ARLINGTON, TEXAS – Each time Stephenville has played in a University Interscholastic League state championship football game, the Yellow Jackets have prevailed.
They did it again on Friday.
Behind a superb defensive effort and a key touchdown drive to start the second half, the Yellow Jackets improved to 7-0 in state championship games all-time as they posted a 10-0 shutout win against Kilgore in the UIL 4A Division I title game at AT&T Stadium.
“Any time you can get a shutout in a state title game, it’s pretty special and it’s a great feeling,” said Stephenville linebacker Hudson Butchee, who intercepted a pass and forced a fumble that led to another defensive takeaway.
LIVE STREAM: Victory+ (Victory Plus) will stream for free all 12 UIL state championship games.
Stephenville (16-0) continued its trend of winning state each time the Jackets have played for a title, also turning the trick in 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2012 and 2021. The Jackets got to their latest title game by getting a field goal in the final seconds to upend defending state champion Celina, 24-21.
Then on Friday, the Jacket defense – who call themselves the WarDogs – rose to the occasion, picking off a pass on the game’s first possession. They went on to force three more turnovers, two on interceptions from senior defensive back Willis Jackson, while they held Kilgore to 150 yards of total offense.
Stephenville got the points it needed on the opening drive of the second half, in a scoreless game. The Jackets got back-to-back big plays, a 28-yard run from Zyler McClendon to the Kilgore 40; then on the next play, quarterback Trot Jordan connects with receiver Adan Jergins, who hauled in a 40-yard TD reception ahead of a Kilgore defender.
It remained 7-0 until early in the final quarter, when Stephenville got a huge two-score lead on a 41-yard field goal from senior Brighton DeVivo, whose field goal gave the Jackets the semifinal win against Celina last week.
The Jackets finished with 251 yards of total offense, 173 of those on the ground. Jordan was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player, having passed for 78 yards and a TD while adding 86 yards rushing. McClendon rushed for 85 yards, and Jergins caught three passes for 62 yards.
Butchee, a senior linebacker, was selected as the Most Outstanding Player on defense. He had 10 total tackles, including four solo stops. It was Butchee who picked off the pass on the game’s opening series, and he also forced a fumble which led to another takeaway by the Jackets.
This was Kilgore’s second straight trip to the title game, having lost to Celina last season. Kilgore’s first championship game appearance was in 2004, and the Bulldogs claimed the title that season, and they also returned in 2013, but were defeated.
Kilgore (14-2) dropped its season opener to Carthage – which is playing for the 4A Division II championship later on Friday – but reeled off 14 straight wins to make it back to AT&T Stadium.
Follow The Sporting News correspondent Buck Ringgold (@Bucks_Ballpark) for all of the live updates and scoring from Arlington.
Scroll down for live score and game updates from kickoff to the postgame. Refresh this page for the latest.
STEPHENVILLE 10, KILGORE 0 FINAL
Refresh for latest
POSTGAME
– The Most Outstanding Player on offense from Stephenville goes to junior quarterback Trot Jordan. He passed for 78 yards and a TD while adding 86 yards on the ground.
4A D1 FINAL
Stephenville 10
Kilgore 0
Yellowjackets 7-0 in state championship games (first since 2021). 15-0 season. Jackets D allowed 150 yards
Trot Jordan OFF MVP
164 total 1 TD
Hudson Butchee DEF MVP
10 tackles 1 INT 1 FF#TXHSFB #UILState pic.twitter.com/DE09QnuGcn
— Brian Gosset (@Gosset41) December 19, 2025
– The Most Outstanding Player on defense from Stephenville goes to senior linebacker Hudson Butchee. He had 10 total tackles, 4 solo stops, an interception and a forced fumble.
– A superb defensive effort from Stephenville lands the Yellow Jackets their seventh state championship in program history. The Jackets forced four turnovers and held Kilgore to 150 yards of total offense.
FOURTH QUARTER
– Trot Jordan with the keeper and Stephenville has a first down. The Jackets can essentially run out the rest of the clock now.
– Two minute warning. What an effort by Stephenville’s defense today.
Whatchoo talkin’ bout Willis? Stephenville’s Willis Jackson with his second pick of the game, and the Jackets’ fourth takeaway today, and the Jackets are up 10-0 with less than four minutes left. #txhsfb #UILState pic.twitter.com/bZexiJTy2P
— Buck Ringgold (@Bucks_Ballpark) December 19, 2025
– INTERCEPTION STEPHENVILLE. Whatchoo talkin’ bout Willis, AGAIN? Willis Jackson comes up with his second pick of the game, and the Jackets’ fourth takeaway, with 3:44 left.
Whatchoo talkin’ bout Willis? Stephenville’s Willis Jackson with his second pick of the game, and the Jackets’ fourth takeaway today, and the Jackets are up 10-0 with less than four minutes left. #txhsfb #UILState pic.twitter.com/bZexiJTy2P
— Buck Ringgold (@Bucks_Ballpark) December 19, 2025
– Kilgore forces a punt, and the Bulldogs take over just past their own 20 with 4:47 left and Kilgore with only one more time out.
– Stephenville defender CJ Spellmeier maybe with the game-clinching play, as he grabs Kilgore QB Kayson Brooks by the jersey and brings him down for the sack on fourth down. Jackets take over with 6:22 left, up by 10.
Stephenville’s CJ Spellmeier gets the sack — it’s a turnover on downs.
Yellow Jackets lead 10-0 (5:00 Q4). #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/tcGrkU0TJa
— Charles Baggarly (@swaggarly) December 19, 2025
– Kilgore faces a fourth-and-4 at the Stephenville 31. Bulldogs just took their second time out with 6:34 to play.
– Kilgore averts disaster on a strip sack, but offensive lineman Jonathan Barron is able to come up with the ball, keeping the drive, and the Ragin’ Red’s hopes, alive for the time being.
– Stephenville already flagged twice for pass interference on this drive, and Kilgore has a shot, as the Bulldogs are out to the Jackets’ 37.
– Today’s attendance: 18,463.
– Up to this point, Kilgore has been held to 153 total yards, including 33 yards through the air. Bulldogs need to get something going, and fast.
– FIELD GOAL STEPHENVILLE. Brighton DeVivo, who sent the Jackets into the title game with his field goal in the final seconds to beat Celina in last week’s semifinals, just gives his team a two-score lead by drilling a 41-yard attempt. (Stephenville, 10-0 | 8:59, 4th)
FIELD GOAL
Stephenville drives down the field but the Kilgore defense holds the Yellow Jackets to a field goal! #UILState
8:59 left in 4th Quarter@SvilleYJFB 10@kilgore_fb 0 pic.twitter.com/uL6wPHcwqb
— VYPE DFW (@VYPEDFW) December 19, 2025
– Stephenville is driving to start the final period, with the Jackets inside the Kilgore 25.
THIRD QUARTER
– Stephenville QB Trot Jordan with a pair of keepers, and the Jackets have the bal near the Kilgore 35 as the quarter comes to an end.
– A Kilgore offensive lineman catches a pass but the Bulldogs are flagged for illegal touching. That penalty eventually results in Kilgore having to punt. Stephenville takes over at its 45 with 1:01 left in the quarter.
– Kilgore converting a pair of first downs and the Ragin’ Red is now out to their 30 nearing three minutes left in the period.
– Kilgore defensive back Ja’Kalen Sheffield breaks up a pass on third down, and Stephenville will punt it away. Bulldogs get the ball back after a bounce all the way to the Kilgore 8 with 6:07 left in the third.
SFA signee Jakalen Sheffield (@J_Sheffield2026) with a clutch PBU here to force a Stephenville punt. @kilgore_fb | #UILState | #TXHSFB | #AxeEm pic.twitter.com/9dxcBjvQF2
— Greg Powers 🏟️ (@GPowersScout) December 19, 2025
– Kilgore faces a fourth-and-8 at the Stephenville 29. The Bulldogs attempt a 46-yard field goal. They have the distance, but the ball sails wide to the left. Stephenville still up by seven with 7:01 left in the quarter.
Stephenville forces a 46 yard field goal. Kilgore can’t convert.
This Yellow Jacket defense has carried momentum into the second half. Jackets lead 7-0 (7:01 Q3). #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/dbi4RdEnEi
— Charles Baggarly (@swaggarly) December 19, 2025
– Kilgore running back Rayshaun Williams breaks loose on a 34-yard gain and the Bulldogs are at the Stephenville 31 seeking to tie things up. But the Bulldogs just call their first time out of the half with 8:40 left in the quarter.
– TOUCHDOWN STEPHENVILLE. Jackets finally break the scoreless deadlock with a pair of big plays. First, Zyler McClendon breaks loose on a 28-yard gain to the Kilgore 40; then on the next play, QB Trot Jordan connects with WR Adan Jergins, who hauls in the catch despite being blanketed by a Kilgore defender. That was a 3-play, 72-yard drive that took 45 seconds. (Stephenville, 7-0 | 11:08, 3rd)
Absolute dime from @TrotJordan and Stephenville breaks through on the very first drive of the second half.
Game on in the 4A-D1 state championship game.#UILSTATE | #TXHSFB pic.twitter.com/cht3UiLBv9
— Victory+ (@victoryplustv) December 19, 2025
– Stephenville fields the second-half kickoff, and the Jackets will start near their own 30.
HALFTIME
– This was the first scoreless half in a UIL state title game since 2004.
– Stephenville had 112 yards of total offense in the opening half (83 rushing, 29 passing). Kilgore with 87 yards (55 rushing, 32 passing). The Bulldogs also turned it over three times, including an interception in the end zone.
SECOND QUARTER
– Stephenville elects to run out the rest of the clock, and we go into halftime scoreless.
– Kilgore decides to punt it away. Stephenville takes over at its own 36 with 41 seconds and the Jackets out of time outs.
– A pass on third down is blown up by Stephenville’s Briar Floyd, setting up a fourth-and-1 at the Kilgore 38 with 53 seconds to go.
– Good bounce on the Stephenville punt, and it finally lands on the Kilgore 29 with 1:42 remaining in the half.
– Kilgore will force Stephenville to punt as we have reached the two-minute warning.
– INTERCEPTION STEPHENVILLE. Whatchoo talkin’ bout, Willis? Willis Jackson makes a diving grab in the end zone for Stephenville’s third takeaway on the day, stopping Kilgore’s potential drive. Still scoreless with 2:37 left in the half.
– Stephenville is called for a personal foul penalty, and Kilgore now has a first-and-goal at the Jackets’ 7-yard line with less than five minutes to go in the half.
– On a third down play, Kilgore QB Kayson Brooks finds receiver Tyler Johnigan along the sideline and Johnigan is able to move forward for a first down near the Stephenville 20.
– FUMBLE RECOVERY KILGORE. Ball falls out on a running play, and Kilgore’s Bi’syn Williams is there to scoop it up and he has a long return to just past midfield in Stephenville territory with 7:02 left in the half. First takeaway for the Ragin’ Red defense.
– Stephenville converts a fourth down as Trot Jordan finds Adan Jergins for a gain inside the Kilgore 30. We are under nine minutes to go in the half.
– Stephenville had 46 yards of total offense in the first quarter, while Kilgore had 45. But the Jackets have already forced two turnovers.
UIL 4A Div. I Championship
End 1: Kilgore 0, Stephenville 0. pic.twitter.com/Ca0gdizc7Y
— KTBS Sports (@KTBS_Sports) December 19, 2025FIRST QUARTER
– Kilgore throws an incomplete pass on third down and will punt it away. The ball bounces all the way to the Stephenville 28-yard line as the opening quarter comes to an end.
– Stephenville reaches the Kilgore 25 before the drive stalls. Jackets try a 41-yard field goal, but the kick is short. Bulldogs take over with 1:38 left in the quarter.
– Stephenville converts on a fourth down just past midfield on a short run from Zyler McClendon with more than five minutes to go in the half.
– FUMBLE RECOVERY STEPHENVILLE. Stephenville gets its second takeaway, as the Jackets forced a fumble and recovered it. After a lengthy replay review, the ruling is upheld. Hudson Butchee, who earlier had the interception, forced the fumble, and teammate Cooper Fergeson landed on it near the Stephenville 45.
– Another third-down chance for Stephenville but a pass is overthrown. Jackets go for it on fourth down, but Kilgore linebacker Isaiah Watters brings down quarterback Trot Jordan for a loss. Bulldogs take over at their 41 with 7:25 left in the opening period.
– Stephenville tailback Zyler McClendon picks up a first down on a third-down play. Jackets have the ball near Kilgore’s 35.
– INTERCEPTION STEPHENVILLE. Kilgore makes a first down on its opening drive, but on a third-down play, a pass gets picked off by the Jackets’ Hudson Butchee right at midfield. Stephenville on offense for the first time today.
.@ButcheeHudson with an early takeaway for Stephenville!
The senior LB picks off Kayson Brooks on the game’s first drive at #UILState.https://t.co/wKSaNdPjA2@SvilleYJFB | #TXHSFB pic.twitter.com/FmslEbwm6d
— Dave Campbell’s — TexasFootball.com (@dctf) December 19, 2025
– Toe meets leather and we are under way at AT&T. Kilgore fields the kickoff near its own 20 and brings it out to the 30. But an illegal block penalty moves the ball back to the 20.
PREGAME
– Kilgore has won the toss and has elected to receive. So Stephenville will kick off to start this contest.
– Stephenville is the visiting team and they are wearing navy blue helmets, white jerseys and white pants. Kilgore is the home team and the Ragin’ Red is wearing red helmets, red jerseys and black pants.
Here come the Kilgore Bulldogs pic.twitter.com/B35xvdRwaY
— Brandon Ogden (@BrandonOSports) December 19, 2025
– Live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, undefeated Stephenville takes on 14-1 Kilgore for the UIL 4A Division I state championship.
Stephenville and Kilgore fans are ready to go! 1 hour until kickoff. The lines outside of Jerry’s World #UILState @KennyMatthews @ProfessorDiggs @darren_lauber pic.twitter.com/6UEujrnhdS
— Brian Gosset (@Gosset41) December 19, 2025MORE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS NEWS
Wall (TX) edges Newton (TX), 25-24: Live updates, score of Texas UIL 3A Division II title contest
Texas high school football UIL playoff updated scores, state title pairings
The Sporting News 2025 High School Football Top 25 – Week 19: December 16
Bode Ham scores 13 TDs in Jayton’s Texas 1A state championship, a 99-54 win