Step one is complete for the Camas High School cross country teams. The Papermaker boys and girls both captured the 4A district championship Thursday, at Lewisville Park in Battle Ground. Next up is the West Central District Championships Oct. 27, on the American Lake golf course in Tacoma.
The Union Titanic could not withstand the Camas typhoon. The Papermakers earned a 22-0 victory against their cross town rivals Friday night, at McKenzie Stadium in Vancouver. Camas became the first football team to shut out Union since the school opened in 2007. "All 11 guys played to the ball on every play. I couldn't ask for more from my teammates," said senior linebacker Colton Dowd. "This win was for all those past alums who lost to Union. It was unlike any other game." For starters, the Papermakers and Titans had to adjust to the first rainfall of the season. Bad snaps and fumbles humbled both teams in the first quarter, but Camas broke through the dam when Zach Eagle snagged a pass from Reilly Hennessey out in the open and plunged into the end zone. "It was a pretty wet night. I think they expected us to run, but we caught them off guard," Eagle said. "Reilly got it to me and the O-line held their blocks. I had some open space and wanted to see what I could do with it."
Brian Humphreys showed flashes of brilliance in his first high school district golf tournament on Oct. 8 and 9, but the Camas freshman became a spectator watching Union senior Ian Spicer conquer the Tri-Mountain golf course in Ridgefield. Spicer nailed seven birdies and an eagle in the final round, and finished with a 5-under par score of 67 strokes. He almost double-eagled the 18th hole from around 250 yards away. The ball stopped rolling about 4 feet from the hole. Spicer tapped it in for an eagle and won the district championship. Humphreys finished in second place, five strokes ahead of his adversary. "You can't get mad at yourself when you play well and the other guy has the round of his life," Humphreys said. "It was inspiring to watch. I want to be the district champion next year. That means I have to play whoever I'm up against, and match him shot-for-shot."
Washougal junior Thomas Normandeau beat Camas sophomore Taryk Boyd for first place out of a field of more than 500 junior varsity runners from 30 different teams at the Adidas Classic Saturday, at Fern Hill Park in Portland. "I knew this was going to be a tough race because it had so many people from some pretty big schools," Normandeau said. "Once I got ahead of the pack, I could see that the other guy was like 50 yards ahead of me, so I just decided to hold on to second. "But slowly, I started to catch up to him. I just kept my pace going, and I kept getting closer and closer," Normandeau added. "Once I passed him with about 300 meters to go, I really thought I could beat him. As I tired as I was, I just kept running as fast as I could."
Nothing was settled after 90 minutes of soccer between the two first place teams in the 4A Greater St. Helens League Oct. 9, at Doc Harris Stadium. The Camas and Union girls game ended in a 0-0 tie. The Papermakers were the aggressor. Savanna Joyce, Courtney Loewen, Emily Ponce, Mika Norrish, Anyssa DeVera, Jamie Carter and Hailey Rose attacked the net, but had no luck. Carly Marshall, Amanda Kern, Rachel Gibson, DeVera and Rose held up on the back line, and goalkeeper Lauren Rood made five saves. "We were the dominant team," said Camas head coach Roland Minder. "We did everything we needed to do except put a ball in the back of the net."
The Papermakers pounded the Union Titans into submission Friday night, at McKenzie Stadium. Camas became the first football team to shut out Union since the school opened in 2007.
As if seeing a bear wasn't an eye-opener, the Camas High School cross country runners gained valuable experience from the Stanford and Richland invitational meets. "I never thought I would be going all the way down to Stanford just to run in an invite. It's kind of like being in a dream. I'm wondering when I’m going to wake up," said senior Andrew Duffy. "Then there's this other side of me that realizes we are this good. It comes from having great coaches and teammates you can trust. They bring out the best in you."
Seventy-seven points in a game might be a new school record for the Camas football team. The Papermakers crushed Evergreen 77-28 Friday, at Doc Harris Stadium. It is the most points Camas has scored in a game for more than half a century. "It makes me realize how lucky we are to have the support from the Camas community," said junior quarterback Reilly Hennessey. "You don't realize until you're out there how many people are living vicariously though you, cheering for you, screaming and yelling out your name."
The Camas High School girls swimming team creamed the competition at the Kelso Invitational Saturday. The Papermakers won the 15-team meet by 365 points. Anna Panebianco, Allison Bourquin, Julieann Reed and Sierra Colletto finished in first place for the Papermakers in the 200-meter medley relay with a time of 2 minutes, 3.7 seconds. Colletto, Reed, Panebianco and Brittany Worley grabbed first in the 200 freestyle relay (1:49.99). Panebianco captured first in the 200 individual medley (2:26.65) and the 500 freestyle (5:34.45). Reed earned first in the 100 backstroke (1:03.40) and second in the 50 free (25.84). "Winning the meet gave us a lot of confidence. The girls swam well and got more district cuts," said head coach Mike Bemis. "Our depth is coming up. We might be one of the biggest teams at districts. How well we do is going to depend on our depth." The Papermakers only have a few more meets before districts to make their marks. Camas faces Evergreen, Heritage, Mountain View and Union Thursday, at Cascade Fitness Center. Events start at 4 p.m. Camas and Union are both undefeated going into this meet. The winner will be the league champion.
The Camas High School football team crushed the Evergreen Plainsmen 77-28 Friday, at Doc Harris Stadium. The Papermakers manufactured 63-7 advantage at halftime.
