(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) Pleasant Grove players try to block a Corner Canyon field goal attempt as the sun set late in the first half, Friday, August 18, 2017.
Pleasant Grove • Eric Kjar’s teams always have been known for offense. Just check the Jordan High record books.
And Kjar had instant quarterback ammo in Boise State-recruit Zach Wilson when he took over as Corner Canyon coach this season. Sure enough, the offense was there for the Chargers in the season-opener Friday at Pleasant Grove.
But what the host Vikings, a preseason top-5 team in Class 6A, may not have expected was a stout Corner Canyon defense that helped the visitors earn a 31-10 victory.
“I don’t feel like this was a surprise. I mean, we’ve been working all summer and we’re confident in our abilities and what we can do,” said Chargers senior defensive end Mikey Petty, who helped keep the pressure on Pleasant Grove quarterback Jake Jensen from the outset.
(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) Pleasant Grove QB Jake Jensen is flushed out of the pocket as Corner Canyon DL Jackson Light late in the second half. Corner Canyon defeated Pleasant Grove 31-10 to start the season, Friday, August 18, 2017.
“Coming into this we were thinking we were going to win,” Petty said. “We watched a lot of film and we remembered them from last year, so we really put it together.”
Pleasant Grove won the season opener on Corner Canyon’s home turf last year. Corner Canyon returned the favor.
CORNER CANYON 31, PLEASANT GROVE 10 <br>• Zach Wilson runs for three touchdowns and throws for 271 yards in quarterbacking Corner Canyon to the win. <br>• The Chargers defense limits Pleasant Grove to nine first downs and puts the finishing touches on the game with a 55-yard interception return for a score by Brad Findlay. <br>• Corner Canyon gains revenge for a season-opening loss on the Chargers' home turf in 2016.
The Chargers moved the ball from the outset, but it was the feet of Wilson that put the finishing touches on three drives. Wilson threw for 271 yards but ran for 109 more.
His 1-yard run late in the first quarter capped a 68-yard drive for a 7-0 lead. After a Vikings’ field goal, Wilson and Co. put together a 77-yard second-quarter march that ended when the Corner Canyon quarterback broke free for a 21-yard scamper to the end zone.
(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) Corner Canyon QB Zach Wilson looks for a receiver during first half play. Corner Canyon led Pleasant Grove 14-3 at the half, Friday, August 18, 2017. led Pleasant Grove 14-3 at the half, Friday, August 18, 2017.
“I thought our tempo was good. That was the one thing I really, really liked,” Kjar said. “Execution-wise, it could have been better.”
Another 1-yard run by Wilson made the score 21-3 late in the third, but Pleasant Grove got an 8-yard pass from Jenson to Dane Christiansen early in the fourth to stay within shouting range.
The decisive blow came after Conner Ebeling put the Chargers up 24-10 with a 27-yard field goal. Defensive back Brad Findlay picked off a Jensen pass and raced 55 yards for a touchdown with 4:41 remaining.
Kjar noted that the expected stalwart defensive end tandem of Tyler Trotter and Tane Fanaika wasn’t there for Pleasant Grove as Fanaika was not in the lineup.
But his own defense wasn’t lacking anything on this night.
“I thought our defense played really well, which is exciting, because they’ve been killing us [the offense] in practice, too,” Kjar said. “We were kind of hoping they’d be a really good group.”