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.
List of Champions
Below is a complete list of State Champions from all six of the KHSAA Divisions6A State Champions
5A State Champions
4A State Champions
3A State Champions
2A State Champions
1A State Champions
| Year | Champion | Score | Opponent | State Champion Head coach |
| 2019 | Pikeville | 43–0 | Paintsville | Chris McNamee |
| 2018 | Beechwood | 21–20 | Pikeville | Noel Rash |
| 2017 | Beechwood | 41–0 | Raceland | Noel Rash |
| 2016 | Beechwood | 21–14 | Hazard | Noel Rash |
| 2015 | Pikeville | 42–28 | Beechwood | Chris McNamee |
| 2014 | Mayfield | 28–27 OT | Williamsburg | Joe Morris |
| 2013 | Mayfield | 42–0 | Williamsburg | Joe Morris |
| 2012 | Mayfield | 55–8 | Fairview | Joe Morris |
| 2011 | Hazard | 24–6 | Mayfield | Mark Dixon |
| 2010 | Mayfield | 47–6 | Hazard High School | Joe Morris |
| 2009 | Lexington Christian | 55–19 | Mayfield | Paul Rains |
| 2008 | Beechwood | 14–7 | Hazard | Noel Rash |
| 2007 | Beechwood | 38–35 | Lexington Christian | Noel Rash |
| 2006 | Newport Central Catholic | 37-34 | Danville | Bob Schneider |
| 2005 | Newport Central Catholic | 42-7 | Mayfield | Bob Schneider |
| 2004 | Beechwood | 23-7 | Danville | Mike Yeagle |
| 2003 | Danville | 42-7 | Beechwood | Sam Harp |
| 2002 | Mayfield | 14-7 | Beechwood | Joe Morris |
| 2001 | Danville | 14-13 | Newport Central Catholic | Sam Harp |
| 2000 | Danville | 23-9 | Newport Central Catholic | Sam Harp |
| 1999 | Beechwood | 45-22 | Hancock County | Mike Yeagle |
| 1998 | Middlesboro | 27-6 | Mayfield | Ken Roark |
| 1997 | Beechwood | 26-0 | Harrodsburg | Mike Yeagle |
| 1996 | Beechwood | 21-14 OT | Harrodsburg | Mike Yeagle |
| 1995 | Mayfield | 28-27 | Beechwood | Paul Leahy |
| 1994 | Beechwood | 18-16 | Murray | Mike Yeagle |
| 1993 | Beechwood | 13-12 | Bardstown | Mike Yeagle |
| 1992 | Beechwood | 21-14 | Bardstown | Mike Yeagle |
| 1991 | Beechwood | 34-6 | Pikeville | Mike Yeagle |
| 1990 | Russellville | 21-7 | Bellevue | Ken Barrett |
| 1989 | Pikeville | 20-7 | Trigg County | Hillard Howard |
| 1988 | Pikeville | 28-10 | Harrodsburg | Hillard Howard |
| 1987 | Pikeville | 28-6 | Russellville | Hillard Howard |
| 1986 | Heath | 27-12 | Cumberland | Rodney Bushong |
| 1985 | Crittenden County | 14-6 | Paintsville | Pat Gates |
| 1984 | Beechwood | 35-26 | Paris | Bernie Barre |
| 1983 | Russellville | 42-13 | Cumberland | Ken Barrett |
| 1982 | Paris | 35-6 | Cumberland | Randy Reese |
| 1981 | Paris | 19-7 | Bellevue | Randy Reese |
| 1980 | Russellville | 16-0 | Bellevue | Ken Barrett |
| 1979 | Bellevue | 7-0 | Madison | Fred Bernier |
| 1978 | Fort Campbell | 15-13 | Paintsville | Marshall Patterson |
| 1977 | Bellevue | 21-0 | Frankfort | Bill Baldridge |
| 1976 | Fort Campbell | 22-0 | Bellevue | Marshall Patterson |
| 1975 | Ludlow | 7-6 | Heath | Randy Reese |
| 1974 | Murray | 14-0 | Beechwood | John Hina |
| 1973 | Paris | 21-12 | Elkhorn City | Homer Goins |
| 1972 | Trigg County | 22-0 | Pikeville | Joe Jaggers |
| 1971 | Trigg County | 30-23 | Lynch East Main | Joe Jaggers |
| 1970 | Bardstown | 13-6 | Lynch East Main | Garnis Martin |
| 1969 | Mt. Sterling | 21-13 | Bardstown | Charles Ishmael |
| 1968 | Lynch East Main | 14-6 | Frankfort | Ed Miracle |
| 1967 | Bardstown | 20-13 | Mt. Sterling | Garnis Martin |
| 1966 | Dayton | 6-2 | Russellville | Ray King |
| 1965 | Lloyd Memorial | 27-0 | Old Kentucky Home | Jack Turner |
| 1964 | Elkhorn City | 33-7 | Russellville | Jack Hall |
| 1963 | Lynch East Main | 13-6 | Shelbyville | Ed Miracle |
| 1962 | Versailles | 21-0 | Lynch East Main | John Snowden |
| 1961 | Murray | 14-13 | Lynch East Main | Ty Holland |
| 1960 | Lynch East Main | 39-0 | Murray | Ed Miracle |
| 1959 | Lynch East Main | 40-0 | Henderson Douglas | Ed Miracle |
Championships, by schools
| School | Titles | Years |
| Trinity | 26 | 1968, 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 |
| Ft. Thomas Highlands | 23 | 1960, 1961, 1964, 1968, 1970, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1989, 1992, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 |
| Beechwood | 14 | 1984, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2018 |
| Mayfield | 12 | 1977, 1978, 1985, 1986, 1993, 1995, 2002, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 |
| St. Xavier | 12 | 1962, 1969, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2009 |
| Danville | 11 | 1962, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2017 |
| Boyle County | 8 | 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2017 |
| Male | 8 | 1960, 1963, 1964, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2015, 2018 |
| Covington Catholic | 8 | 1987, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2006, 2017, 2019 |
| Belfry | 7 | 2003, 2004, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 |
| Bowling Green | 6 | 1995, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 |
| Central | 6 | 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018 |
| DuPont Manual | 6 | 1925, 1936, 1938, 1948, 1959, 1966 |
| Fort Campbell | 6 | 1976, 1978, 1979, 2007, 2008, 2009 |
| Newport Central Catholic | 5 | 1984, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012 |
| Pikeville | 5 | 1987, 1988, 1989, 2015, 2019 |
| Bardstown | 4 | 1967, 1970, 1981, 2001 |
| Franklin-Simpson | 4 | 1979, 1980, 2017, 2018 |
| Lynch | 4 | 1959, 1960, 1963, 1968 |