The Corner Canyon High boys golf team shot the second lowest score in state tournament history – a 266 – to defeat Lone Peak by seven strokes at the 6A state tournament Oct. 14-15 at Riverbend.

The Chargers also won the title last fall, besting the Knights by nine strokes in 2023.

“We knew we’d be really good and that we had the squad to defend our championship,” said head coach Derek Fox, who is in his seventh year. “We used Lone Peak as motivation all year. They played amazing with their score the first day being the fourth best in state history. We might be one and two in the nation, particularly over the last four years.”

“It was amazing to repeat as a team!” senior Bowen Mauss, who placed second overall individually with rounds of 65, said. “We worked really hard all season to win, which made the win feel even better.”

Corner Canyon High golfers celebrate their successful state title defense with another shower for their head coach Derek Fox. (Photo courtesy Derek Fox)

“This one meant a lot to me because it’s my senior year, but also my first time playing at state,” said Ty Anderson. “It was awesome to represent Corner Canyon and play with a bunch of my close friends.”

After Day One of the two-day state tournament, the Chargers found themselves down to Lone Peak by three strokes but gathered together at dinner. “The boys just talked and said, ‘We got this! We’re going to play great!’ I liked our chances,” Fox said.

On Day Two, Corner Canyon’s score was 10 strokes better than the Knights with junior Ben Wilson shooting a 64, senior Ty Brady a 66 and junior Tyse Boman a 71 to go with Mauss’ 65 for four rounds of under-par going toward the overall team score of 38 under par with Anderson and junior Will Pizza’s even-par scores not even needed.

“Bowen competes in a PGA Tour event [at Black Desert in St. George] and then he turns around a few days later and shoots 65s. He did it again for us and got better this year. I can’t say enough about Bo; he led this team,” Fox said. “Ben was our new kid this year who stepped up, fit right in and came to play. Ty (Brady) came from Park City to an already good team and helped our chemistry be even better. Those were two key pieces for us.”

Fox said Boman was the most consistent player of the group while Pizza saw a massive improvement in his game this season. But, it was Anderson’s round of 67 on Day One that Fox pointed to as one of the biggest reasons Corner Canyon kept Lone Peak in striking distance heading into the second day. “His score really solidified us having a chance on Day Two,” Fox said of his senior who barely missed the state team last fall. “He and I talked a lot about him ‘believing that he belonged’ so he set goals of winning state and then finishing top 10 individually. That was a huge round. If he doesn’t shoot that, I’m not sure we’re talking about a state championship. It was a gutsy performance. I’m so proud of him for stepping up, and reaching both goals [he tied for eighth].”

“I was in a really comfortable pairing which helped keep my nerves down,” Anderson said. “I was also very confident with my putter which took pressure off in certain situations.”

 “After Day One, we talked about being more aggressive and focusing on our own games which helped us shoot lower scores on Day Two,” Mauss said.

Wilson and Brady finished in the top five at state while Boman was 14th. Senior Cooper Meyer and junior Bostin Bloechel competed as individuals and came in 18th and tied for 60th, respectively.

“This is the deepest team we’ve ever hard and, while that was our strength, it was also our challenge where two from last year’s state team were not even on this year’s state team,” Fox said. “But, these boys bonded and challenged each other to get better – making each other step up – while still playing their role. What an incredible team and an awesome group of boys.”

“We have played a lot together and we are all super competitive so it raises the level of the entire team,” Anderson said. “We are all confident and not scared of playing in high pressure situations.”

The Corner Canyon High boys golf team won the 6A state title for the second year in a row, this time by seven strokes over runner-up Lone Peak. (Photo courtesy Derek Fox)

Fox noted the contributions of the Mauss boys – Jackson, who graduated in 2022 and Bowen Mauss – on the Corner Canyon golf team over the past several years. “They have been the cornerstone of this program, setting the bar for getting better,” Fox said. “They pushed the boys and kept moving the bar and the program up.”

Mauss, who averaged a 66 on the season, has committed to play collegiately at Arizona State. “I think ASU will give me the best opportunities to chase my goal of playing and winning on the PGA Tour,” Mauss said. “I love the coaches there and know they will help me become the player and person that I want to be. I’m really excited to get down there.”

Also on the team that broke the CCHS school record of 267 three times this season were seniors Lincoln Blake, Creed Covington, Stockton Weenig and Preston Wilde; juniors Nolan Kartchner and Warner Rensch; sophomores Vance Alleman, James Meadows, William Middleton and Carson Smythe; freshmen Cade Cottole, Tru Hanson, Anson Jin, Seyon Juyal, Cayden Larson, Jackson Nordhoff and Kairo Richardson.

“This team was so fun to be around and we all got along so well,” said Mauss. “We kept our team chemistry really high all year even though we had to compete against each other for spots on the state team. The memories we made and the fun times we had as a team are much more valuable than any trophy.”

Fox was assisted by Brady Boman, Justin Labrum and Brian Rueckert on the coaching staff this season.

“We were so lucky to have coach Fox as our coach all four years,” Mauss said. “He is the best coach we couldn’t asked for and he was always there to help us.”

“It’s an honor and privilege to coach such great young men,” Fox said. “Win or lose, they would have been champions.”