The 2025 Missouri high school football season has come to a close with an exciting slate of MSHSAA Show-Me Bowl champions crowned last weekend at Spratt Memorial Stadium in St. Joseph.
Platte County stood at the forefront once again, opening the year as the state’s preseason No. 1 and finishing in the same spot after a 14-0 run capped by an overtime win against Carthage for the Class 5 championship. The season also delivered first-time titles for Worth County in 8-man and Tipton in Class 1, along with undefeated state champions in Blair Oaks (Class 2) and Kearney (Class 4).
Movement across the top 10 took center stage this week.
Lee’s Summit made the most dramatic ascent. The Tigers opened the preseason at No. 10 before falling off with an 0-4 start, then reeled off 10 consecutive wins and beat then No. 3 Jackson in the semifinals and No. 2 Nixa in the Class 6 championship to finish No. 2.
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Nixa held firm as a contender and finished No. 5 after reaching the Class 6 final, while Seneca broke into the top 10 by securing the Class 3 title after two straight runner-up finishes. Carthage and Jackson also delivered strong postseason showings that kept them firmly in the upper tier.
Championship-caliber balance defined several of the state’s elite programs. Kearney rode one of Missouri’s stingiest defenses to a perfect season and the Class 4 crown, and Blair Oaks dominated its first year back in Class 2 on the way to its second consecutive title and seventh in program history. Behind them, programs such as CBC, Kirkwood, Lafayette, and Hannibal anchored a deep and competitive field that showcased high-level football from August to November.
With five state champions finishing undefeated and several programs returning significant pieces, the groundwork has already been laid for another compelling chase in 2026.
Dec. 7, 2025
Final Record: 14-0
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Last Week’s Ranking: 1
It takes a truly special team to run the table as No. 1 for the entirety of the season, but that’s exactly what they did. They won games in a variety of fashions — blowouts, last-second touchdowns and overtime wins. But they always found a way, and they claimed their second consecutive Class 5 state championship with a thrilling 34-28 victory over Carthage in the Show-Me Bowl.
Final Record: 10-4
Last Week’s Ranking: 5
Ranked No. 10 in our preseason poll, the Tigers quickly fell off after an 0-4 start. But, with senior star Preston Hatfield healthy and running the offense, the Tigers ripped off 10 straight wins, including postseason victories over five state-ranked teams — Lee’s Summit North, North Kansas City, Liberty, then No. 3 Jackson and No. 2 Nixa — to win the Class 6 championship.
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Final Record: 14-0
Last Week’s Ranking: 3
Ranked No. 11 in the preseason, the Bulldogs did nothing but impress all season. Their defense never allowed more than 24 points in any game and they beat No. 12 Hannibal 21-14 to win the Class 4 state championship.
Final Record: 14-0
Last Week’s Ranking: 4
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One of the best teams regardless of classification, the Falcons won the 2024 Class 3 championship and then dropped down to Class 2 with much of that same team intact. They breezed to their second straight championship, beating St. Pius X (Festus) 59-0 in the title game while allowing only 15 points and pitching three shutouts in five postseason games.
Final Record: 13-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 2
Ranked No. 2 since the preseason, the Eagles barged their way into the Class 6 championship game for the second time in as many seasons. The favorite going in against Lee’s Summit, the Eagles’ defense allowed a Show-Me Bowl record 457 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns to Tigers quarterback Preston Hatfield and lost 41-37.
Final Record: 12-2
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Last Week’s Ranking: 6
Backed by a superb defense, Carthage went on a tear in the postseason and took No. 1 Platte County to the wire in the Class 5 championship before falling 34-28 in overtime.
Final Record: 12-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 7
Jackson’s season ended with a 35-28 loss to eventual Class 6 champion Lee’s Summit in the state semifinals.
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Final Record: 13-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 11
Coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes in Class 3, the third time was the charm for the Indians, as they beat Lift for Life Academy 33-26 to claim their third state championship in program history.
Final Record: 11-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 8
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The Cadets lost to Jackson, 45-42, in the Class 6 quarterfinals.
Final Record: 10-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 9
Their season ended with a 64-35 loss to No. 1 Platte County in the Class 5 semifinals.
Final Record: 10-1
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Last Week’s Ranking: 10
Lafayette’s season ended with a 77-62 loss to No. 3 CBC in the Class 6 District 2 championship game.
Final Record: 11-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 12
Getting back to the Show-Me Bowl for the first time since 2021, the Pirates finished as Class 4 runner-up with a 21-14 loss to No. 3 Kearney.
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Final Record: 9-4
Last Week’s Ranking: 13
The Lions’ season ended in the Class 5 semifinals with a 20-8 loss to state runner-up Carthage.
Final Record: 11-1
Last Week’s Ranking: 14
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A 45-28 loss to Nixa ended the Crusaders’ season in the state quarterfinals.
Final Record: 10-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 15
Liberty reached the Class 6 quarterfinals before losing to eventual state champion Lee’s Summit, 24-14.
Final Record: 9-1
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Last Week’s Ranking: 16
The Jaguars’ season ended with a loss to Blue Springs in the Class 6 District 6 semifinals.
Final Record: 9-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 17
Rockhurst’s season ended with a 29-22 loss to No. 1 Platte County, who scored the winning touchdown with 2 seconds remaining, in the Class 5 District 8 championship.
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Final Record: 9-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 18
Republic’s season ended in the Class 5 District 6 championship with a 31-14 loss to Carthage.
Final Record: 10-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 19
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The Panthers saw their 2025 season end in the Class 6 quarterfinals with a 38-13 loss to Cardinal Ritter.
Final Record: 8-4
Last Week’s Ranking: 20
The Wildcats’ season ended in the Class 6 District 6 finals with a 26-21 loss to unbeaten Helias Catholic.
Final Record: 10-3
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Last Week’s Ranking: 21
The Tigers’ season came to a close in the Class 4 state semifinals with a 52-24 loss to No. 4 Kearney. Festus averaged 36.8 points per game in 2025.
Final Record: 8-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 22
North Kansas City’s season ended with a 42-21 loss to Lee’s Summit in the Class 6 District 7 championship.
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Final Record: 7-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 23
SLUH’s season ended Nov. 7 with a 28-25 loss to Lafayette Wildwood in the Class 6 District 2 semifinals.
Final Record: 8-3
Last Week’s Ranking: 24
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The Wildcats’ season ended at the hands of No. 7 Kirkwood, 21-10, in the Class 5 District 2 championship.
Final Record: 10-2
Last Week’s Ranking: 25
Savannah’s season came to an end with a 24-0 loss to No. 5 Kearney in the Class 4 District 8 championship.
The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on whether the so-called “Missouri First” map is unconstitutional.
The map, passed by Republican lawmakers in September and signed by Gov. Mike Kehoe, stretches the boundaries of the 5th Congressional District, a Democratic stronghold, eastward into heavily Republican regions of the state. It also moves part of the current 5th District into the 4th and 6th districts, currently represented by Republican congressmen Mark Alford and Sam Graves. Incumbent Democrat Emanuel Cleaver is running for reelection in the 5th District.
Opponents of the Missouri First map’s main argument focused on the map being passed by lawmakers without any new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The congressional boundaries tossed out by the Missouri First map were based on the 2020 U.S. Census.
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Attorney Chuck Hatfield represents those challenging the new map passed by Republican lawmakers last fall.
“The whole idea is tethered to the census data. You must do it at the census, and you only do it at the census,” Hatfield told the High Court. “The court’s precedents also support this.”
Solicitor General Louis Capozzi, representing the Missouri Sec. of State’s office, disagreed, saying the Missouri Constitution is silent on mid-decade redistricting.
“Mid-decade redistricting had happened in Missouri in the 1870s, and mid-decade redistricting was common around the country in the first half of the 20th century,” he argued. “Article III, Section 45 of the Missouri Constitution sets out only three requirements for the redistricting of seats in Missouri, ‘The district shall be composed of contiguous territory, as compact, and as nearly equal in population as may be.’ And as long as the General Assembly complies with those three rules, this court said that Missouri courts, ‘shall respect the political determinations of the General Assembly.’”
Meanwhile, roughly a hundred demonstrators held signs across the street from the Missouri Supreme Court building, condemning the Missouri First map and calling for the Missouri Supreme Court to strike it down.
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“Voters should choose our politicians,” said Missouri League of Women Voters Director Kay Park. “The League (of Women Voters) believes redistricting should keep communities of similar culture and race together to strengthen their vote and promote partisan fairness.”
The Missouri Supreme Court will rule on the congressional district map later.
Missouri senior forward Mark Mitchell was recognized Monday with a second-team selection to the All-Southeastern Conference teams.
Mitchell has led the Tigers all season long and tops the team in scoring (17.9 points per game), rebounding (5.2) and assists (3.6). He would be the just the second player in program to lead all the categories in one season, joining Albert White from the 1998-99 season.
Mitchell is also on pace to become the first player in program history to average at least 17 points, five rebounds and three assists since Anthony Peeler in 1992, the year he took home the Big 8 Conference Player of the Year award.
Mitchell was the only Missouri player to be recognized in SEC postseason awards.
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Five players were named to each of the three All-SEC teams.
Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas), Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Tennessee), Thomas Haugh (Florida), Labaron Philon Jr. (Alabama) and Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt) made the first team.
Acuff was named the conference’s player of the year and freshman of the year.
Joining Mitchell on the second team were Nate Ament (Tennessee), Rueben Chinyelu (Florida), Otega Oweh (Kentucky) and Dailyn Swain (Texas), while Rashaun Agee (Texas A&M), Alex Condon (Florida), Keyshawn Hall (Auburn), Aden Holloway (Alabama) and Josh Hubbard (Mississippi State) were named to the third team.
The All-SEC defensive team consisted of Chinyelu, Somto Cyril (Georgia), Felix Okpara (Tennessee), Billy Richmond III (Arkansas) and Tanner. Chinyelu was selected as the defensive player of the year.
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Appearing on the all-freshman team were Acuff, Amari Allen (Alabama), Ament, Malachi Moreno (Kentucky) and Meleek Thomas (Arkansas).
Swain was selected as the newcomer of the year, while Urban Klavzar of Florida was named the sixth man of the year.
The 2026 Missouri high school basketball state championship brackets continue on Monday, March 9, with eight games in the sectional and quarterfinal round of the higher classifications.
High School On SI has brackets for every classification in the Missouri high school basketball playoffs. The championship games will begin on March 19.
Missouri High School Girls Basketball 2026 Playoff Brackets, Schedule (MSHSAA) – March 9, 2026
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Sectionals
Doniphan vs. Potosi – 03/09, 6:00 PM CT
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St. James vs. St. Francis Borgia – 03/09, 6:00 PM CT
Notre Dame de Sion vs. Oak Grove – 03/09, 6:00 PM CT
Smithville vs. Benton – 03/09, 6:00 PM CT
Cardinal Ritter College Prep vs. Clayton – 03/09, 6:00 PM CT
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Orchard Farm vs. Kirksville – 03/09, 6:00 PM CT
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Boonville vs. Strafford – 03/09, 6:00 PM CT
Reeds Spring vs. Nevada – 03/09, 6:00 PM CT
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Quarterfinals
Festus vs. Lift for Life Academy – 03/13, 6:00 PM CT
Grandview vs. Kearney – 03/13, 6:00 PM CT
MICDS vs. St. Dominic – 03/13, 6:00 PM CT
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Helias vs. Marshfield – 03/13, 6:00 PM CT
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Quarterfinals
Jackson vs. Marquette – 03/13, 6:00 PM CT
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Rock Bridge vs. Staley – 03/13, 6:00 PM CT
Incarnate Word Academy vs. Troy-Buchanan – 03/13, 6:00 PM CT
Kickapoo vs. Lee’s Summit West – 03/13, 6:00 PM CT
