Day After Report: Camas 31, Skyview 9
Well, it was quite a half of football if you were looking for a close game.
It was quite a half of football if you were hoping to see Camas on its heels.
It was quite a half of football if you thought it was possible that the Papermakers could see their long regular-season winning streak come to an end.
It just was not a full football game if you were looking for any of those things.
Instead, it was a 48-minute display of what a quality team does when it is challenged.
The Camas Papermakers have not been challenged (on the scoreboard) too much this season. Nor very often in the past five years of regular-season play.
This was a challenge. Skyview led 9-7 at the half. Skyview nearly beat Camas last year in the state playoffs. The Storm were confident.
Then Camas just went to another level in the second half. A 24-0 second half.
Quite a performance.
Closer look at that third quarter:
The Storm had the lead. Then they didn’t.
But to get that halftime lead, they did something very few teams have been able to do against Camas. They kept the ball away from the Papermakers.
Camas only had 23 snaps on offense in the first half. Camas was held to 110 yards.
Everything changed in the second half, though.
Camas went 65 yards on eight plays to take a 14-9 lead on Jack Colletto’s 13-yard TD run.
The Storm would fail to get a first down on its first possession of the second half.
They had to be thinking, Uh oh.
Ryan Rushall had a 24-yard punt return to set up Camas at the Skyview 35-yard line.
Five plays later, Colletto was in the end zone again, this time on a 9-yard run.
Skyview would pick up a couple first downs on its next possession. But the Camas defense stuffed the Storm on fourth down.
Here it comes.
And the Papermakers would go 52 yards on six plays for a 28-9 lead with 2:03 left in the third quarter.
At halftime, Camas had 110 yards.
Camas had 142 yards of offense (there was also a Skyview penalty in the mix) and 21 points in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Looking ahead:
Not that Camas will overlook anybody. (No Duh, right? A team does not win 47 regular-season games in a row by overlooking anybody!) But Camas has to be feeling really good about its position right now.
Still, for fans and media, we can look ahead, perhaps even make some projections.
Camas has opened the 4A Greater St. Helens League season with two wins. The victories came against Battle Ground and Skyview — the two other teams from the 4A GSHL that made the playoffs last year.
“We prepared for Battle Ground and Skyview like it was championship week,” Camas defensive lineman Dylan Ingram said.
That’s the way to start out league 2-0.
So if this pattern continues — you know, that winning stuff — against Union and Heritage, Camas will win another league title.
Cody Jackson, also a defensive lineman, does not want anyone to get carried away with anything just yet.
“It’s a really great feeling. We definitely feel we are on top right now,” he said.
But he warned not to feel too good. That could lead to a huge let-down.
“We have to keep working, keep grinding,” he said.
Also on Friday night, Battle Ground held off Union 33-29.
Battle Ground and Skyview play each other this coming week. With only two teams going to the playoffs from the 4A GSHL this year, this just might be for second place. This might be a playoff game in October.
Eagle appreciates Skyview:
Camas coach Jon Eagle said some fans might have overlooked Skyview this week because of the Storm’s record. But the Storm lost to two highly ranked opponents, including the state’s top team in Class 3A.
“Look at who they’ve played,” Eagle said, referring to Eastside Catholic and O’Dea. “Are you kidding me? Any different schedule, and they’re 5-0.”
The Papermakers knew what happened last year against the Storm. They knew the Storm would be a worthy opponent this time, too.
Don’t I know you? Hope you got a chance to read our features on Brody Barnum of Skyview and Dakota Napierkowski of Camas.
As you know, Brody’s dad is the head coach at Portland State. Dakota’s dad was an All-American at Portland State.
Now for a couple more things that just show us how small this world of sports can be:
Bruce Barnum, the head coach at Portland State, used to be an assistant coach at Idaho State. He coached against Steve Kizer when Kizer was at Eastern Washington. Now, Kizer is the head coach at Skyview High School, the head coach of quarterback Brody Barnum, the son of Bruce Barnum.
Whoa!
Brent Napierkowski, the father of Camas lineman Dakota Napierkowski, played at Walla Walla College before he starred at Portland State. While he was at Walla Walla, one of the assistant coaches there was Steve Kizer.
Mind blown!
He’s not a running back. He just looks like one:
A Skyview coach told me before the game that Jack Colletto is the best running back in the league.
Of course, we know Colletto is Camas’ starting quarterback.
It’s just that Colletto also knows how to run the ball.
Sure enough, Colletto rushed for 139 yards and three touchdowns against the Storm.
One more thing about that Skyview coach I was talking to before the game. He predicted Battle Ground would beat Union by four points. Battle Ground won 33-29.
Spooky.
