The defending 6A state champion boys basketball team worked themselves back to the title game this season but this time the Chargers were on the opposite end of the result they enjoyed last season. No. 4 Corner Canyon lost to second-ranked Lehi 78-67 March 1 at the University of Utah to finish as runners-up this time around. 

“Overall, we had an outstanding year,” said head coach Dan Lunt. “This team faced all kinds of adversity throughout the year and did an outstanding job dealing with it.”

The CCHS girls squad reached the state final four for the first time in the 6A classification, losing to eventual champion Lone Peak 63-40 Feb. 28 at the U of U. [At the end of the 2018-19 season, the Chargers lost to East in the 5A championship game.]

“What a season the girls had,” said head coach Craig Morris. “We made it to the semis and restored confidence and belief in being one of the best in the whole state.”

Boys

The boys were up 9-2 early in the state title game before the Pioneers came back and the teams were tied 17-all after the first quarter. Lehi proceeded to score the game’s next 21 points and were up 17 points by halftime and again at the end of three. Junior Noah Bendinger hit two 3-pointers and completed a 3-point play to open the final eight minutes and close the gap, but Lehi continued to outrebound Corner Canyon and make clutch shots to maintain their lead. The Chargers were led by senior All-Region center Derelle Desire, who had 20 points and nine rebounds, along with 2023’s 6A Player of the Year and this year’s Region 2 MVP Brody Kozlowski who added 16 points and seven rebounds. 

At the 6A state tournament, fourth-seeded Corner Canyon defeated Pleasant Grove 90-59 Feb. 23 in the second round—after a bye in the first round—behind 19 points and 11 rebounds from Kozlowski and Neibaur’s 17 points.

In the quarterfinals against American Fork Feb. 26, Kozlowski went off for a career-high 39 points to lead the Chargers past the Cavemen 67-58.

Corner Canyon dominated No. 1 Layton in the semis Feb. 28, winning 89-60. Neibaur led four players in double figures with 21 points while senior Taylor Feroah added 18, Kozlowski 17 and Desire 16. Feroah was tops on the boards with 14 in helping the Chargers reach the title game.

Desire, Kozlowski, All-Region senior Isaac Neibuar and junior Bryton Valdez were named All-Tournament while Kozlowski, Neibaur and Feroah were recognized on the Academic All-Region team.

Kozlowski nearly averaged a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds a game to lead Corner Canyon while Desire had 11 points a game and seven boards and Feroah added eight points and seven rebounds. Lunt credited them and his other three seniors—Neibaur, Hayden Gribble and Wells Robertson for their contributions to the program the past four years. “They are top-notched,” he said. “I think the world of every one of them.”

Bendinger also put in nine points a game for the 19-8 squad who swept through region play for the second consecutive season. Also on the CCHS team this season were Hudson Brown, Mo Brown, Archer Burke, Diesel Dart, Brigg Jensen, Tagg Jensen, Peterson Lunt, Tyler Mortensen and Dillon Roberts.

Girls

At the 6A state tournament, the seventh-seeded Chargers received a first-round bye before facing Herriman Feb. 22 and avenging two region losses during the season, beating the Mustangs 49-27. All-State forward Elina Mortensen scored 23 points while fellow senior Maia Rhay added 16 in the win.

In the quarterfinals, Corner Canyon pulled out a 59-56 overtime victory over No. 2 Davis Feb. 26. Rhay nearly had a triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to go with five steals and four blocks in a stats-sheet-stuffer game. Mortensen added 13 points while junior guard Addi Yeomans had 12.

“That game was unbelievable,” coach Morris said. “We’re a team built on defense, and when we play together, we’re really hard to score against. We just said, ‘We don’t let anyone do what they want to do.’ We’re gonna make them do the things that they’re less comfortable doing, and the girls did it, and I’m just so proud of them.”

In the semifinal loss against Lone Peak, Mortensen’s 11 points and nine rebounds led the Chargers who were down 23 points at halftime. A 30-point second-half effort was matched by the Knights so the loss margin remained the same.

Mortensen led Corner Canyon this season with 21 points and nine rebounds while Rhay added 15 points and six boards.

Also on the CCHS squad who finished 16-10 this year are juniors Brooke Luper, Sorrelle Nielsen and Kenzie Randall and sophomores Addy Hamilton, Hallee Johnsen, Kate Leroy and Lexi Leroy. λ