April 2, 2011
The crack heard round the county had an echo. It was the home runs Camas High School juniors Nate Culver and Austin Barr hit to lead the Papermakers to a 6-4 victory over Hudson's Bay Friday, at Propstra Park in Vancouver. "Never say die. Play hard until the final out. Play as one, play for each other. Those were the adages we believed in Friday night," said Camas head coach Joe Hallead.
The Camas High School softball team has not been able to practice since March 17. For the first time following a year of rain outs and excessive road trips through the state tournament, it's had nothing to do with the weather. Since March 21, the Papermakers have played a game every school day. "Our new outfield drainage is dynamite on all four fields," said head coach Ken Nidick. "We'll play when most other schools are rained out. It's nice to see the school district putting money behind the kids."
Few things are more terrifying than trying to defend 6-foot-4 Patrick McCarthy on the front line. The Washougal High School senior goalkeeper got the opportunity to play a little offense Friday night, and he delivered three goals. Sam O'Hara and Patrick Johnson both added two goals to lead the Panthers to a 10-0 victory over the Woodland Beavers, at Fishback Stadium. The win helped Washougal bounce back from Wednesday's 3-0 loss to Hockinson.
Camas and Washougal track and field athletes rose to the occasion against 16 of the best high schools in Southwest Washington Saturday, at the Tiger Invitational in Battle Ground. The Papermaker girls captured the first place trophy, and the Camas boys finished in fourth place. "It's fun for all of the kids in the county to face each other more than once a year," said Camas head girls coach Alisa Wise. "Track is growing in Southwest Washington. These kids are turning heads, and it's exciting. We don't have to travel far to get the competition we need. It's right in our backyard."
Drenched and chilled to the bone, the Camas High School track and field teams found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow on St. Patrick's Day. Despite the onslaught of wind, rain and hail, several top-three finishes propelled the Papermakers to a sweep over Kelso Thursday at Cardon Field behind the high school. The Camas boys beat the Hilanders 87-58 and the girls were victorious 80.33-69.67. "Today is a good starting block. We can only keep building and getting better from here," said senior Megan Kelley. "We have a really good set of individuals and a lot of fun aspects to add to the collection. It's a fun team, and a fun family."
The Washougal High School boys soccer team netted three non-league victories last week, but now the games count. After beating R.A. Long 1-0 in the league opener Monday, the Panthers host to Hockinson Wednesday and Woodland Friday at Fishback Stadium. Both games begin at 7 p.m. "It's great to be 4-0. I don't think that's ever happened before," said head coach John Tyger. "We should find out where we're at this week, with three league games. We're a young team, and we have a lot of work to do."
On a chilly and rainy first night back at the brand new Doc Harris Stadium Friday, Michael Koceja provided the spark the Papermaker boys soccer team needed to defeat Evergreen 3-1. Less than five minutes into the match, the junior midfielder delivered the assist on the first goal of the game scored by senior forward Chris Marrinan. With Camas clinging onto a 2-1 lead with about 11 minutes to go, Marrinan returned the favor by setting up Koceja on a breathtaking shot that caught the opposing goalkeeper off guard.
Opening day 2011 will go down in history for the Camas High School baseball team. On Saturday afternoon in Camas, Kurt Yinger tossed a no-hitter and Austin Barr hit for the cycle to lead the Papermakers to an 18-0 victory over Molalla, Ore.
For the Camas Papermakers, Hayes Freedom Rebels, Washougal Panthers and Union Titans who breathe football and crave something new, Aisea Vailea has the answer. Come out and play rugby. The Camas Mean Machine kicked off its second season in the Rugby Oregon high school boys league Saturday, at Skyridge High School in Camas. Vailea invites athletes from the four different high schools to be a part of this east county expansion. "When kids first look at rugby, they think it's kind of dangerous. I challenge them to come and try it out," Vailea said. "Kids come for the first time, and they love it. And those are the ones who stick around.
