Camas soccer gets a kick of electricity

Adam Allison brought thunder and Parker Roland came back with lightning.

The two Camas High School boys soccer players struck with goals in the 11th minute, and the pouring rain, to propel the Papermakers to a 7-0 victory over Columbia River March 29, at Doc Harris Stadium.

Drew White delivered two goals and two assists in his first game back at left wing.

“I love playing soccer in general,” White said. “Any position I play on the field, I’m going to have fun with it.”

Allison’s hydroplane-like goal from about 15 yards away opened the flood gates. As the ball skipped in his direction on the rain-soaked surface unattended, Allison had plenty of time to shoot and he didn’t miss.

“I wasn’t expecting that ball to skip through, but it did,” he said. “I was at the right place at the right time, and just kicked it as hard as I could. Getting that first goal was a huge relief.”

Allison barely had time to catch his breath before Roland put another ball in the back of the net. Roland said Allison and Michael Koceja one-touched the ball, before he settled it down and kicked it in from about 18 yards out.

“It’s always nice to have a solid volley like that,” Roland said. “Your confidence builds, and you want to keep attacking.”

“One after the other, goals kept falling in to place for us,” Allison said. “It was a strong showing on everybody’s part.”

White blasted in the next goal on an assist from Nathan Beasley to give the Papermakers a 3-0 lead at halftime. Midway through the second half, Roland added his second goal on an assist from White.

“As much as anyone loves the spotlight, you love seeing your teammates succeed too,” said White, who has played alongside friends Zach Anderson, Drew Gourlie, Chris Miller and Roland since he was 11.

“The chemistry we have is unbelievable,” White said. “It’s our senior year, and we’re all back together. It’s been an amazing ride. I’m really going to miss playing with these guys.”

Miller finished off the fifth goal on a pass from Allison, and Beasley delivered the sixth goal on a cross from White.

What White did with the ball on the final goal is why head coach Roland Minder is thrilled to have him back on offense. He dribbled the ball around a couple of defenders and put it in the back of the net, untouched.

“He had fun,” Minder said. “We were finally able to put the midfield together that we wanted all year long, and it only took six games.”

Minder said Wyatt Brown, Michael Dyra, Gourlie, Koceja and Matt Palodichuk are solidifying the back line. Union pressed those new defenders Friday, but Camas walked away unscathed.

Roland scored an unassisted goal in the second half to help the Papermakers beat the Titans 1-0, in a non-league game at Doc Harris Stadium. Anderson collected six saves in the shutout.

“A lot of it was pride,” White said. “It’s still Camas versus Union. We wanted to come out with a win, and continue to get better.”