LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Christian Academy head football coach Hunter Cantwell began the 2025 season alternating quarterbacks. He eventually settled on sophomore Jackson Burke, which proved to be a pretty good choice.
Burke completed a national record 83 percent of his passes on the season, and may have saved his best for last during Saturday's 3A Class State Championship at Kroger Field in Lexington. He connected on 14-of-14 passes for 316 yards and five touchdowns in CAL's destruction of Murray. That gave Burke 53 touchdown passes for the season against just one interception.
The Centurians dominated during Saturday's championship game on both sides of the ball, forcing a running clock midway through the third quarter in route to a 42-7 win over the previously undefeated Tigers.
This is Christian Academy's fourth consecutive state football title and sixth overall. Burke, the son of former major leaguer Chris Burke, had plenty of help.
His top target, Ja'Hyde Brow, had 6 receptions for 180 yards and two of the team's touchdowns. Stone Perkins had a couple of touchdown catches and an interception. Both the offensive and defensive lines controlled things as CAL outgained Murray 354 yards to 174 yards.
Murray, playing without injured starting quarterback Wyatt Robbins, a Murray State commit, finished the year at 14-1.
CAL goes 15-0 for the season, its second undefeated state title season among its run of four straight. CAL's average margin of victory was 47-9 for the season.
Things look bright for CAL's program as both Burke and Brown are among those coming back.
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