Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Corner Canyon defeated Lehi 56-3, securing a share of the Region 3 title.
- Helaman Casuga threw four touchdown passes, two to Kai Meza, for the Chargers.
- Corner Canyon aims for the No. 1 seed in the upcoming 6A state playoffs.
LEHI — Any reports of Corner Canyon's demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Texas A&M commit Helaman Casuga threw four touchdown passes, including two to Kai Meza, as the top-ranked Chargers jumped out to a 28-3 halftime lead and never looked back in a 56-3 win over host Lehi to clinch a share of the Region 3 title in the regular-season finale for both teams Wednesday night.
Meza, the former Minnesota commit who has offers from Cal, Colorado and Kansas State, among others, caught six passes for 116 yards, including touchdowns of 32 and 9 yards, in the second quarter that gave Corner Canyon a 8-1 regular-season record and keeps them in strong contention for the No. 1 overall seed in next week's 6A state playoffs.
"I just liked the way we played overall. I thought the energy was really good," said Corner Canyon coach Eric Kjar, whose team has won three straight games by an aggregate score of 142-38 since its lone loss at Lone Peak on Sept. 19. "I thought we played really hard and competed. We kind of challenged our guys to do that, to try to be tough and we knew they were good."
Lehi (5-4, 2-2 Region 3) had won back-to-back in Region 3 play by a combined score of 60-9 over American Fork and Lone Peak. Both teams had a shot at a region title Wednesday night — as well as Skyridge, which pulled past American Fork 26-14.
But Corner Canyon had plenty to play for on Wednesday.
"They were playing hot coming into this game, and we knew that," Kjar said of Lehi. "But our kids come prepared; they knew the game meant a lot."
Kjar credited the decision-making of Casuga, the strong offensive line that helped power Weston Briggs to 109 yards on the ground, and a dominant defense for the win.
Meza gave his head coach plenty of props, too.
"I think it was Kjar," he said. "Kjar knows how to call the best plays, and he makes it happen."
The Chargers (8-1, 3-1 Region 3) grinded away early, capping a 10-play, 80-yard opening drive with King Cooper's 17-yard touchdown run with 6:37 left in the first quarter.
The Pioneers pulled back three with Bode Hammond's 21-yard field goal on the next drive. But that would be the last time the Chargers' defense gave up any score, holding the Pioneers to 218 yards of offense.
Jackson Carruth added a 6-yard touchdown run to open the quarter before Meza's double, and Casuga found Isaiah Morris and Jasean Mayberry with a pair of TD tosses as Corner Canyon scored on seven of its first nine drives.
Fui Vakapuna added a 34-yard pick six with 3:22 left in the third quarter, and Carruth found the end zone against a running clock with 7:34 remaining to cap the scoring.
Jake Roe also had an interception for the Chargers.
"We're going to come back better," Meza said. "Preparation is going to be on point, and we're going to try to get another state championship."
BYU commit Devaughn Eka ran for 58 yards for Lehi.
