by James Tate
Championship game
(1) Corner Canyon Chargers 66
(3) American Fork Cavemen 51
First half
The Corner Canyon Chargers bounced back from losing to the American Fork Cavemen in the 2022 state finals with a decisive victory in 2023, 66-51.
Both teams started slow, with missed shots and turnovers. The Chargers took an early 5-4 lead with 3:16 left to play in the first quarter. The Chargers jumped out to a 10-7 lead after Brody Kozlowski drained a three-point shot with 1:10 left on the clock, and the first quarter ended with Max Toombs making a steal and easy layup to give the Chargers a 12-7 lead.
Chargers guard Jaxson Roberts took over in the second quarter by scoring ten points on drives to the basket. Kozlowski ended the half by making two three-point shots in the second quarter. Toombs finished the half with nine points on 4-10 shooting. JR Turley and Holden Hucks led the Cavemen with five points each. The score at halftime saw the Chargers ahead 31-17.
Second half
The Cavemen started the third quarter outscoring the Chargers 9-6 halfway through the quarter. The Charger’s largest lead was 19 points, 37-18, at the 6:17 mark. Jaxson Roberts added two dunks in the quarter, and one resulted in a technical foul for taunting. Kozlowski dominated the inside with his defense and rebounding and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. The Chargers led 45-30 at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was more of Roberts, Kozlowski, and Toombs scoring as they held on to the double-digit lead. Turley would the Cavemen keep in the game with three made three-point baskets, but the Chargers would hold on to the lead. Turley led the Cavemen in scoring with 14 points. The Chargers won 66-51 and are the 2023 state champions.
photo courtesy of James Tate