The 2025 Pennsylvania high school football season, and for a fortunate few, is a long road from the blistering heat of early August when heat acclimatization begins to the biting cold of early December when the state championships are held.
For three straight years, Northwestern Lehigh navigated that 16-week journey and participated in the state finals – winning it all in 2024.
Southern Lehigh made the journey for the first time and got the biggest prize in school history when it won the Class 4A title Thursday night, beating the team that had been ranked No. 1 in the state, Twin Valley from District 3.
Eric Epler of Pennlive.com monitored the state’s best teams in six different classifications each week.
In his first rankings issued on Aug. 19, Epler had La Salle College High School ranked No. 2 in 6A, Roman Catholic ranked third in 5A, Southern Lehigh rated second in 4A, Avonworth ranked second in 3A, Southern Columbia pegged eighth in 2A, and Clairon slotted second in 1A.
So when those teams won PIAA championships at Cumberland Valley High School over the weekend, Epler showed he had all of those teams on his radar even before the first snap of the season.
Here are his final rankings of the 2025 season and as you’d expect, all state champs ended up No. 1 in the respective classifications:
Class 6A
Rank – Team – District — Record — Previous
1.; La Salle College HS (12); 13-1; 1
2.; Pittsburgh CC (7); 13-2; 2
3.; Harrisburg (3); 13-1; 3
4.; North Penn (1); 12-3; 4
5.; Easton Area (11); 13-1; 5
6.; Central York (3); 11-2; 6
7.; State College (6); 10-3; 7
8.; St. Joseph’s Prep (12); 5-5; 8
9.; Pennridge (1); 12-2; 9
10.; Parkland (11); 12-1; 10
Honorable mention: Coatesville (1) 10-3, Imhotep Charter (12) 8-5, Manheim Township (3) 10-2, Wilson-West Lawn (3) 9-3.
Class 5A
Rank – Team – District — Record — Previous
1.; Roman Catholic (12); 12-3; 1
2.; Bishop McDevitt (3); 12-3; 2
3.; Peters Township (7); 13-1; 3
4.; Springfield-Delco (1); 14-1; 4
5.; Pine-Richland (7); 11-2; 5
6.; Chester (1); 13-1; 6
7.; Hollidaysburg (6); 13-1; 7
8.; Solanco (3); 11-2; 8
9.; Exeter Township (3); 10-3; 9
10.; Upper St. Clair (7); 10-3; 10
Honorable mention: Moon (7) 9-4, New Oxford (3) 11-1, Strath Haven (1) 10-3, West Chester Rustin (1) 10-3.
Class 4A
Rank – Team – District — Record — Previous
1.; Southern Lehigh (11); 15-1; 2
2.; Twin Valley (3); 14-1; 1
3.; Aliquippa (7); 10-4; 3
4.; Cardinal O’Hara (12); 10-5; 4
5.; Shamokin (4); 13-1; 5
6.; Susquehanna Twp. (3); 12-1; 6
7.; North Pocono (2); 13-1; 7
8.; Wyomissing (3); 10-2; 8
9.; Oil City (10); 10-2; 9
10.; West York (3); 10-2; 10
Honorable mention: Bethlehem Catholic (11) 8-5, Bishop Shanahan (1) 8-5, McKeesport (7) 9-4, Pope John Paul II (1) 10-2, Punxsutawney (9) 10-2.
Class 3A
Rank – Team – District — Record – Previous
1.; Avonworth (7); 15-0; 1
2.; Northwestern Lehigh (11); 15-1; 2
3.; Penn Cambria (6); 12-3; 3
4.; Trinity (3);11-4; 4
5.; Imani Christian (7); 12-1; 5
6;. Notre Dame-Green Pond (11); 12-1; 6
7.; Sharon (10); 9-4; 7
8.; Hickory (10); 10-2; 8
9.; Neumann-Goretti (12); 8-5; 9
10.; Scranton Prep (2); 8-6; 10
Honorable mention: Berks Catholic (3) 9-3, Berwick (2) 11-1, Mifflinburg (4) 10-3, North Catholic (7) 9-4, North Schuylkill (11) 8-4.
Class 2A
Rank – Team – District — Record — Previous
1.; Southern Columbia (4); 15-1; 2
2.; Farrell (10); 13-3; 1
3.; Lansdale Catholic (12); 12-3; 3
4.; Seton-LaSalle (7); 12-2; 4
5.; Williams Valley (11); 12-2; 5
6.; Schuylkill Haven (11); 12-1; 6
7.; Steelton-Highspire (3); 10-3; 7
8.; Richland (6); 12-2; 8
9.; Troy (4); 11-2; 9
10.; Steel Valley (7); 9-4; 10
Honorable mention: Bishop McCort (6) 12-1, Karns City (9) 9-3, Lakeland (2) 11-2, Washington (7) 10-3, Western Beaver (7) 10-2.
Class 1A
Rank – Team – District — Record — Previous
1.; Clairton (7); 15-1; 1
2.; Bishop Guilfoyle (6); 13-3; 2
3.; Greenville (10); 12-2; 3
4.; Belmont Charter (1); 11-2; 4
5.; Laurel (7); 12-2; 5
6.; Port Allegany (9); 12-1; 7
7.; Fort Cherry (7); 12-1; 8
8.; Lackawanna Trail (2); 12-2; 6
9.; Line Mountain (4); 11-1; 9
10.; Westinghouse (8); 7-5; 10
Honorable mention: Bishop Canevin (7) 9-4, Meyersdale (5) 11-2, Montgomery (4) 10-2, Wilmington (10) 8-4.
