In the 333 championships games from 1919 through last week, the team to score first has won 72% of the time.
In each of the three games Thursday, one of the teams is back from last year: Defending champs Corner Canyon in 6A and Crimson Cliffs in 4A, and runner-up Bountiful in 5A.
The winner of the final game of the 2024 season, the 4A title contest, becomes the 368th football champion, first awarded in 1898. (There’s a discrepancy between games and champs because of ties and teams not agreeing to meet in certain years – but all being named champions anyway – and because state champions were based on season record from 1898-1917.)
Rematches
In the history of Utah prep football, there have been 151 championship games that were rematches of regular-season contests, including four this year. That’s out of 336 total games (almost 45-percent!). The team that lost the regular season matchup came back to get revenge and win the championship 52 times, so far – about 35-percent of the time.
The 6A and 5A games are not only rematches of regular-season games, but special “revenge” games – rematches where one team handed the other its only season loss. In 6A, Lone Peak defeated Corner Canyon, 28-21, on Aug. 30 (Week 3) and in 5A, Bountiful tripped Roy, 42-23, on Oct. 10 (Week 9). However, only 16 teams have avenged their only season loss in a championship game – so far.
6A Championship
No. 1 Corner Canyon (12-1) vs. No. 3 Lone Peak (11-2)
Series: Defending champ Corner Canyon leads 7-3 since 2019. This game marks their third meeting in the championship. CC won 45-7 in 2020 (at Cedar Valley) and LP gained revenge in 2021, 49-42.
Corner Canyon makes its seventh consecutive championship-game appearance. That’s the third longest streak in state history. The two longest streaks belong to Skyline (nine straight from 1995-2003) and Kanab (eight from 1981-88).
The Chargers have also won at least three playoff games seven years in a row, the second longest streak all-time. Skyline won three postseason contests nine straight years from 1995-2003.
In terms of winning percentage in the playoffs, Corner Canyon ranks first all-time (.838) with a 31-6 record. Lone Peak is seventh (.700) with a 51-22 record.
Lone Peak has scored in 227 straight contests since 2007. That’s the longest current streak and third longest all-time. Corner Canyon has scored in 129 straight contests since 2015, the second longest current streak.
Corner Canyon is averaging 50 points a game in the playoffs. Only 15 teams have averaged more, all-time.
Eric Kjar: 95-8 in his eighth season at Corner Canyon, since 2017; 168-39 overall in his 16th year (Jordan 2009-16). Playoff record: 27-3 at CC and 39-10 overall. State championships: 5 (Jordan, 2012; CC 2018, ‘19, ‘20 and ‘23). Championship-game record: 5-2.
Bart Brockbank: 68-34 in his eighth season at Lone Peak. Playoff record: 22-5. State championships: 2018 and 2021; championship-game record: 2-1.
CC’s championship seasons: 2018, 2019, 2020; 2023; championship-game record: 4-2.
LP’s championship seasons: 2011, 2018, 2021. championship-game record: 3-5.
Lone Peak opened in 1997 (28th season) and Corner Canyon in 2013 (12th season)
5A Championship
No. 1 Roy (12-1) vs. No. 2 Bountiful (12-1)
Series: Bountiful leads 16-10 since 1973.
Bountiful seeks its sixth state title victory and first since 2003. Roy wants its second; the first came in 1981.
Roy has tied its most-ever season wins: 12, also in 2014. This season is just the fourth double-digit win season in Roy’s 60-year history.
Meanwhile, Bountiful enjoys its 10th double-digit winning campaign. By taking the championship, the Redhawks match their school-record 13-win season set in 1990 (13-0).
In his three seasons at Roy, Chris Solomona has taken the Royals from a first-round appearance to the quarterfinals and, now, to the finals as the No. 1 seed. In the playoffs, he’s 4-2 and 28-8 overall.
Jason Freckleton is 9-4 in the postseason and 44-17 overall at Bountiful (fifth season).
Bountiful’s championship-game record: 5-6. Won in 1979, 1990, 1991, 2002, 2003.
Roy’s championship-game record: 1-2 (lost in 1980, won in ‘81 and lost in 2014).
Bountiful opened in 1956 (68th season) and Roy in 1965 (60th season).
4A Championship
No. 3 Crimson Cliffs (11-2) vs. No. 4 Spanish Fork (11-2)
Series: Defending champion Crimson Cliffs leads 2-0; they met in a home-and-home series during Week 2 in 2021 and ‘22.
Crimson Cliffs makes its third straight championship-game appearance in its short six-year history. The Mustangs lost in 2022 to Desert Hills.
Spanish Fork lost in 2012 to Dixie in the Dons’ only other championship-game appearance.
Spanish Fork has achieved just its second-ever double-digit winning campaign in 105 seasons of football. The first came in 2012 when the Dons went 12-2. Incidentally, SF started its program in 1916, but took a hiatus from 1922 through 1925.
Only Park City (117 seasons) and North Sanpete (109 seasons) have played more seasons than Spanish Fork without winning a championship.
In terms of winning percentage in the playoffs, Crimson Cliffs ranks second all-time (.750) with a 12-4 record.
Crimson Cliffs’ current 11-game win streak is the second best in school history; the Mustangs won 12 straight set last year.
At Spanish Fork, Dustin Smith is 4-4 in the playoffs and 32-23 overall in his fifth season.
Now in his third season at Crimson Cliffs, Wayne Alofipo is 9-1 in the playoffs and 34-6 overall.
The 4A championship features two of the state’s leading rushers, Crimson Cliff’s McCord Christiansen and Spanish Fork’s Kaden Vest.
Some comparisons between the two.
Season:
- Net-rushing yards: Vest 2,429 (No. 6 all-time); Christiansen 2,098 (19th)
- Rushing TDs: Vest 27; Christiansen 20
- 100-yard Games: Vest 13; Christiansen 12 (record is 14, Jaylen Warren, East 2016)
- Consecutive 100-yard Games: Vest 13; Christiansen 11 (record is 14, Warren)
- All-Purpose yards: Vest 2,994 (No. 5 all-time); Christiansen 2,416.
Career stats are even closer:
- Net-rushing yards: Vest 3,914; Christiansen 3,902
- Rushing TDs: Vest 43; Christiansen 41
- TDs scored: Vest 50 TDs; Christiansen 46
- Carries: Vest 537; Christiansen 540
- 100-yard Games: Vest 22; Christiansen 18.
- All-Purpose yards: Vest 4,833; Christiansen 5,045.
A footnote to last year’s Crimson Cliffs’ championship team. On the first play of the game, Steele Barben completed a 73-yard touchdown pass to Tyler West. That marked the seventh time a team has scored on the opening play of a championship game.
For the record, here are the other six:
· 1960: San Juan’s Johnny Nielson threw a 63-yard pass to Corry Jones. However, Millard came back to win, 47-19. 11/25/1960 (Class B, BYU)
· 1980: West’s Vance Price returned 27 yards after Viewmont fumbles the opening kickoff. The Panthers won, 31-6. 11/14/80 (3A, U. of U.)
· 1983: Judge Memorial’s Paul Barbiero returned the opening kickoff 92 yards. The Bulldogs prevailed, 26-21. 11/18/83 (3A, U. of U.)
· 1985: Bear River Mark Hupp scored on an interception return. However, Springville came back to win, 30-23. 11/22/85 (3A, U. of U.)
· 1990: North Summit’s Brandon Jones threw an 83-yard pass to Matt Bates. North Summit held Monticello to a three-and-out. Then, on first down, Jones tossed a 43-yard pass to Cade Sargent to put NS up, 13-0. North Summit won, 26-6. 11/10/90 (1A, Mountain View High)
· 2007: Layton’s LaVaughn Jackson returned the opening kickoff 95 yards. However, Alta came back to win, 19-7. 11/16/2007 (5A, U. of U.)
Last Week’s Champs
3A winner Morgan (13-0) became the 122nd team to celebrate an undefeated championship season. It’s the fifth time for the Trojans, who also went unbeaten in 1979, 1993, 1997 and 2022. Morgan also won state crowns in 1940, 1977, 1983 and 2019 for a total of nine.
2A champ San Juan became the seventh team to win four consecutive championship games. Two squads, East (1919-23) and Skyline (1995-99), won five title contests in a row. San Juan joins four others who won four straight championship games: Duchesne (2010-13), Millard (1950-53), Orem (2017-20) and Timpview (2006-09). The Broncos also won championships in 1989, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2009 and 2010 for a total of 10.
San Juan averaged 58.0 points per game in the postseason, good for the second-most all-time (Orem holds the record, 62.0 ppg in 2018). The Broncos won their three playoff games by an average of 44.7 points, the fourth biggest margin all-time – and tied with the 2023 team!
San Juan’s team and coach, Barkley Christensen, share a 12-game winning streak in the playoffs. The team’s streak ranks tied for eighth longest all-time. Christensen’s streak ranks tied for the seventh longest among coaches, all-time.
1A titlist Beaver won its 15th championship game and second straight. The Beavers are in second-place all-time. East tops the list with 17. Beaver’s first fourteen state titles came in 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1990, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2023.
Championship-game Records
Here’s a look at performances last week that qualified to rank in the all-time championship-game records – by school:
Beaver
Deegan Blackner:
- · 12th (tied) – Longest Kickoff Return – 91 yards
Emery
Treven Gilbert:
- · 12th (tied) – Passing Attempts – 40
- · 30th (tied) – Completions – 20
Porter Hurdsman:
- · 13th (tied) – Receptions – 9
Kanab
Brogun Virostko:
- · 30th (tied) – Passing Attempts – 36
- · 30th (tied) – Completions – 20
San Juan
- · 12th, Team Total Offense Yards – 546
- · 12th, Fewest Rushing Yards Allowed – 12
Another Historical Season for Long Field Goals
In the 132 seasons of Utah high school football, 190 field goals of at least 50 yards have been recorded.
Last year, sixteen field goals of at least 50 yards were kicked. The previous high was nine 50-plus-yard kicks in both 2021 and ‘22.
This season, 14 have been made, so far – just about 7.4-percent of the all-time total.
That includes a state-record 63-yarder by Murray’s Dillon Curtis on Oct. 4 (vs. Tooele).
And a state-record-tying – for a playoff game – 58-yarder by Roy’s Colby Frokjer on Nov. 15 (vs. Timpview). Frokjer booted a 53-yarder in the same contest, becoming the fifth player in Utah prep history to hit two 50-plus-yarders in the same game. And the first to accomplish the feat in the playoffs.
Over the season, three other players kicked two 50-plus-yarders, but not in the same game: Curtis, Lehi’s Gavin Fenn and Alta’s Jack McAllister.
Finals on Thursday?
There’s nothing sacrosanct about the finals in the largest classifications being played on Fridays, but that’s generally been the case. The last non-Friday championship games in the largest two classes were 27 years ago – Tuesday, Nov. 25, 1997 at Weber State. The 5A matchup was Skyline 30, Brighton 12 and in 4A, Timpview 19, Olympus 16.
When scheduled at the University of Utah, you have to go back to 1994 to find non-Friday finals. That season, the 3A, 4A and 5A games were on Thursday, Nov. 17.
Going way, way back, the first championship game was on a Saturday – Nov. 29, 1919 and Saturday was the usual day for the title contest for several years.