(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Corner Canyon running back Weston Briggs (25) runs for a Chargers touchdown in 6A Championship football action between the Lone Peak Knights and the Corner Canyon Chargers, at Rice-Eccles Stadium, on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.
If there's one thing you should know about high school football in the state of Utah, it's that Corner Canyon is king.
On Thursday, the Chargers successfully defended their crown, defeating rival Lone Peak 35-20 in the Utah 6A state final for their third state title in a row.
Even when you beat Corner Canyon -- which Lone Peak did earlier in the regular season -- the Chargers are still king.
"Sometimes it takes a failure to bounce back," Chargers senior running back Weston Briggs said after the championship win, recalling the 42-21 defeat to Lone Peak in September.
"We came together, we worked hard, put in way more effort, held ourselves accountable, no selfishness and it helped us get that win."
The Chargers faced a halftime deficit against their Region 3 foes on Thursday. The Knights were able to run the ball with ease against the Charger defense, averaging 7.21 yards per carry on their way to a 17-14 halftime lead.
Knights running back Tate Barney and quarterback Kepa Niumeitolu combined for 112 first half yards. On their final touchdown drive of the half, the Knights didn't throw a single pass. They didn't need to.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Corner Canyon celebrates there win over the Lone Peak Knights for the 6A Championship, at Rice-Eccles Stadium, onThursday, Nov. 20, 2025.
Corner Canyon coach Eric Kjar said the biggest halftime adjustment his team needed to make was an increased emphasis on physicality.
"We had to be physical up front and be tough," Kjar said about his defense's performance in the first half. "We were way better in the second half, just much better, much improved. Tremendous physicality and toughness."
In the second half, Corner Canyon held Lone Peak to 37 rushing yards -- a dramatic shift from the first half.
But while the Charger defense was dominant to end the game, the biggest star at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday was Briggs, who asserted his dominance on the ground.
Briggs could not be brought down by anyone on the field, on his way to 170 rushing yards -- 155 in the second half -- and four rushing touchdowns. His four scores tied a state record for most rushing touchdowns in a state championship game.
Briggs scored all three of Corner Canyon's second-half touchdowns in the comeback victory.
"Weston Briggs, man. I'm telling you, best running back in the freaking nation," Chargers quarterback Helaman Casuga said about his running back. "It's honestly amazing the leadership that he has off the field and on the field."
Kjar was visibly emotional when talking about his senior running back to the media.
"I love all of my players, but he is one that's pretty close to me," Kjar said. "He's been the heart and soul of our team. He's all football, he's all invested, he's special. I'm gonna miss him."
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Corner Canyon Zach Adamson DB (22) and Fui Vakapuna (44) celebrate the Chargers win, in 6A Championship football action between the Lone Peak Knights and the Corner Canyon Chargers, at Rice-Eccles Stadium, on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.
Lone Peak still had an opportunity late to tie the game.
Down 28-20 late in the fourth quarter, the Knights drove down to the four-yard line, where they faced a game-deciding fourth down.
Niumeitolu tried to force a pass to a covered receiver, which fell incomplete, dashing any hope for the Knights to knock Corner Canyon from the state throne.
This win was a historic one for Kjar, as he moved into second place all-time in state championships for Utah high school coaches (7). His first came with Jordan in 2012 and the last six have been with Corner Canyon in only an eight-year span, one of the most dominant stretches in the state's history.
"You always tell them, 'It's not about the plays in the game, it's the plays in practice, what you do there, what you do in the weight room,' " Kjar said. "Every coach says that, but it's 100% the reason we're able to be consistently a good team. Without that, without work, you're nothing."
This won't be the last game of Corner Canyon's season, as the Chargers have agreed to play St. Frances (MD) in the OT7 national championship. The details of that game have yet to be released.
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