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Stories by Dan Trujillo

email icon dan.trujillo@camaspostrecord.com

July 19, 2011
Engines will be roaring and dirt will be flying at Washougal Motocross Park this week, during the 2011 Washougal AMA Motocross National. Amatuers get the first crack Thursday and Friday, before the pros compete Saturday.

Let the engines roar and the dirt fly in Washougal

Ralph and Carolyn Huffman have the biggest backyard in Washougal, and they don't mind sharing it with tens of thousands of racing fans around the world. Since the 1970s, the Washougal Motocross Park has attracted thrill seekers on wheels with its hairpin turns, hang time jumps and breathtaking scenery. Forty years later, the community support and the international flavor for this iconic landmark near the Washougal River continues to grow. "A lot of riders say there's not a more beautiful track on the circuit," said track manager Ryan Huffman, son of Ralph and Carolyn. "We are grateful for our loyal following of fans, riders and their families who travel from all parts of the globe to spend the whole week out here with us.

July 12, 2011
Brent Richards returned home Friday, and scored a goal for the Portland Timbers U-23 men's soccer team. The Abbotsford Mariners, of British Columbia, Canada, defeated the Timbers 2-1, at Doc Harris Stadium in Camas.

The greatness of homegrown soccer

Clash at the Border weekend in Camas featured a return to greatness for Camas High School graduates Brent Richards and Nick Palodichuk. A total of 2,453 soccer fans packed Doc Harris Stadium Friday night, to see Richards, Palodichuk and the U-23 Portland Timbers take on the Abbotsford Mariners of British Columbia, Canada. Richards netted a penalty kick goal for the Timbers in the 37th minute, before Abbotsford bounced back to win the game by the score of 2-1. Palodichuk was the first one to congratulate Richards after his goal.

July 12, 2011
Camas High School graduate Miguel Salamanca (1) gallops for 74 yards Saturday, during the Shriners Freedom Bowl Classic at Kiggins Bowl.

Heroic efforts for Shriners Hospital

State wrestling champion Miguel Salamanca may have been a step slower in his return to the gridiron Saturday, but it sure felt good to get out in the open again with a football in his hands. "I had a little rust to knock off," he said. "It felt really good to put the pads back on, and to hit some people. It was fun getting everyone back together for one more game of football."

July 5, 2011
Washougal High School head football coach Bob Jacobs will lead the East All-Stars into battle against the West at the 2011 Shriner's Freedom Bowl Classic Saturday, at Kiggins Bowl in downtown Vancouver. Kick off is at 7:30 p.m.

Freedom fighters

One more week of high school football starts today for the 83 graduates selected to play in Saturday's Freedom Bowl Classic, at Kiggins Bowl. Eight of these athletes are from Camas, and two more are from Washougal. These proud Panthers and Papermakers will put their differences aside and work together to raise money and awareness for the children of Shriner's Hospital. "One of the things you learn is life's a lot bigger than football. Not everybody is dealt the same cards," said East All-Stars head coach Bob Jacobs of Washougal. "There are a bunch of kids in that hospital who would love the opportunity to be able to play football. In some ways, we are playing for them."

July 5, 2011
Taylor Williams, a 2010 Camas High School graduate, tossed a scoreless inning for the New England Collegiate Baseball League All-Stars against Team USA June 27, at Fenway Park in Boston. Williams, who pitches for Washington State University, is with the Keene Swamp Bats, in New Hampshire, this summer.

Williams pitches a perfect inning at Fenway Park

In his final start on the mound for the Papermakers, Taylor Williams pitched seven innings at Safeco Field. The 2010 Camas High School graduate remembers that moment like it was yesterday, but said it doesn't even compare to the one he had eight days ago. On that day, the 19-year-old was popping the glove at Fenway Park. "Having the opportunity to pitch at Fenway, which is known as the 'Cathedral of Stadiums,' is something you dream about," Williams said. "You can't help but think about the history that surrounds that ballpark, and all of the greats who have played there. To be on the same field and in the same spot as those guys is something nobody can take away from you."

July 5, 2011

Camas football athletes and coaches unite at Oregon State University

After three days of thinking and doing nothing but football, the Camas High School athletes and coaches are feeling more like a family. A total of 72 Papermakers tasted life on a college campus by attending the Oregon State University football camp, June 24 to 27, in Corvallis. The boys stayed overnight in a dorm room and threw the ball around Reser Stadium, one of the premier college football fields in the Pacific Northwest. Wide receiver Jonathan Warner, a senior for the Papermakers next fall, was invited for a personal workout in front of Beavers head coach Mike Riley.

June 28, 2011

State champions come to Camas for wrestling camp

Clark County high school wrestling greats Ben Vom Baur, Cory Vom Baur and Kyle Bounds are coming to Camas to help kids. All three are going to be a part of the second Clark County Coach-A-Roo Wrestling Camp July 25 to 29, at Skyridge Middle School, 5220 N.W. Parker St. "The purpose of the camp is to provide the older wrestlers with new techniques, and giving them the valuable opportunity to reinforce crucial fundamentals by teaching them to the younger wrestlers," said director Brody Faler. "This camp builds lasting relationships and promotes the betterment of Clark County wrestling as a whole."

June 21, 2011
After seven months of rowing, Kayla Yraceburu advanced to the U.S. Rowing Junior Nationals June 10 to 12, on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The Camas High School graduate took third in the women's youth single "B" final.

Riding a wave of discovery

Kayla Yraceburu missed her Camas High School graduation ceremony for a good reason. On the day her friends and classmates received their diplomas, she was skimming the surface of the water with the best in the nation at the U.S. Rowing Junior Nationals June 10 to 12, on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The former Papermaker finished third in the "B" consolation final of the women's youth single, with a time of 8 minutes, 52.48 seconds. This made her the ninth fastest individual rower in the nation in her event.

June 21, 2011
Heather Deuhlen proudly holds her Vancouver United Soccer Alliance Player of the Year award.

Deuhlen loves soccer with all her heart

Wherever the soccer ball is bouncing, that's where Heather Deuhlen is going. Coaches from the Vancouver United Soccer Alliance watched the 14-year-old Heartbreaker from Washougal wreaking havoc on their game plans. They also noticed that she is one of the first players to congratulate them after a hard fought match. Teamwork, sportsmanship and a love for the game are traits coaches never forget. When it came time for them to vote for the VUSA Select Soccer Player of the Year, they chose Deuhlen.

June 21, 2011
Vancouver's Michael Walsh (left) and Washougal's Patrick Johnson (right) stand in front of the Buckingham Water Fountain, at Grant Park in Chicago. More photos and an online journal are available at www.sportroadtrip.com.

A journey only sports nuts would dare

They have traveled 3,335 miles through 13 states in 13 days. The itinerary reads like a sports fan's dream come true. On Monday, Casey Johnson of Washougal and Michael Walsh of Vancouver were in Pittsburgh taking a tour of PNC Park before watching the Pirates play baseball. "PNC Park is pretty much where this whole thing started. We really wanted to get to this ballpark," Walsh said. "When we got our first look at the Major League Baseball schedule, it was very favorable for us. We are able to get to 12 games in 12 different ballparks in three weeks."