The lights at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton don't lie. When the final whistle blew on the 2025 Ohio high school football season, the scoreboard told a story that many in Cincinnati found hard to swallow. For those refreshing their phones for the st xavier football score, the 28-14 result in favor of Olentangy Orange was more than just a number. It was the end of a wild, gritty, and improbable run by a Bombers team that seemed to find its soul right when everyone else was counting them out.
Honestly, high school football in Ohio is a different beast. You've got these legacy programs like St. X that carry decades of expectations every time they step onto the turf. But 2025 wasn't a cakewalk. It was a season of massive swings, from a mid-season slump that had fans worried to a playoff heater that nearly ended in another trophy for the North Bend Road trophy case.
The State Championship Breakdown: St. X vs. Olentangy Orange
If you were looking for a high-flying shootout, the Division I state final probably felt a bit like a defensive chess match that slowly got away from the Bombers. Lewis Center Olentangy Orange came in perfect—14-0—and they left that way.
The first half was actually pretty tight. St. X managed to keep things leveled at 7-7 for a good chunk of the second quarter, but the Pioneers' Levi Davis was just too much. He’s the kind of dual-threat quarterback that keeps defensive coordinators up at night. Right before the half, Davis orchestrated a two-minute drill that basically broke the game open, finding Lucas Fickel for a 15-yard touchdown with only 13 seconds left.
Going into the locker room down 21-7 is a mountain to climb against an undefeated team. St. X didn't quit, though. Jackson Frey, who has been the heartbeat of this offense, found Aidan Newdigate for a 12-yard touchdown late in the fourth to make it 28-14. But with only five minutes left, the clock was the biggest enemy. The Bombers couldn't recover the onside kick, and Orange simply bled the rest of the game away.
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How the Bombers Even Got to Canton
To understand why the final st xavier football score felt so significant, you have to look at the three weeks leading up to it. The "GCL South" is widely considered the toughest conference in the country for a reason.
- The Moeller Revenge: After losing to Archbishop Moeller 30-13 in the regular season, St. X met them again in the regional semifinals. It was a complete reversal. Daniel Vollmer punched in a 2-yard touchdown with less than a minute left to seal a 17-13 win.
- The Paycor Classic: The regional final against Elder was easily the game of the year. Over 22,000 people packed Paycor Stadium (the Bengals' home) to see St. X pull off a 42-34 thriller. They were down 27-7 at one point. The comeback was legendary.
- The Semifinal Grind: They took care of Middletown 21-6, showing that their defense could travel.
What the 2025 Stats Actually Show
Numbers don't always capture the "bend but don't break" nature of Steve Specht’s defense, but the season totals are telling. Jackson Frey finished the year as one of the most efficient passers in Region 4. Meanwhile, the receiving corps, led by guys like Logan Von Holle and Alex McClatchey, proved they could win 50/50 balls against the best secondaries in the state.
Kinda interestingly, the regular season loss to Louisville St. Xavier (the "other" St. X) usually gets people confused. In October, the Cincinnati Bombers actually beat the Louisville Tigers 17-14. It’s always a pride thing when those two schools meet, and this year, the Ohio side took the bragging rights in a game that came down to a field goal.
The Reality of the GCL South Gauntlet
Most people get wrong just how much the regular season record matters for a school like St. Xavier. They finished the regular season with a few losses, including back-to-back drops against Moeller and Elder in September. In most states, that means you're an also-ran. In the GCL South, it just means you're battle-tested.
The 11-3 final record might look "human" compared to an undefeated season, but look at who they played. They opened with Lakota West, traveled to Indianapolis to play Cathedral, and dealt with a cancellation from Life Christian Academy that left them idle for two weeks before the playoffs. That idle time actually might have been a blessing in disguise, allowing the roster to heal up before that brutal November run.
What’s Next for the Bombers?
Losing a state title game is brutal. There’s no other way to put it. But for the underclassmen who saw significant snaps this year—especially on that young defensive line—the experience is gold.
If you're following the team into the 2026 cycle, keep an eye on the recruiting boards. Several of the juniors on this squad are already drawing Power 4 interest. The "St. X way" usually involves a heavy off-season in the weight room and a schedule that looks like a gauntlet.
Basically, the 2025 season proved that even when the Bombers aren't the favorites, they are never out of the fight. They went from being the #3 seed in their region to being one of the last two teams standing in all of Ohio. That's not just luck; it's a program that knows how to peak in November.
Check the local OHSAA brackets early next August. The schedule usually drops in late spring, and you can bet the season opener will be against another Top 25 opponent. Until then, the focus shifts to the off-season conditioning and the upcoming spring ball sessions where the next starting rotation will be decided.