DRAPER — Pleasant Grove did what it could to befuddle Corner Canyon quarterback Jaxson Dart into a few misfires in the first half Friday night, but limiting a few waves couldn’t hold back the entire ocean of possibilities in the Chargers’ offense.
Dart accounted for five touchdowns and wide receiver Noah Kjar hauled in three touchdown catches to keep the Chargers in the driver’s seat of a Region 4 replete with juggernauts in a decisive 38-7 win.
Corner Canyon struck quickly with an eight-play opening drive culminating in a 1-yard touchdown plunge from Dart, but stalled on two ensuing possessions to leave the door open for Pleasant Grove.
The Vikings put together an answer through a decisive drive from quarterback Sam Leavitt, who capped it off with a 15-yard scoring toss to wide receiver Darrius Clemons to make it 7-7 with 5:21 left in the first half.
Kjar said the opposing score woke the Chargers up to the reality that there’s no easing into region competition.
“This is Region 4 — the best region in the state,” he said. “We had to get our stuff together offensively and defensively.”
Watch replay: Corner Canyon 38, Pleasant Grove 7
From there, Corner Canyon caught fire and never looked back.
Dart, who now has 35 total touchdowns on the season, hit wide receiver Cody Hagen with a 27-yard strike to make it 14-7. After a Pleasant Grove punt, Dart marched Corner Canyon down the field again and found Kjar for a long 40-yard connection for the third score with 22 seconds left in the first half.
“We have four of the best receivers in the state. We can just throw to anyone,” Kjar said. “If someone’s doubled, the other guys are open. That’s just how it is. We don’t play selfish — we just play for each other.”
After a Pleasant Grove punt to open the second half, Corner Canyon was clinical with a mix of rushing and passing production from Dart, culminating in a 16-yard touchdown pass in stride to a laterally streaking Kjar in the back of the end zone.
Kjar found paydirt for the third and final time with an impressive catch and run 27-yard score to make it 35-7 with 4:54 left in the third quarter.
Corner Canyon’s defense pitched a second half shutout — forcing two turnovers in the process — and Carson Compton hit a 22-yard fourth quarter field goal to put the game away.
Corner Canyon’s road will only get tougher from here, but this victory gives the Chargers a running start.
“We know we’re up against it and we know we’ve got a really good region we’ve got to play against week in and week out,” Corner Canyon coach Eric Kjar said. “It’s going to be really hard.”