Playing at Rice-Eccles Stadium is beginning to feel like a home game as the Corner Canyon High School football team has been on the field for the last five state championship games.

This year, the Eric Kjar-coached team came up short against Skyridge 17-7 Nov. 18 after another run to get back to the title matchup in which they won from 2018 to 2020.

In the championship, Corner Canyon gave up a touchdown on the Falcons’ opening drive before responding and tying the game—with a 25-yard touchdown catch from junior quarterback Isaac Wilson to junior wide receiver Tate Kjar on their ensuing possession. That TD would prove to be the Chargers only score of the game as a late offensive series was stopped inside the five-yard line of Skyridge with three minutes left in the game and then a desperation heave as the clock ran out was intercepted by the Falcons.

To reach the state title game, Corner Canyon defeated Layton 63-18 Oct. 28 in the second round, going up 63-0 by halftime. Senior Drew Patterson rushed for two touchdowns while grabbing a 20-yard TD pass from Wilson with wide receivers Quinn Hale (two TDs), Kjar (two TDs) and Jackson Ames also scoring for the offense. McRay Briggs scooped up a fumble recovery for a score as well. Junior defensive end Kash Dillon led defensively with seven tackles in the blowout of the Lancers.

In the quarterfinals against West Nov. 4, the Chargers won 35-7. Patterson scored four TDs with Hale adding a five-yard TD reception late in the third quarter.

Against Farmington Nov. 10 in the semifinal game, Corner Canyon broke a 28-28 tie with an 87-yard kick return for a score by sophomore Bryton Brady and senior Owen Borg blocking a Phoenix punt on the ensuing possession and took the ball 11 yards to the endzone, marking the turning point of the game in the eventual 17-point win.

Patterson rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown to pace the offense that was helped by a 94-yard TD reception from Wilson to Ames and another TD catch by Kjar. On the other side of the ball, senior Dave Brinton had 13 tackles with Hale adding 12 while the defense recorded six sacks of Farmington quarterback Easton Wight.

The championship game against Skyridge was the second time the teams faced each other this season with Corner Canyon wining 21-17 in late September in a turnover-plagued game in which the defenses largely dominated. 

Over the course of the season, Wilson threw for more than 4,000 yards and 44 touchdowns while Patterson was a 1,000-yard rusher with 16 TDs and Kjar had 1,600 receiving yards and 19 TDs.

Brinton and Borg anchored the defense with nearly 100 tackles each with senior Tank Mitchell recording eight sacks and Borg snagging five INTs.

Also on the 11-3 2022 CCHS team were Keaton Adamson, Jarin Allen, Blake Ames, Taylor Bailey, Ian Biddle, Dane Bindrup, Cole Bonham, Jake Bonham, Eli Borg, Weston Briggs, Greg Brown, Jackson Buehler, Sam Chandler, William Chandler, Yitzhak Contreras, Bridger Davies, Andrew Didier, Aiden Dunn, Rylan Dunn, Charlie Ebeling, Ace Edmunds, Beau Edmunds, Nicholas Erasmus, Brayden Eyre, Leimana Fager, Matt Fankhauser, Naimana Filivaolelei, Zion Finau, Ashton Free, Owen Freebairn, Moke Gabrielson, Jagger Gamache, Eathen Gardner, Hayden Hall, Tomasi Hasson, Lucas Henstrom, Quinn Hale, Mason Hamilton, Ryan Harkness, Henry Holliday, Kolbyn Jackson, Lucas Jackson, Ashton Johnson, Tyler Jonas, Logan Kelley, Michael Kessler, Rodney King, Cooper Kingdon, Ryder Kingdon, Spencer Kirkham, Jase Kozlowski, Chryshaun Lee, Aiden McDonald, Tyler McDonald, Eli Maires, Marcus Mellenthin, Jackson Naegle, Paxton Naegle, Davis Nelson, Andrew Nice, Wilson Numbers, Kyle Nye, Trevor Ogden, Ruben Otuafi, Riley Parker, Eli Paynter, Bobby Peavley, Scott Pepper, Rylan Quintana, Carson Rasmussen, Preston Rasmussen, Joey Ravella, Austen Richards, Colby Rollins, Boston Ross, Kai Sevy, Cole Sexton, Matthew Snarr, Boston Snow, Gavin Styer, Owen Styer, Esun Tafa, Jayden Talauega, Nicholas Taylor, Caysen Torre, Kayne Torre, Eric Towner, Alex Tullis, RJ Wallace, Bracken Warburton, McKay Wells, Drew Whatcott, Brock White, Crue Wignall, Kaydon Williams and Wade Winget.