Jasinsky helps lift Camas boys to state for first time since 1964

This week, we celebrate the teams from Clark County that have made it to state basketball tournaments.

Today, we start a three-day series, during which we’ll have small stories on all nine teams that are still playing this weekend.

By Saturday night, we will know who is going to the quarterfinals, which teams will be advancing to the final destinations.

For 4A and 3A teams, that would be the Tacoma Dome.

For 1A teams, that would be mean a trip to the Yakima SunDome.

Today, we feature the three boys teams from the 4A and 3A ranks: Camas, Columbia River, and Union.

Thursday, we feature the three girls teams from the 4A and 3A ranks: Camas, Prairie, and Skyview.

Friday, we go small-school, with three stories from the 1A ranks: King’s Way Christian boys, La Center boys, and La Center girls.

The Columbian plans to send reporters to all nine games Friday and Saturday.

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CAMAS — They used to talk about going to the Tacoma Dome, to play for the state championship.

Actually, Trevor Jasinsky said, they used to joke about it.

“Who would have ever thought Camas basketball could do that?” asked Jasinsky, a senior leader for the Papermakers. “Now, we’re one game away from that. It’s a pretty awesome feeling.”

Camas takes on Kentwood at 4 p.m. Saturday at Puyallup High School in the first round of the Class 4A state boys basketball tournament. The winner will advance to the Tacoma Dome. No matter what happens Saturday, Camas has already done more than most of the boys basketball teams in Camas history.

Jasinsky looked up to the banners for each sport in the Camas gym the other day. The boys basketball banner is not exactly filled with a bunch of accomplishments. The last trip to state for the program: 1964.

“Pretty big drought,” Jasinsky said. “It’s obviously a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Of course, for the younger Papermakers, they hope it is not just once. For the community, they really hope it is not once every 51 years. But yes, for the seniors, this is it.

“It’s been an amazing journey so far, and we’re glad that it’s not over yet,” Jasinsky said.

As far as high school basketball, this journey started when Jasinsky was on the freshman team that took second place in the league. That was varsity coach Skyler Gillispie’s first year with the program.

“I told them, by the time you leave, let’s make history,” Gillispie recalled. “I didn’t know what that meant. I wanted to grow with them. I can definitely say we’ve grown together for four years.”

Jasinsky said he and his teammates knew they had a special group, that they had more to achieve.

As seniors, this was their all-in season. (Other seniors include: Jordan Anderson, Andre De Los Rios, James Price, Kantas Zalpys, and Jayce Allen.)

“We all knew this was our last chance to take a swing at state,” Jasinksy said. “We’ve gone this far, and we’re hungry for more. We’re not done yet.”