Papermakers get knocked down a peg

One minute, Camas got even. The next minute, it was all over for the Papermakers.

Skyview escaped Doc Harris Stadium with a 2-1 victory April 19. Michael Kimbrell knocked in the winning goal off a cross from Wyatt Stallman before time expired.

Camas head coach Roland Minder couldn’t blame the Papermakers for being aggressive after tying the score, but they left the field wide open for a counterattack.

“We pushed forward too hard and nobody stayed back to cover,” Minder said. “I blame myself partially for that because I saw them pushing numbers up. I thought, ‘That ball is going to turn.’ I was ready to yell, ‘Drop! Drop! Drop!’ And then, it happened.”

Skyview grabbed a 1-0 lead five minutes into the second half. Camas had no answer until Dominic Fewel headed in an equalizer on a free kick by Max Bilsborough with two minutes left in the game.

“Max gave me a cue, played it perfectly and we got it in,” Fewel said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to close out the game.”

From there, it was the classic soccer scenario. Should they play back for the tie or go for the glory? On this night, the Papermakers fell victim to the slippery slope.

“You take a point away from them and we have a point,” Minder said. “Now, they have three points and we have none. If you do the math, that’s not what you want.”

The loss dropped the Papermakers into second place at the halfway mark through league. Battle Ground (8-2-3, 4-0-2) leads Camas (9-1-2, 3-1-1) by three points in the standings. Skyview (7-4-2, 3-2) is one point behind the Papermakers.

Camas gave up the tying goal to Battle Ground in the second half, April 17. The Papermakers had to rally to defeat Heritage 5-3, April 11. Camas held off Union, 1-0, April 14.

“There’s a lot of parity in the league,” Minder said. “Anybody can beat anybody on any given day.

“What we need to realize is that we have a reputation. No matter how badly they play or how lackadaisical they look against other teams, they’re going to bring it against us,” the coach added. “They’re going to bring their best game against Camas, and we don’t seem to realize that. We don’t seem to step up to that challenge.”

Camas hosts Union Friday and Battle Ground Monday. Both games begin at 7 p.m., at Doc Harris Stadium. The rematch with Skyview takes place Wednesday, May 3, at Kiggins Bowl.

After their midseason struggles, Minder told the Papermakers it’s time for them to show what type of team they can become. Are they going to roll over or rise to the occasion?

“All the teams, they want it bad,” Minder said. “They’re motivated. They’re coming. If we don’t wake up, it’s not going to be good.”