Draper • Timpview had the pedigree, but Corner Canyon had the No. 1 ranking when the second-ranked Thunderbirds came calling Thursday night.
While the cold, rainy conditions left many scampering for their vehicles early, everything was just fine for the host Chargers.
Corner Canyon gradually pulled away and eventually achieved the 35-point mercy rule, which came with a running clock in the fourth quarter, to make an early region statement against the perennial state contenders in a surprising 44-7 blowout.
“This victory means everything to us. It’s homecoming and the toughest game we’ve had so far,” said Chargers wideout Colton Lawson, who had 100 yards receiving. “We knew they were going to bring their all because they wanted revenge for last year because we beat ’em last year.”
Corner Canyon (5-0, 1-0 in Region 7) got on the scoreboard on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Zach Wilson to Lawson with 1 minute, 32 seconds left in the first quarter to cap a 7-play, 56-yard drive.
The second touchdown came before the ink was dry on the last one. Senior defensive back Dalton Hagen stepped in front of a Timpview (3-2, 0-1) pass and ran his interception back 31 yards with 1:05 left in the first period.
“That was big for us. Our defense has done it all year,” Corner Canyon coach Eric Kjar said. “They’ve scored in every game for us so far. Three pick-6s and a safety so far.”
CORNER CANYON 44, TIMPVIEW 7 <br>• Corner Canyon quarterback Zach Wilson throws for 177 yards and rushes for 142 yards in the victory. <br>• Colton Lawson catches six passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns. <br>• Jake Biggs passes for 138 yards for Timpview, but 59 of those came on one play — a TD pass to Hunter Erickson late in the third.
It was mostly the Zach Wilson Show after that.
The Boise State recruit finished with 177 yards passing and rushed for 142 yards on his 27 carries.
Even with the bad weather, Wilson made the Thunderbirds defense pay through the air.
He evaded a Timpview rush, rolled left then flicked an easy 37-yard TD pass to Lawson racing down the left sideline early in the third quarter.
“He’s pretty special,” Kjar said about Wilson. “Just athletic running the ball and throwing the ball. Obviously his run game really made a difference.”
Timpview committed a fumble deep in its own territory on the first play of the next drive. Chargers running back Tai Gonzales, who finished with 73 yards rushing and two touchdowns, scored from the 1 for a 31-0 lead.
It went from bad to worse for the visitors when senior linebacker Chandler Sorenson was injured while tackling Wilson and taken from the field on a stretcher as a precaution.
“They had a couple of kids out [coming into the game], but I thought our kids played well,” Kjar said. “Our defense set the tone, and I was happy with the way our offense competed.”