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DRAPER — Corner Canyon was a 33-yard field goal short of handing undefeated Lehi its first loss of the season.
Instead, the Chargers came away with their second loss of the year, and the Pioneers kept their perfect record intact with a 25-24 win.
With 1:36 remaining in the game, Corner Canyon started its do-or-die drive on its own 8-yard line. Junior quarterback Isaac Wilson had been slinging the ball around all night, and everyone in attendance knew he would be the catalyst with so little time remaining.
After a few quick passes and the help of a defensive pass interference call, the Chargers marched their way down the field, but soon faced a fourth-and-3 situation with only 21 seconds left in the game. In a play that could make or break the game, Wilson hit senior tight end Bridger Davies for a first down to keep the Chargers' hopes alive.
At this point, the game came down to a field goal, and the Chargers did everything possible to get into position for their kicker, Preston Rasmussen. With about four seconds left, Rasmussen booted the ball into the air, but it fell short and to the left of the goal posts.
The Pioneers remained perfect.
Missed field goal by the Chargers as time expired pic.twitter.com/qxwDojecA2
— Thomas Gordon (@Air_Gordon12) September 10, 2022
"You're sitting there going — got two emotions: We're either going to win this thing, or nice game," Lehi head coach Ed Larson said about the final field goal. "Trying to hedge your bets and when I saw it come flat off his leg, that was awesome."
In a game between the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the state, it looked like Corner Canyon might run away with it early on in the game. At the half, the Chargers led the Pioneers 17-0 on the backs of Wilson and his receiving corps. When the Chargers then scored on their first possession of the second half to take a commanding 24-0 lead, the game seemed out of reach.
But Larson knew his team wasn't out of it just yet.
"Well, we just felt like, offensively, we had moved on them and we just hadn't finished," Larson said. "... We just felt like we hadn't played our best yet."
On the Pioneers' second drive of the second half, it began to click for the offense. Senior running back Carson Gonzalez got the call and delivered with multiple runs of five or more yards each carry. Lehi was aided by three different Corner Canyon defensive penalties that set up quarterback Jackson Brousseau's first touchdown pass to wide receiver Kolton Tanner.
Lehi tried for the 2-point conversion but was denied by the Chargers' secondary; however, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty allowed Lehi to kick off from Corner Canyon's 45-yard line. The pooch kick was placed perfectly between two lines of Chargers players, and the Pioneers recovered the ball to start on the opposing 18-yard line.
A couple plays later, Brousseau placed a perfect pass for tight end Makafefie Havea, who managed to tap both feet down in the end zone before stepping out.
On the 2-point try, unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Chargers set up a short kickoff for Lehi.
— Thomas Gordon (@Air_Gordon12) September 10, 2022
The pooch kick was recovered by the kicking team which set up a 16-yd TD pass a couple plays later.
We've got a ballgame
On Corner Canyon's ensuing drive, a bad snap on third down led to a fumble that Lehi recovered, which set up yet another short field opportunity and a quick score. In the span of a little more than three minutes, the Pioneers had closed the gap and gotten themselves back in the game and trailed 24-19.
"Even in the first half our offense was like, we were working but we just weren't clicking all the way," Brousseau said. "And I knew at some point we were gonna click, and it finally clicked in the second half."
The dominance that Corner Canyon displayed early in the game seemed to vanish in the second half. Chargers receivers dropped passes, the offensive line struggled to protect its quarterback, and the defense dealt with short fields and tired legs. Early in the fourth quarter, a bad snap led to another fumble recovery by the Pioneers, which set up the drive for the go-ahead score.
As Brousseau showed more confidence in his receivers and his own throws, he eventually hit junior receiver Jace John over the middle for a 37-yard touchdown to give the Pioneers their first lead of the night, and one they wouldn't relinquish.
"I mean, they just played hard — never quit," Larson said. "We made a ton of mistakes. But I mean, my hat's off to just the grit of this team. That's been our model, and their grit for this has been fantastic."
What's next
The Pioneers look to keep their perfect streak alive as they return home to take on the Fremont Silverwolves. The Chargers face a tough challenge as they try to get back in the win column and welcome the American Fork Cavemen to town.
