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CORNER CANYON CHARGERS
THE HURRY-UP
Corner Canyon finished 12-1 overall, 6-0 in league play, and lost to Roy, 39-0, in the semifinals in 2014.
OFFENSE
Despite the shellacking it received once it arrived at Rice-Eccles Stadium in 2014, the expectation was established: Corner Canyon is a major player in the 4A classification. Chargers coach Don Eck explained last year's group was simply satisfied by reaching the state semifinals and that the mentality has shifted in the offseason — satisfaction now comes from winning the state championship.
The first order of business is replacing the only quarterback the school, entering its third full season, has ever known. Michael Ebeling threw for 3,284 yards and 40 touchdowns in two seasons, and his impact was felt most when he was injured before the semifinal loss to Roy after leading the Chargers to a 12-0 record. Insert: Hayden Borg. Winning the championship is exactly what Eck envisioned when he first saw the junior quarterback throw as an incoming freshman two years ago. Eck, who has more than 30 years of coaching experienced, immediately recognized that Borg's mechanics and offensive savvy at quarterback were elite for his age.
"I told a bunch of people, 'We'll win a state championship with this kid,'" Eck explained. "He's that good of a quarterback. He's really studied the game; his mechanics are very good. He understands how to play the position — he has all the intangibles as far as being a leader. He's calm in the huddle, yet he can kick the guys in the butt and get them going. He'll be our quarterback for the next two years."
Borg is surrounded by a monster offensive line that, if necessary, can rotate 10 deep. Keaton Bills and Matt Peterson are returning starters, while Cade Knaphus, Donovan Merrin and Brandon Bills all saw significant action last season.
Junior tailback Cameron Forte is the premier running back amongst a stable of talented options, including Tyler Critchfield, Jason Adams and Dallin Lee.
Corner Canyon's wideout ranks, though, were decimated by attrition. Garrett Michaeli, Zack Franckowiak and Izaac Brinton are all graduated. Statistically, the entire production from 2014 has vanished. Nate Cutler, who is an extremely quick, shifty runner in space, along with Chase Meyer and Calvin Millich fill the vacancies.
"We've got a good crew here, we had a talented group of juniors last year [who] didn't get to play a whole lot because we were a senior-laden team," Eck said. "Those kids will step up. I don't think we'll drop off very much. I know we're a bigger, strong team."
DEFENSE
Corner Canyon was one of the top defensive units in the 4A classification in 2014, and that trend should continue once again. The Chargers advertised a top-10 scoring and rushing defense, and with the depth in the front seven, there is a strong possibility both of those statistics improve.
Expect to see subtle changes schematically with a new defensive coordinator. The Chargers were nearly 95-percent man coverage, with a called blitz every down. Eck is confident in the defensive line's ability to pressure the quarterback without assistance this year, allowing more coverage in the back end.
Keaton Bills is a freak of a human being. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, Bills, whose cousin Craig Bills played at BYU, has hands the size of large dinner plates. The two-way starter has more than 10 FBS offers, including all three in-state schools, Arizona State, Oregon State, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt and Washington State. He recorded 46 tackles and five sacks last season, which could increase with the support of Knaphus, Caden Rutherford and Kaden Wright on the defensive front.
Corner Canyon was average in pass defense last year, allowing 186.5 yards per game — a statistic indicative of its linebackers struggling to contribute in the pass game. That area has been addressed. Perry Sandlin beefed up and has moved from cornerback to linebacker, and Forte and Dallin Lee are both capable of dropping back — which could prove to be invaluable in the pass-heavy Region 7. Cutler, Meyer, Adam — all two-way players — and Braxton Coon augment the secondary, all of whom are experienced at the varsity level.
"That was really not a very good strength for us last year — in fact it was a weakness," Eck said. "Our linebackers were really poor in coverage. We've worked hard on that, and this crew of linebackers — Perry Sandlin was our starting corner for us, he's not playing linebacker, and he can cover anybody."
WHAT TO EXPECT
The Chargers suffered extensive loss from graduation, but the program has already bypassed the rebuilding phase. It reloads now. And considering they'll play Timpview at home this season, there is no reason not to expect the Chargers to compete for the Region 7 title and another shot at Rice-Eccles.
BIG SHOES
Cameron Forte, who Eck said could also punt at the next level, replaces Riley Ogden as the featured back on offense. Ogden rushed for nearly 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns. Will the vastly different rushing style translate to the same success?
PROJECTED ORDER OF FINISH IN REGION: 2
RETURNING LEADERS
Passing: Kyle Reaveley (Sr.), 15-40-214-3, 2 TDs
Rushing: Tyler Critchfield (Sr.), 13 att., 68 yds
Receiving: None
Tackles: Keaton Bills (Sr.), 46
Sacks: Keaton Bills, 5
Interceptions: Braxton Coon (Sr.), 1
2014 RANKINGS
OFFENSE AVERAGE REGION (of 7) CLASS (of 26)
Scoring: 33.8ppg 2 3
Rushing: 264.5ypg 1 3
Passing: 138.2ypg 5 13
Total: 402.7ypg 1 3
DEFENSE
Scoring: 17.6ppg 2 6
Rushing: 128.1ypg 2 8
Passing: 186.5ypg 4 19
Total: 314.6ypg 2 11
COACHING BIO
Name: Don Eck
Years with school: 3
Alma mater: University of Utah
PROJECTED STARTERS
OFFENSE
QB: Hayden Borg (Jr.)
RB: Cameron Forte (6-1, 220, Sr.)
WR: Nate Cutler (5-10, Sr.)
WR: Chase Meyer (6-1, 195, Sr.)
WR: Calvin Millich (Sr.)
TE: Hunter Smith (Sr.)
LT: Keaton Bills (Sr.)
LG: Cade Knaphus (Jr.)
C: Matt Peterson (Sr.)
RG: Donovan Merrin (Sr.)
RT: Brandon Bills
DEFENSE
DL: Keaton Bills (Sr.)
DL: Cade Knaphus (Jr.)
DL: Caden Rutherford (Sr.)
DL: Kaden Wright (6-1, Jr.)
LB: Perry Sandlin (6-2, 200, Sr.)
LB: Cameron Forte (6-1, 220, Sr.)
LB: Dallin Lee (6-2, 205, Sr.)
DB: Nate Cutler (5-10, Sr.)
DB: Chase Meyer (6-1, 195, Sr.)
SS: Jason Adams
FS: Braxton Coon (Sr.)
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Conner Ebeling (5-11, So.)
P: Cameron Forte (6-1, 220, Sr.)
KR: Nate Cutler (5-10, Sr.)
PR: Nate Cutler (5-10, Sr.)
2015 SCHEDULE
Date, Opponent, Time (2014 result)
Aug. 21, at Pleasant Grove, 7 p.m.
Aug. 28, at Maple Mountain, 7 p.m.
Sept. 4, Weber, 7 p.m.
Sept. 11, at Orem, 7 p.m. (Won, 44-41)
Sept. 18, at American Fork, 7 p.m.
Sept. 25, Timpanogos, 7 p.m. (Won, 48-14)
Oct. 1, at Mountain View, 7 p.m. (Won, 41-9)
Oct. 9, Timpview, 7 p.m.
Oct. 14, Provo, 7 p.m.
Oct. 23, at Alta, 7 p.m.