CAMAS — It went from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs.
When UW-bound quarterback Colson Yankoff burst free for a 65-yard touchdown run to push Coeur d’Alene further ahead of Camas with 9:30 left in the fourth quarter, the Papermakers’ hopes at beating one of Idaho’s top teams appeared to be fading. A possession later, Yankoff looked set to put an end to Camas’ 53-game regular-season win streak on fourth and goal on the Papermaker seven.
But Camas forced a fumble.
Then came the Papermakers.
A 97-yard drive, recovered onside kick and series of connections between Camas quarterback Kyle Allen and Drake Owen sealed the Papermakers’ furious 28-25 comeback win over Coeur d’Alene on Friday night in front of a raucous Doc Harris Stadium.
The winning touchdown came on fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard-line with 20 seconds to play.
Once Camas took its late lead — its first since 7-6 in the second quarter — the Yankoff-led Vikings had 11.9 seconds to try to a last second heave. But as soon as the final horn sounded, the Papermakers flooded the field in celebration, shortly followed by a sea of fans.
“As far as a comeback win in Doc Harris, hard to beat that,” Camas coach Jon Eagle said. “We were our own worst enemy for three quarters. That’s a really good football team, I felt like we stole one from them a little bit. But we kept on fighting.”
Wideout Drake Owen returned from school-related suspension with a bang. He caught the last two touchdowns, including the final go-ahead snag on fourth-and-4 in the corner of the endzone and the two-point conversion.
On the previous drive, Owen caught a 13-yard touchdown pass to pull Camas within 25-20 with 1:04 remaining. He had eight catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
Did Allen enjoy having one of his top targets back?
“Oh yeah, oh yeah,” he said. “I knew he was going to play a little angry tonight.”
“He’s such a playmaker,” Eagle said.
For most of the game, Camas was reeling. Coeur d’Alene’s defensive line disrupted Allen early and often, and the Vikings offense was as good as advertised, putting up 228 yards in the first half and a highlight reel run from their four-star quarterback.
Plus, when Yankoff hit his stride on his 65 yard touchdown run, Camas took a hit. And not just in the scoreboard (which as a result read 25-14 in the Vikings’ favor). As Yankoff broke loose, senior Ryan Rushall dove at his legs, missed, and dislocated his shoulder as his outstretched arms hit the turf.
It was popped back in on the sideline, he said, and he tried going on the next series before bowing out to the injury.
Even when the Vikings looked to be in control, Allen knew Camas still had a shot.
Allen completed 25 of 45 attempts for 242 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Yankoff finished 19-34 with 294 yards, a touchdown and two picks in addition to his 138 yards gained on the ground.
Both quarterbacks got off to rocky starts. Allen threw an interception to CdA’s Garrett Hagel on the opening drive. Coeur d’Alene got the ball, then Yankoff was picked off by Camas’ Ryan Rushall on his first throw.
The Vikings did the most damage on the ground. Running back Shilo Morgon had 134 yards – many of them after contact.
Morgon barreled for 76 yards on 12 carries in the first half alone, and the Vikings put up 228 total first half yards, to Camas’ 169.
An early fourth quarter Camas drive was kept alive with a pair of timely penalties. On 3rd and 5, Allen was hit heaving a long ball to Owen, whose defender was called for pass interference, giving Camas the first down. On the next play the Vikings sacked Allen, but not without grabbing his facemask. That set up a 35-yard touchdown run by Camas’ Will Shultz to bring the Papermakers within a touchdown with under 11 minutes left.
Eagle knew the Papermakers weren’t out of the game. They just needed momentum.
“We talk about there’s no play that exists where you can get 14 points in one play. Let’s just try to get a first down, then try to get another one,” he said. “Big plays don’t hurt.”
