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Holladay • Corner Canyon will face more arduous competition within Region 7 and its classification than it did in Wednesday's 75-48 win against Tooele in the Utah Autism Holiday Classic at Olympus High, but what it displayed gave every indication this program is suited for the future.
The Chargers are equipped with athleticism and the depth to potentially make an impact in the postseason in what is a historically down season across the state. The precise style on offense paired an aggressive defense that doesn't falter in intensity or efficiency when transitioning is a combination few programs are capable of facing.
Tooele certainly can attest to that.
"They'd played hard; I was happy with them," said Chargers coach Tony Cannon. "Sometimes when you play tournament games in the preseason and you're playing earlier in the day, not at 7 or 8 o'clock at night, it's harder to get ready to play, but I was proud of the players for the way they came out and played hard from the get-go."
Corner Canyon switched to full-court pressure defensively in the first quarter, and promptly forced eight consecutive turnovers from the Buffaloes, who were flustered with the Chargers' length. From there, Corner Canyon embarked on a 14-0 run before Dawson Banks swished an uncontested 3-pointer as time expired in the period for Tooele, with the Chargers leading 22-11.
"Sometimes if we want to create tempo, we might press," Cannon said. "We noticed [Tooele] against Olympus, for instance [on Tuesday], they struggled with the press, so we thought we'd try it as well."
Corner Canyon briefly went away from its full-court defense in the second quarter, allowing Tooele to find its footing momentarily, but once the Chargers applied pressure again, the Buffaloes dispensed turnovers like candy. Corner Canyon led 47-30 at halftime.
Brayden Johnson scored a team-high 13 points, while 10 other teammates contributed to the final outcome, including Trevor Miller (11 points), Zach Wilson (10 points), Tommy Groskreutz (8 points) and Hayden Borg (8 points). The Chargers improved to 7-2 on the season, including a win over previously top-ranked Murray, further showcasing the potential of this group.
Ace Hymas, who poured in a game-high 25 points, was the lone bright spot for the Buffaloes (4-5). No other player reached double figures.
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
Corner Canyon 75,
Tooele 48
• Corner Canyon forces eight consecutive Tooele turnovers in the first quarter.
• Brayden Johnson, Trevor Miller & Zach Wilson reach the double-figure scoring plateau for the Chargers.
• Ace Hymas pours in a game-high 25 points for the Buffaloes.