When No. 1 Corner Canyon (11-1) and No. 6 Lone Peak (8-4) face off in Thursday’s 6A state championship game at Rice-Eccles Stadium, it will mark the latest chapter in what has become one of Utah’s premier high school football rivalries.
The matchup is a rematch of last year’s title game, where Corner Canyon mounted a historic 14-point comeback to defeat Lone Peak 30-27 for their second consecutive state championship. The victory was just the sixth time in Utah high school football history that a team overcame a 14-point deficit to win a state title.
Now, the Chargers have a chance to make it three straight championships while also avenging their only loss of the 2025 season. That defeat came on Sept. 19, when the Knights stunned Corner Canyon 42-21. During that regular season contest, Lone Peak quarterback Cruz Christensen connected with Jaron Pula for three touchdown passes, while the Knights’ defense intercepted Corner Canyon’s Helaman Casuga four times.
“I didn’t play my best, obviously you can see that on film. I’ll admit to it, everyone has a bad game. That was my bad game, unfortunately,” said Casuga, reflecting on the September loss. Since that setback, the senior quarterback has been at his best, leading the Chargers to eight straight victories by an average margin of 44 points.
Corner Canyon’s offensive juggernaut has produced 592 points this season (49.3 ppg) while allowing just 185 (15.4 ppg). Their path to the championship game has included dominant playoff wins over Layton (63-9), Syracuse (56-14), and Mountain Ridge (59-20) in last week’s semifinal.
Lone Peak took a more challenging route to Rice-Eccles Stadium. After suffering regular-season losses to Skyridge and American Fork, the Knights avenged both defeats in the playoffs. Their semifinal victory over Skyridge was a defensive masterpiece, with the Knights grinding out a 13-7 win.
The Knights have been rejuvenated by the return of quarterback Kepa Niumeitolu, who missed significant time with an injury — including the teams’ first meeting in September. Since returning for the playoffs, Niumeitolu has been instrumental in Lone Peak’s championship run. In the semifinal against Skyridge, he went 16-22 for 156 yards while adding 20 carries for 92 yards. He’s only played in five full games this season, with the last three being playoff victories.
Defensively, both teams boast standout performers. Lone Peak is anchored by linebacker Tony Grimmer, who has amassed 135 tackles this season. Corner Canyon’s defense features Mason Wood (83 tackles), Jayden Pearce (64 tackles, 10 sacks), and Fui Vakapuna (57 tackles).
The championship matchup showcases two powerhouse programs led by coaches who took over in 2017. Eric Kjar has built an astonishing 111-9 record at Corner Canyon, with five state championships in seven title game appearances. Bart Brockbank has guided Lone Peak to a 76-39 record with championships in 2017 and 2021. The Knights also won a title in 2011 before Brockbank’s arrival.
Thursday’s contest will be the fourth championship meeting between the programs in the last six seasons. Corner Canyon dominated the 2020 matchup 45-7, Lone Peak claimed the 2021 title with a 49-42 victory, and the Chargers won last year’s thriller 30-27.
Since Corner Canyon moved up to 6A in 2019, the Chargers hold a 9-3 advantage in their head-to-head meetings with Lone Peak, including a 4-1 record in playoff matchups.
Both teams feature explosive offensive weapons. Corner Canyon is led by Casuga, who has thrown for 3,337 yards and 37 touchdowns while adding 431 rushing yards and nine scores. His top target, Kai Meza, has 59 receptions for 996 yards and 12 touchdowns, while running back Weston Briggs has accumulated 945 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
Lone Peak’s offense revolves around Niumeitolu and playmaker Jaron Pula, who has 60 receptions for 925 yards and 11 touchdowns this season.
For Corner Canyon to secure their third consecutive championship, ball security will be crucial after turning the ball over four times in their September loss. The Knights’ path to victory runs through their defense, which has proven capable of generating the turnovers needed to slow down the high-powered Charger offense.
“It feels like this game and next game, it’s just like a repeat of last year,” said Brockbank after the semifinal. “We’ve got to be ready for their attack.”
The 6A championship kicks off at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 2:30 p.m.
This report was compiled with the assistance of ChatGPT.