A full moon rises, and the Panthers thump Hudson’s Bay 50-0

The City of Washougal, in conjunction with Washougal High School, is planning an old-fashioned bonfire rally Wednesday, at 8:30 p.m., to celebrate the start of the 2012 fall sports seasons for football, golf, soccer, tennis and volleyball.

Students, staff members, athletes and coaches will gather for the rally at the former Hambleton Brothers Lumber Mill property, at Second and “A” streets, near Westlie Ford. The public is invited to attend. Parking is available at the Hambleton property, as well as in the Port of Camas-Washougal parking lot to the west.

The Camas-Washougal Fire Department will prepare the area for the bonfire with safety precautions in place for the people attending. The fire department will have engines and personnel, including volunteers, on site during the bonfire.

For more information, call the school at 954-3100.

After his four touchdown performance against Hudson’s Bay Friday at Kiggins Bowl, Stephen Camden cracks a smile when he thinks about what this football season could be like for Washougal.

“It’s only the first game, but it gets me excited about how this season could turn out if we continue to work hard,” he said. “Everyone is putting everything out there, not only for us, but for Washougal. I’m glad I could play a part in that tonight.”

The Panthers punished Hudson’s Bay 50-0 and kick-started the running clock in the fourth quarter. Washougal fumbled the football on its first offensive play of the game, but got the ball back when Matt Randall intercepted a potential touchdown pass for the Eagles in the end zone.

The Panthers marched down the field with purpose, and Camden capped off the long drive with a 7-yard tuck and roll into the end zone. The senior plowed into two defenders and stretched his arm across the goal line to score a touchdown.

“It’s my last season. I’m not going to go soft out there,” Camden said. “I’m going to do everything I can for myself and my teammates. I love these guys, and I’m proud to do my part for Washougal.”

Camden added two more touchdown runs in the second quarter, following back-to-back fumble recoveries by the Panthers on defense. He made one more trip into the end zone in the third quarter, and finished the game with 11 carries for 116 yards rushing and four touchdowns.

Bobby Jacobs delivered 158 rushing yards on 12 carries, a touchdown and two 2-point conversions. Austin Tofell added six rushes for 68 yards. Senior quarterback Guy LaRue completed some big passes during his first varsity game, including an 11-yard slingshot to Nate Adams in the end zone.

“I never imagined that my first throw would be a strike into the end zone for a touchdown,” LaRue said. “That doesn’t happen every day.”

Junior quarterback Chase Duey got in a few snaps for the Panthers during the third quarter. He also took off for an 18-yard touchdown run. The running clock was in affect after Jacobs scored on a 16-yard run with 8 minutes, 8 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

“We proved we can still be dangerous. What we have to work on is being consistent and being durable,” said head coach Bob Jacobs. “We want to send a message. It’s not just about having one good year. We want to be consistently good, year in and year out.”

The Washougal football players and coaches have not forgotten about last year. The Panthers seemed to be on the fast track to the playoffs for the first time since 2007, before three heartbreaking league losses brought their season to a halt.

Now is not the time to be thinking about any home opener or seeking redemption against Woodland, Mark Morris or Hockinson. All Camden and his teammates are thinking about is traveling to Tenino on Friday to play their next game. The opening kickoff is at 7 p.m.

“I’m excited for our next game. We can only get better from here,” Camden said. “Every opponent is different. You have to be able to come at it in different ways, and continue to put points on the board and come out victorious.”