Zack Marshall got one carry in the first half of the first game of the season for the Camas Papermakers.
Naturally, he scored a touchdown.
He ended up with two more touchdowns in that game, then three more in Week 2. Zack Marshall was turning into a scoring machine in front of everyone’s eyes.
The funny thing is no one really knew how good he was early in the season. Sure, his coaches say they saw potential. He says he knew he worked hard in the offseason. But nobody from Camas could have figured in this 2010 season for the junior running back.
“I had goals, but I didn’t think I’d have this much of an impact,” Marshall acknowledged. “I thought I’d play here and there, but never dreamed I’d impact the team this much.”
Marshall is one of the offensive leaders for the 10-0 Papermakers. He and his teammates are preparing for Saturday’s first round matchup in the Class 3A state playoffs against Juanita of Kirkland. Kickoff is 6 p.m. at Doc Harris Stadium.
If things are going well for Camas in this game, look for Marshall to be in the end zone.
In 10 games, Marshall has 17 rushing touchdowns, five receiving touchdowns, and two kickoff returns for touchdowns. That’s 24 trips to the house for the 5-foot-9 speedster.
“I’m living my dream,” Marshall said. “I remember being little, watching the high school games. I couldn’t wait until that was me. It came sooner than I thought.”
He said he was relieved to excel in the second game of the season.
“I guess it wasn’t a one-time thing, that I got lucky,” he said.
By the fourth week, he felt like he really was becoming a quality running back.
“Stuff was opening up for me,” he said.
His coaches could see it, too. Not just from being on the sidelines during the games, but watching video.
“Here’s what he does very, very well. He’s got great vision,” Camas coach Jon Eagle said. “We’ve got the end zone camera. You really appreciate the way he runs the ball when you see it from the end-zone view. And once he gets in the open, he has that extra burst.”
The vision started when he was a baby. No, really.
“I have good eyes. My mom told me I didn’t open my eyes for the first two weeks,” he said. “Then when I did, I was like, ‘Wow.’ ”
Last spring, Eagle said the coaches envisioned using all-purpose athlete Addison Owen as the main running back. But with Marshall’s development, Owen can play wide receiver or running back or even get some rest from playing his safety position on defense. But Marshall will tell you that it does not matter who is in the lineup; anyone wearing a Camas jersey can score.
“You never know when someone’s going to break one,” Marshall said.
In fact, the Papermakers have scored so much this season that Marshall does not have a whole bunch of touches. If Camas’ games were closer, he would have more than 1,000 yards rushing by now. Instead, there have been several games when he has not played in the second half. Through 10 games, he has 134 rushes for 888 yards, which include two games when he had a combined five carries. He also has caught at least one pass per game, and is averaging 125 yards from scrimmage per game.
“I don’t mind not getting touches as long as we keep putting up points, as long as we keep winning, keep climbing,” he said.
All that has been happening. Camas is averaging 42.4 points per game during its 10-game win streak.
“I’ve never played football this long, never had this much fun with my friends and my brother,” Marshall said, giving a shout-out to his teammate and older brother, Kenny. “It’s nice we have all these wins, and we’ve fought for every single one of them.”
Football is just a part of his life. Eagle likes to tell people that Marshall is a better person than an athlete. In fact, he said the whole Marshall family is known throughout the Camas community as being quality people, with a strong work ethic.
“Anything he has achieved is really through hard work,” Eagle said. “It really is.”
Zack said his parents, Kenneth and Verna, raised he and his brother the right way, “with good manners and whatnot.”
It is evident when youth football players come to watch the Papermakers practice. They look up to the varsity players, and Marshall said he always has a kind word and a smile to the youngsters.
“Those little comments just lighten up their day,” Marshall said. “The little things make people happy.”
And every once in while, the older players are humbled by their admiring fans.
“One came up to me and said, ‘I have to tell you, you’re my favorite player,’ ” Marshall said.
Prior to this season, Zack Marshall never imagined he would be anyone’s favorite player.
It’s been a magical season, indeed, for him and the Camas Papermakers.
