Lehi football falls to red-hot Corner Canyon in 6A semifinals
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- Lehi players look up at the scoreboard near the end of the 6A semifinal game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.
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- Lehi sophomore Devaughn Eka gets tackled during the 6A semifinal game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.
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- The Lehi defense tries to stop Corner Canyon at the goal line during the 6A semifinal game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.
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- Lehi junior quarterback Jett Niu throws a pass during the 6A semifinal game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.
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- Lehi head coach Ed Larson talks to his captains before the 6A semifinal game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.
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- Lehi junior Mays Madsen (center) talks to sophomore Devaughn Eka after the 6A semifinal game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.
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- Lehi players prepare to take the field before the 6A semifinal game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.
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- Lehi junior quarterback Jett Niu throws a pass during the 6A semifinal game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.
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- Lehi players prepare to take the field before the 6A semifinal game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.
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- Lehi senior offensive lineman Jake Somerville (left) and junior quarterback Jett Niu walk off the field after the 6A semifinal game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.
When playing a great opponent, a high school football team needs to perform at a high level to have a chance to win.
In Friday’s 6A semifinal game between No. 3-seed Lehi and No. 2-seed Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, it was clear from the start which squad on this day was elite.
The Chargers were and the Pioneers weren’t.
“Hats off to Corner Canyon,” Lehi head coach Ed Larson said. “They were ready. We weren’t ready. We have to do a better job as coaches to get ourselves ready for this position.”
The Chargers started fast and never looked back, getting touchdowns on nine of their first 10 possessions on their way to the 63-24 win. The only drive that failed to get in the end zone during that stretch was a two-play drive right before halftime.
Seven of those were score by Corner Canyon junior Bryton Brady, who finished with 267 yards of total offense (122 rushing, 145 receiving). The Chargers finished with 706 yards of total offense as everything they did worked.
Although the Pioneers fell behind quickly, they never gave up and had some nice plays offensively as they tried to claw back into the game.
Lehi junior wide receiver Ezaiah Mama broke a couple of tackles to score the first Pioneer touchdown from 44 yards out on a pass from junior quarterback Jett Niu, then Niu hit senior tight end Grayson Brousseau for a score late in the first half.
The Pioneers would tack on a 32-yard TD pass from Niu to senior wide receiver Justice Cooper and a 52-yard field goal by junior Gavin Fenn, but it wouldn’t be enough to stay with the high-flying Corner Canyon offense.
Although the ending wasn’t what Lehi wanted, Larson said he felt like his Pioneers accomplished a lot in their first year in Class 6A.
“Class 6A has tough, tough teams all around,” Larson said. “You’ve got to be prepared for that. I hope our kids recognize how important the offseason is to prepare for a long season like this.”
He feels like the Lehi underclassmen gained valuable experience as the team made the run to the semifinals and will come back strong.
“I’m really proud of my players,” Larson said. “We went a lot farther than I think people expected. I’m really happy for us. I’m really excited about the future here and what’s coming back.”
The days of when the Pioneers had low expectations for football are long gone and Larson likes that his program expects to be excellent every year.
“The tradition that’s been built by this team and by the previous teams is what I want to continue,” Larson said. “We ended up where we ended up and now we are just trying to give ourselves a shot, another opportunity to get to the final game. Everybody’s goal is to win the last one.”
Corner Canyon advanced to the 6A championship where they will play Skyridge in a rematch of the 2022 title game won by the Falcons. This year’s contest is set to take place at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 17, at 2:30 p.m.
