Camas football players break new ground in Oregon

Ground breaking performances by Nate Beasley, Zach Eagle and Reilly Hennessey propelled the Papermakers to a 63-20 victory Friday night, at Oregon City High School.

In their first starts on varsity, Beasley racked up five touchdowns and Hennessey threw for three. Two of those touchdown catches were made by Zach Eagle.

“This is the moment you have been dreaming about your whole life, to step out on that field and play football for your community,” Hennessey said. “I feel like I’m still playing fifth-grade [Clark County Youth Football] with guys like Zach and Nate. It’s good to have that kind of camaraderie.”

Head coach Jon Eagle appreciates this statement by Hennessey because he was the coach of that 2007 Camas Texans team that won the CCYF championship.

“It’s fun to watch these kids grow up and play together like that,” he said. “Zach had a lot of catches and Nate made some great runs. For Reilly’s first time out, he was spectacular. But he will be the first one to tell you that he has some things to work on.”

In preparation for their arrival into the 4A state classification this season, the Papermakers ventured across the Columbia River to face an Oregon City team that reached the state quarterfinals in 2011. Coach Eagle and company had no idea what to expect, but they prepared and they jumped on the opposition for a 21-0 advantage in the first quarter.

“Our offense got off to a really good start. Our front line did an excellent job of protecting the ball,” Eagle said. “Our defense played pretty physical. Our guys have to do a better job on pass defense and they have to build endurance. That will come with time.”

Greg and Quinton Beasley would have been proud of their little brother. Nate Beasley snagged four catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns. The junior added 18 carries for 92 yards and three more touchdowns.

Hennessey also had a night to remember. The junior completed 22 passes for 415 yards and three touchdowns. Eagle grabbed 11 catches for 176 yards and two touchdowns, Dylan White had two catches for 64 yards and John Norcross made two catches for 42 yards. Vicente Huber ran for two touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters.

Camas hosts Canby, Ore., Friday at Doc Harris Stadium. The game begins at 7 p.m. Canby beat Oregon City 35-21 on Oct. 13, 2011.