Sterling edges Hutchinson Trinity Catholic 44-42 in Kansas Class 1A sectionals
Story & photos by Dale Grosbach
The Hutchinson Trinity Catholic High School Celtics football squad came into the sectional round of the 2025 Kansas State High School Activities Association Football Championships with an 8-2 record after defeating the 8-1 Belleville-Republic County High School Buffaloes in Week 10. The Celtics' playoff matchup on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, was against the Sterling High School Black Bears, who came in with the No. 1 seed in the West Region and a 10-0 record.
The season's records and Sterling's 32-plus point average margin of victory for the year may have led observers to believe that the Black Bears would have a significant advantage in the contest. But that would prove not to be the case as both teams matched one another score for score throughout the evening.
It quickly proved to be an evening for the offenses. The Black Bears demonstrated a run-heavy offense, while the Celtics employed a more balanced approach, combining run and pass plays.
Sterling received the opening kickoff but quickly turned the ball over to Trinity Catholic on downs. The Celtics then took the ball down the field for the opening touchdown. The teams matched each other in scores through the first two periods, resulting in a 14-14 tie at halftime.
The second half opened with a series of explosive plays. Hutchinson Trinity took the opening kickoff of the half the length of the field for a touchdown to make the score Celtics 22, Black Bears 14. After a strong kick return of their own, Sterling quarterback Logan Issac went 54 yards for a Black Bears touchdown, pulling the Black Bears close with a 22-21 score in favor of the Celtics. And Trinity Catholic answered back with a second kickoff return for a touchdown. The two teams continued to trade scores throughout the period, with the third quarter ending at another tie, 28-28.
The quarterbacks, Sterling's Issac and Trinity's Drew Dechant, led their teams to alternating scores until the middle of the fourth quarter. With a little over six minutes remaining in the contest, the Black Bears' defense returned the ball to their offense with a stop on downs. Sterling surprised the Celtics with an 18-yard pass play from Issac to Black Bears wide receiver Jacob Lewis for a touchdown. Following the successful two-point conversion, Sterling had their first lead of the game, 44-36.
The Celtics were not about to give up. Trinity Catholic took the ball and worked down the field on a combination of runs and passes. With 28 seconds on the clock, the Celtics scored a touchdown to make the score 42-44. But the Black Bears stopped the two-point conversion attempt and came away with the victory.
The No. 1-seeded and undefeated Black Bears will host the No. 2-seeded and undefeated Smith Center High School at Sterling next Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.
