21–0RacelandChris McNamee
2022Pikeville41–9RacelandChris McNamee
2021Pikeville30–27RussellvilleChris McNamee
2020Paintsville38–7Kentucky Country DayJoe Chirico
2019Pikeville43–0PaintsvilleChris McNamee
2018Beechwood21–20PikevilleNoel Rash
2017Beechwood41–0RacelandNoel Rash
2016Beechwood21–14HazardNoel Rash
2015Pikeville42–28BeechwoodChris McNamee
2014Mayfield28–27 OTWilliamsburgJoe Morris
2013Mayfield42–0WilliamsburgJoe Morris
2012Mayfield55–8FairviewJoe Morris
2011Hazard24–6MayfieldMark Dixon
2010Mayfield47–6Hazard High SchoolJoe Morris
2009Lexington Christian55–19MayfieldPaul Rains
2008Beechwood14–7HazardNoel Rash
2007Beechwood38–35Lexington ChristianNoel Rash
2006Newport Central Catholic37–34DanvilleBob Schneider
2005Newport Central Catholic42–7MayfieldBob Schneider
2004Beechwood23–7DanvilleMike Yeagle
2003Danville42–7BeechwoodSam Harp
2002Mayfield14–7BeechwoodJoe Morris
2001Danville14–13Newport Central CatholicSam Harp
2000Danville23–9Newport Central CatholicSam Harp
1999Beechwood45–22Hancock CountyMike Yeagle
1998Middlesboro27–6MayfieldKen Roark
1997Beechwood26–0HarrodsburgMike Yeagle
1996Beechwood21–14 OTHarrodsburgMike Yeagle
1995Mayfield28–27BeechwoodPaul Leahy
1994Beechwood18–16MurrayMike Yeagle
1993Beechwood13–12BardstownMike Yeagle
1992Beechwood21–14BardstownMike Yeagle
1991Beechwood34–6PikevilleMike Yeagle
1990Russellville21–7BellevueKen Barrett
1989Pikeville20–7Trigg CountyHillard Howard
1988Pikeville28–10HarrodsburgHillard Howard
1987Pikeville28–6RussellvilleHillard Howard
1986Heath27–12CumberlandRodney Bushong
1985Crittenden County14–6PaintsvillePat Gates
1984Beechwood35–26ParisBernie Barre
1983Russellville42–13CumberlandKen Barrett
1982Paris35–6CumberlandRandy Reese
1981Paris19–7BellevueRandy Reese
1980Russellville16–0BellevueKen Barrett
1979Bellevue7–0MadisonFred Bernier
1978Fort Campbell15–13PaintsvilleMarshall Patterson
1977Bellevue21–0FrankfortBill Baldridge
1976Fort Campbell22–0BellevueMarshall Patterson
1975Ludlow7–6HeathRandy Reese
1974Murray14–0BeechwoodJohn Hina
1973Paris21–12Elkhorn CityHomer Goins
1972Trigg County22–0PikevilleJoe Jaggers
1971Trigg County30–23Lynch East MainJoe Jaggers
1970Bardstown13–6Lynch East MainGarnis Martin
1969Mt. Sterling21–13BardstownCharles Ishmael
1968Lynch East Main14–6FrankfortEd Miracle
1967Bardstown20–13Mt. SterlingGarnis Martin
1966Dayton6–2RussellvilleRay King
1965Lloyd Memorial27–0Old Kentucky HomeJack Turner
1964Elkhorn City33–7RussellvilleJack Hall
1963Lynch East Main13–6ShelbyvilleEd Miracle
1962Versailles21–0Lynch East MainJohn Snowden
1961Murray14–13Lynch East MainTy Holland
1960Lynch East Main39–0MurrayEd Miracle
1959Lynch East Main40–0Henderson DouglasEd Miracle

Championships, by schools

SchoolTitlesYears
Trinity301968, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024, 2025
Ft. Thomas Highlands231960, 1961, 1964, 1968, 1970, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1989, 1992, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014
Beechwood181984, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024
Boyle County131999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
Mayfield131977, 1978, 1985, 1986, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2023
St. Xavier131962, 1969, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2021
Danville111962, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2017
Bowling Green91995, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2023, 2024
Belfry82003, 2004, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021
Covington Catholic81987, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2006, 2017, 2019
Male81960, 1963, 1964, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2015, 2018
Pikeville81987, 1988, 1989, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Central62007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018
Christian Academy-Louisville62016, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
DuPont Manual61925, 1936, 1938, 1948, 1959, 1966
Fort Campbell61976, 1978, 1979, 2007, 2008, 2009
Newport Central Catholic51984, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012
Bardstown41967, 1970, 1981, 2001
Franklin-Simpson41979, 1980, 2017, 2018
Lynch41959, 1960, 1963, 1968
Paducah Tilghman41973, 1985, 2009, 2024