March 20, 2012
Sports briefs for March 20, 2012
Camas track and field teams sweep Kelso The Papermaker girls scored just enough points on the track and in the field to defeat the Hilanders 76-74 Thursday, at Kelso High School.
Camas track and field teams sweep Kelso The Papermaker girls scored just enough points on the track and in the field to defeat the Hilanders 76-74 Thursday, at Kelso High School.
Rain and snow mixed with frigid temperatures forced people indoors last weekend, but the Washougal High School girls tennis players finally got the opportunity to do what they love. The Panthers gained valuable court time during the eighth R.A. Long Tennis Invitational Friday and Saturday, at the Mint Valley Racquet at Fitness Club in Longview. "It was great for the girls to be on the courts and out of the wrestling room," said head coach Linda Balholm. "They were getting better with every match. It was a great experience for all of them." Sophomore Christina Zack took second place in the single's bracket for Washougal. After she beat Hockinson's Emily Bozart 6-3, 7-5, Zack lost to Dominika Fackovcova of Centralia in the championship match.
The Papershakers got their swagger back in 2012. On March 24, the 17 Camas High School dancers will showcase their hip-hop and jazz routines at the state dance and drill competition inside the Yakima Sun Dome. Several Papershakers will also perform in the drill down event. "We are excited to go up there and bring home some trophies for our school," said senior captain Brianna Ranck. "We've had three sets of coaches in the last three years. It's been hard, but somehow we made it through all that and became a stronger team." Ranck and fellow captains Charis Holscher and Honor Stevenson said they have learned so much from new coaches Sarah Dayley and Ranae Scott. Dayley runs the Dayley Dance Academy studios at Washougal Town Square and Downtown Vancouver.
Skyview brought rain to Doc Harris Stadium, but Camas countered with thunder, lightning and an umbrella of defense. "The only storm going on was the weather," said senior center back Wyatt Brown. "We shut them down on the field. Every portion of the game, we were in control." The Storm snuck in a goal in the final 2 minutes, 19 seconds of the game, but the Papermakers held on for a 2-1 victory. Nate Beasley thundered the ball into the net for the first goal, and Niko DeVera kicked in the second goal as fast as lightning.
Seeing the Camas High School cross country runners back on the track brought a twinkle to Mike Hickey's eye. It has been four months since the Camas girls team captured the Class 3A state championship trophy and the boys placed sixth in Pasco, but the coach still feels like it was yesterday. "When we won state by two points, it was so humbling" Hickey said. "The coolest part was seeing the looks on the kid's faces. Until we all saw we could do it on that one day, I don't think any of us thought we could do it until we did."
Mesmerized by the bright lights of Las Vegas, Nick McAfee captured two trophies at the 2012 Blackjack National Men's Gymnastics Championship on Feb. 3. The 16-year-old from Camas finished in first place on the floor exercise (13.95 points) and second on the parallel bars (13.6). He racked up 77.55 points in six events for third place in the all-around competition. "This was my second year going to Vegas," McAfee said. "It's wild. Everything you see there is just massive and larger than life." The deck was stacked against McAfee going into this meet. Since last summer, he has suffered through every kind of pain imaginable from a broken foot to a broken wrist, a pulled Achilles tendon and a pulled muscle in his back. This season, he has dealt with a sprained ankle and tendinitis in his shoulder.
On the way to the Tacoma Dome from Washougal, Stephen Camden's plans for the Mat Classic state wrestling tournament changed dramatically. On Feb. 16, the Washougal High School junior made the trip with alternates Matt Wilson and Tyler Purkeypyle. Stephen was going to spend the weekend cheering for his sister Haven and her teammate Erin Locke. "When I went up there, I didn't really have it in my head that I was going to wrestle," he said. "I knew it was like a million to one shot because someone from my league had to get hurt."
It has been 22 years since Curt Warner carried a football, but it was quite a ride.
Effort is not always rewarded. The Camas High School girls basketball players gave everything they had in their mind, body and spirit Saturday for an opportunity to play in the Tacoma Dome, but the Papermakers just couldn't shake the No. 4 ranked Franklin Quakers of Seattle, losing 53-43 at Bellevue Community College. "It's real simple," said head coach Chuck Knight after the teary defeat. "I couldn't be more proud of these girls. I'm just disappointed for them because I wanted everything for them." Still, Knight said he can look back at this season with a smile.
North Thurston had Washougal's number this time around, but the Panthers became the talk of the district tournament. Ben Broker scored 30 points to carry the Rams to a 62-56 victory over Washougal Feb. 21, at W.F. West High School in Chehalis. Washougal (14-10) finished the season just one win shy of the Sweet 16. The Panthers still brought home a fourth-place trophy from districts. "To win a trophy is a huge accomplishment for these young men. I have nothing but good things to say about them," said head coach Malcolm Estes. "We played extremely hard for four games, and we almost got those guys. We almost got there."
