High school football: Corner Canyon races past Lone Peak

Jun 25, 2023

Corner Canyon and Lone Peak have left behind their annual battle for Region 4 supremacy, but there’s no question that intensity remains between the two programs after a 51-36 contest Friday night.

Chargers quarterback Isaac Wilson tossed six touchdowns and the Corner Canyon defense nabbed four interceptions, including a pick six, to come out on top and seal a 2-1 start to the season.

“It’s fun to play these guys,” Wilson said. “We have that love-hate relationship with them. We love to play them, but we hate ‘em a little bit. It was a fun game to play.”

Wilson split two defensive backs with the opening touchdown pass of the game on a 10-yard route to receiver Boston Snow.

The Chargers defense forced a Lone Peak three and out to set up a second scoring connection between Wilson and Snow on a 42-yard long ball.

Snow beat single coverage and went up to nab the touchdown toss and a 13-0 Corner Canyon lead with 2:46 in the opening quarter after a blocked extra point.

The Knights got on the board after a 65-yard drive finished with a 6-yard back shoulder fade at the goal line from quarterback Jackson Blake to Jayden Mayberry to make it 13-7.

Corner Canyon’s defense clamped down on the Lone Peak offense in the first half after surrendering 63 points to Nevada powerhouse Bishop Gorman a week prior.

The Chargers forced two consecutive fourth down stops and Wilson made Lone Peak pay again.

The quarterback stood patiently in the pocket as the Knights’ pass rush collapsed with a last second safety valve screen pass dump to Bryton Brady, who outraced everyone for a 54-yard touchdown and the 20-7 Corner Canyon advantage.

Blake threw a sideline interception to Brock White two plays later to tee up a one play Corner Canyon scoring drive on Wilson’s best throw of the night – a lofted 40-yard precision strike to an outstretched Tate Kjar.

Blake was picked again on a tipped ball to a waiting Keaton Adamson and Wilson capitalized with his fourth scoring toss of the first half on a back-shoulder throw to tight end Kash Dillon.

Corner Canyon scored three touchdowns in less than three minutes of game time and a total of 10 plays and added a 20-yard field goal for a 37-7 lead at the break.

Wilson highlighted the versatility of the offense to score in multiple ways with speed, height, strength and through the run game from all over the field when needed.

“It really helps us spread out our offense. No one can really tell what we’re going to do,” Wilson said.

The second half dawned with Blake and Trey Robinson seizing the show. After a Corner Canyon turnover on downs, the Lone Peak quarterback found his receiver on three consecutive unanswered scores from 15, 7 and 17 yards to get within one score of the Chargers, 37-29, as the third quarter expired.

Wilson battled back after a goal line interception – finding his favorite target Kjar with a 19-yard strike and his sixth touchdown of the evening to settle Corner Canyon’s swoon, 44-29.

“We can rely on those two a lot,” Corner Canyon coach Eric Kjar said. “Sometimes we’ve got to make sure we don’t rely on them too much though because there’s a lot of teams that are going to tilt that way a lot.”

The dueling quarterbacks traded interceptions until a fourth and final pick of the night for Blake found the waiting hands of Chargers defensive lineman Caden Bonham, who took it 21 yards the opposite direction to slam the door shut at 51-36 with four minutes left in the game.

“Looking for the screen, pitched it down off to me and the next thing you know, pick six,” Bonham said. “Lineman’s dream right there.”

Kjar said this Corner Canyon team plays hard, his expectations for the offensive group are high and that defensively, the Chargers are looking for consistency with three games in the books.

“There’s times when we’re getting picks and turnovers and we’re in the right spots, that’s good. Then sometimes we’re not where we should be all the time, but it’s getting there,” Kjar said.

“It’s a work in progress as it always is. Hopefully we continue to get better and practice a little bit better.”