Celebrate Camas sports history makers

The first Camas High School football team to win a league title in 36 years and its head coach will be inducted into the CHS Athletic Hall of Fame Saturday, Oct. 1.

Bob Holman coached the Papermakers for 11 seasons. He took over the struggling program in 1997 and turned it into a powerhouse. By the time he left in 2007, Camas had one of the best football programs in the state. More than 100 students tried out for the team every year. In 2005, the Papermakers won a league championship for the first time since 1969. They have won eight more league titles, but it all started with the 2005 team.

Holman and the 2005 team will be inducted together during the event, in the Camas High School gym. The Hall of Fame dinner and banquet begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are available for $30 at www.camasboosters.com.

“I say this every year. This is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” said Hall of Fame Committee Chairwoman Marcia Johnson.

Another key 2016 inductee is Chairta Parsons-Hadden. A standout defender in soccer for three seasons, Parsons was captain of the team when the Papermakers won the state championship in 2005. She was voted All-State MVP that season.

Duane Engler is the oldest member of the 2016 class. He graduated in 1970 after competing in four sports. He was quarterback for the 1969 Camas football team that went 7-1-1 and won the league title. He scored 251 points during his senior season on the basketball team. Engler also pitched for the Papermakers, and threw the shot put and javelin.

Dan Liehr had a memorable basketball career for Camas between 1981 and 83. He led the team in scoring in 1983, and averaged a double-double a game in ’82 and ’83.

Wade Whiting was a another four-sport athlete for the Papermakers between 1998 and 2001. He earned four varsity letters in basketball and tennis, two in football and one in cross country for a grand total of 11. He was a three-time all-league member, a Conference Player of the Year and a Washington State All-Star in basketball. In 2001, Whiting was named the school’s Male Athlete of the Year.

Scholar Athlete Greg Partain devoted his attention to tennis, academics and music. He finished in fourth place at the state single’s tournament during his senior year in 1978. He was a member of the National Honor Society, studied abroad in Germany, participated in Joyce Garver’s choir program, served three years as class president and graduated as a salutatorian.

Hall of Honor inductees are Don Chaney and Peter Loop. As members of the “Chain Gang,” Chaney and Loop have been working on the sidelines during football games at Doc Harris Stadium, through good weather and bad, for the past four decades.

Johnson asks all inductees to accept or decline invitations by Sept. 15. Contact her at 833-5760 or marcia.johnson@camas.wednet.edu. She is also seeking assistance in getting in contact with football players from the 2005 team.

Members are Antonio Sherman, Humberto Ayala, Scott Hagensen, Devin Grindy, Steven White, Alex Lovell, Keegan Reid, Blare Wood, Jared Loveland, Nick Cooper, Donovan Lacour, Tommy Miller, Casey McEnry, Anslem Fernando, Spencer Head, Eric Hagen, Kyle Purviance, Marcus Springs, Justin Bacon, Scott Downs, Tom Burkhard, Greg Beasley, Brad Downs, Adam Peluso, Daniel Crawford, Dane Hagensen, David Burkhart, Joshua Hugic, Robert Cramer, Chris Bednarek, Tim Carlson, Ryan Heredia, Bryce Bach, Tommy Rehm, Devin McEnry, Josh Flores, Blake Federinko, Tom Ramirez, Bryan Gifford, Jordan Hensley, Fabian Gallegos, Austin Houvener, Andrew Poleon, Tyler Lehman, Jonathan Krajcar, Justin Hill, Jeremy McGranaghan, Adam Andreassen, Levi Wambold, Yuriy Gensitskiy, Matt Hagensen, Tony Stach, Zach Hagstrom, Joe Hagan, Tyler Berry, Eric Grotter, Austin Colvill, Neil Lorch, Sam McQueen, Jeff Rice, Colton Edge, Joe Lorenz, Michael Clark, Tyler Atkinson, Ian Wiek, Mark Scurrah, Logan Brown, Ryan Ficke, Kyle Martin and Tom Kim.