Run heavy: Corner Canyon pounds out 30-27 victory over Lone Peak in 6A finals
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- Lone Peak’s Sam Wright (6) and teammates react to losing the 6A football state title game to Corner Canyon 30-27 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
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- Lone Peak quarterback Kepa Niumietolu reacts on the sidelines after a 30-27 loss to Corner Canyon in the 6A football state finals at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
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- Lone Peak’s Bott Mulitalo (0) and his teammates run onto the field before the 6A championship game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
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- Lone Peak junior Kepa Niumeitolu gets tackled during the 6A championship game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
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- Lone Peak fans cheer on their team during the 6A championship game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
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- Lone Peak senior Owen McNeel tries to break a tackle during the 6A championship game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
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- Lone Peak senior Sam Wright runs the ball up the field during the 6A championship game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
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- Lone Peak senior Cade Hanson makes a tackle during the 6A championship game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
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- Lone Peak senior Ty Cogswell carries the ball up the field during the 6A championship game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
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- Lone Peak senior Sam Wright carries the ball up the field during the 6A championship game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
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- Lone Peak defenders make a tackle during the 6A championship game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
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- Lone Peak senior kicker Breckin Carr kicks an extra point during the 6A championship game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
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- Lone Peak players prepare to take the field before the 6A championship game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
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- Lone Peak players run onto the field before the 6A championship game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.
SALT LAKE CITY — Back on Aug. 30, Lone Peak upset top-ranked Corner Canyon 28-21 in Highland.
Due to injuries, the Chargers were forced to create a new offensive identity over the course of the 2024 season.
In Thursday’s 6A state football title game, Corner Canyon went away from its high-flying passing game to rely on a smash-mouth running attack, rolling for 306 yards on the ground and getting a late fourth-down stop to earn a 30-27 victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
“I think that Coach (Ryan) Denney and I talked about it and we thought they would definitely be run heavy,” Knights coach Bart Brockbank said. “Maybe not as much as they ran, but anticipated they would run a lot. I thought we weren’t fitting very well into the hole early. Our defensive line, in the interior, kind of got pushed off the ball back into our linebackers, which made it hard for our backers to come up and fit.”
In their previous loss to Lone Peak, the Chargers ran 25 times (for 83 yards) and threw 37 times. On Thursday, Corner Canyon ran 48 times and threw just 11 passes.
Lone Peak dominated most of the first half and led 21-7, but surrendered 23 straight points to the Chargers and trailed by three with 1:33 to play. The Knights reached their own 38-yard line but couldn’t convert a fourth-and-6, allowing Corner Canyon to kneel out the win.
“We just had some dumb mistakes,” Lone Peak senior defensive back Landon Goff said. “I think at the end, we had good energy on defense. We just needed to have that the whole game.”
Knights quarterback Kepa Niumietolu was the engine all night, scoring on three short touchdown runs and throwing a scoring pass. But after his last rushing touchdown brought the Knights to within 30-27 with 7:45 to play, Niumietolu was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The Knights got a stop to get the ball back with backup quarterback Ike Staley running the offense but failed to find the right combination to get into scoring range.
Poor field position played a big part in the third quarter and Lone Peak was also tagged for seven critical penalties.
“We needed to get a first down and get ourselves out of there, either one of those two times,” Brockbank said. “We took a safety and Kepa knows better than that. I think he just got caught up and didn’t see that blitz coming.”
Sam Wright rushed 19 times for 108 yards for Lone Peak. Niumietolu was 9 of 19 for 112 yards and a touchdown while adding 46 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. Junior Tahi paced the Knights defense with 13 tackles, Kalvin Liavaa had 10 and Cade Hansen nine.
Kingston Cooper (12 carries, 147 yards) and Weston Briggs (24 carries, 140 yards) did most of the damage for Corner Canyon on the ground.
Corner Canyon opened the scoring on its very first play from scrimmage, Cooper racing past the Knights on an 80-yard touchdown up the sideline for a quick 7-0 lead. Lone Peak responded, getting a 40-yard kickoff return from Goff and eight plays later, a 10-yard touchdown run from Niumeitolu to tie the game at 7.
After the Knights got a defensive stop, Niumeitolu led his team on another long drive, this one nine plays, culminating in an 11-yard touchdown pass to Staley for a 14-7 lead with 8:13 to play in the second quarter.
Bott Mulitalo sniffed out a screen pass on Corner Canyon’s next possession and intercepted the ball, returning it 27 yards to the Chargers 10-yard line. Three plays later, Niumietolu snuck over from the 1-yard line to give the Knights a 21-7 lead with 4:20 to play before halftime.
Corner Canyon grinded out an 11-play drive — nine of them on the ground — and Briggs punched it over from the 4-yard line to trim the deficit to 21-14 just before the half.
A punt from Davis Nelson rolled to the Lone Peak 3 and the Chargers held to get great field position for their next drive. After two pass plays, Briggs carried the ball on six of the next seven plays, eventually burrowing into the end zone from the 1-yard line to tie the game at 21-all with 3:48 to play in the third quarter.
A penalty on the ensuing kickoff pinned Lone Peak inside its own 5-yard line again, and on third down Niumietolu was sacked in the end zone by Jayden Talauega for a safety, giving Corner Canyon a 23-21 lead.
Corner Canyon took the free kick and drove to the Lone Peak 34, where it faced a fourth-and-11. Bronson Evans found Kai Meza wide open on a crossing rout and Meza sprinted to the corner of the goal line, scoring to give the Chargers a 30-21 lead with 11:35 to play.
Corner Canyon (13-1) was playing in its seventh straight state final. With the victory, Chargers coach Eric Kjar won his 100th game and his fifth state championship at the school.
Lone Peak, which won state titles in 2011, 2018 and 2021, finished the 2024 campaign with a 11-3 record.
“It’s been a journey,” Brockbank said. “We had a great season, in my opinion. One game does not make a season, and it’s always tough to lose the last one, especially when you have a chance at it. This group of boys were resilient because we went through a lot this season. I’m proud of the team, how they battled and we battled towards the end.”
Goff added, “It’s been great. I love these guys so much. We worked so hard. That’s what’s most disappointing, just how hard we worked over the offseason and we didn’t win the championship.”
CORNER CANYON 30, LONE PEAK 27
Lone Peak 7 14 0 6 — 27
Corner Canyon 7 7 9 7 — 30
CC-Kingston 80 run (Nelson kick)
LP-Niumietolu 10 run (Carr kick)
LP-Staley 11 pass from Niumietolu (Carr kick)
LP-Niumietolu 1 run (Carr kick)
CC-Briggs 4 run (Nelson kick)
CC-Briggs 2 run (Nelson kick)
CC-Talauega safety
CC-Meza 34 pass from Evans (Nelson kick)
LP-Niumietolu 1 run (pass failed)
