If you spent any time at Rice-Eccles Stadium this past November, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The air was crisp, the energy was frantic, and honestly, the utah high school football scores we saw flash across the scoreboard weren't just numbers—they were a total shift in the state's power dynamic.
Most people think they know how Utah high school football works. You’ve got the heavy hitters in Draper, the legacy programs in the north, and everyone else just trying to keep up. But 2025? It was weird. In a good way. We saw undefeated seasons capped by historic blowouts and region rivals meeting in title games that ended in absolute heartbreak.
Whether you're looking for the final championship tallies or trying to figure out how Ridgeline managed to pull off the biggest shutout in over a century, let’s get into what actually happened on the turf this year.
The Night the Scoreboards Broke: State Championship Breakdown
When we talk about utah high school football scores, we have to start with the 4A finale. It wasn't just a win; it was a statement. Ridgeline didn't just beat Green Canyon—they dismantled them 56-0.
Think about that for a second. In a state title game, where the two best teams in the classification are supposed to be neck-and-neck, a 56-point margin is almost unheard of. It was actually the largest shutout in a Utah championship game in 106 years. Nate Dahle, the Ridgeline QB headed to Eastern Washington, looked like he was playing a video game on "Rookie" mode. He accounted for seven touchdowns. Seven.
Over in 5A, things were a bit more familiar but no less intense. The Orem Tigers and Springville Red Devils are basically neighbors who don't like each other very much. They’d played four times recently, and every single game was decided by one score. Naturally, everyone expected a nail-biter.
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Instead, Orem decided they were done with the drama. They jumped out to a 21-0 lead by halftime and finished the night with a 42-7 victory. It was their first state title since 2020, and they did it with a running clock in the fourth quarter. If you had money on a close game, you lost it by the third quarter.
2025 Title Game Scoreboard
- 6A: Corner Canyon 35, Lone Peak 20 (The Chargers cemented the 3-peat)
- 5A: Orem 42, Springville 7
- 4A: Ridgeline 56, Green Canyon 0 (Total domination)
- 3A: Cedar 23, Juab 16 (A gritty, classic defensive battle)
- 2A: San Juan 65, Emery 14 (The Broncos are still an absolute juggernaut)
- 1A: Kanab 24, Beaver 13
- 8-Man: Rich 50, Monticello 24
Why Corner Canyon is Still the Standard
It’s easy to get tired of seeing Corner Canyon at the top. Trust me, fans in the 6A classification are feeling the fatigue. But you’ve got to respect the consistency. Their 35-20 win over Lone Peak wasn't a fluke.
Lone Peak is tough. They’re physical. They’re probably the only team that truly scares the Chargers on a yearly basis. But the utah high school football scores from the 6A playoffs show a pattern: Corner Canyon just has more gears. When the game is tied or close in the third quarter, they find a way to break off a 40-yard run or a precision strike that sucks the air out of the stadium.
Winning three titles in a row is hard enough in any sport, but in 6A football? It’s basically a miracle. Every week you’re playing against kids who are going to be playing on Saturdays in the Big 12 or the Mountain West.
The Small School Powerhouses Nobody Talks About
We spend so much time talking about the Wasatch Front that we sometimes ignore the absolute clinics being put on in Blanding and Kanab.
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San Juan is a problem for anyone they play. They put up 65 points in a championship game. Sixty-five! Their offense moves with a tempo that most 6A schools would struggle to match. Jagger Nieves and the rest of that San Juan squad proved that the "small school" label doesn't mean "small talent."
Then you have Kanab. Their 24-13 win over Beaver in the 1A final was a throwback to old-school, smash-mouth football. It wasn't flashy. It was just tough. In a year where everyone was trying to spread the field and throw 50 times a game, Kanab stayed true to who they are and walked away with the hardware.
Common Misconceptions About Utah Football Rankings
One thing that drives me crazy when looking at utah high school football scores and the RPI rankings is the idea that the "best" team always wins.
The RPI (Rating Percentage Index) is a bit of a lightning rod in Utah. Sometimes, you’ll see a team with two losses ranked higher than an undefeated team because of their "strength of schedule." Fans hate it. Coaches tolerate it. But honestly? It usually gets it right by the time the semifinals roll around.
Take a look at the 3A bracket this year. Cedar wasn't the #1 seed, but they were the ones holding the trophy at the end. They navigated a brutal schedule that prepared them for the pressure of the playoffs.
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What You Should Actually Look At
- Point Differential: A 7-point win isn't the same as a 30-point blowout.
- Turnover Margin: Utah teams that won the turnover battle in the playoffs won nearly 85% of their games this year.
- Third-Down Conversions: Especially in 4A and 5A, the teams that stayed on the field longer simply wore out the defenses by the fourth quarter.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're a parent, a player, or just a die-hard fan looking ahead, the 2025 scores tell us exactly where the game is going.
First off, the passing game is king. Look at Nate Dahle at Ridgeline or Tradon Bessinger at Davis. If you can't throw for 300+ yards on any given night, you’re going to struggle to win a title in the higher classifications.
Secondly, depth matters more than ever. The teams that stayed healthy into November were the ones that dominated. With the way the UHSAA brackets are structured, you have to play a lot of high-intensity football in a very short window.
To stay on top of things for next season, make sure you're doing these three things:
- Track the RPI early: Don't wait until October to see where your team stands. The RPI updates weekly once the season starts.
- Watch the transfers: With the portal culture hitting high schools, roster moves in the off-season can completely change a team's outlook.
- Focus on the trenches: While the QBs get the headlines, the 2025 scores showed that teams like Corner Canyon and Orem win because their offensive lines are massive and disciplined.
The 2025 season is in the books, but the shift in power we saw—especially in Cache Valley and Orem—is likely to stick around for a while. It’s a great time to be a football fan in this state.