LAKES 27, CAMAS 24, OT
Gambling: Lakes went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 5 in overtime and scored the winning touchdown.
Owen’s strong outing: Camas’ Addison Owen rushed for 166 yards on 30 carries, filling in for the injured Zack Marshall.
History: Camas won 11 games this season and won a game in the state playoffs for the first time.
CAMAS — The Lakes Lancers went for an all-or-nothing move.
They got it all, ending a memorable, historical football season for the Camas Papermakers.
Levonte Littlejohn scored on a 5-yard run on a fourth-and-goal play Friday in overtime, giving the Lancers a 27-24 victory over Camas in the Class 3A state quarterfinals at Doc Harris Stadium.
LAKES 27, CAMAS 24, OT
Gambling: Lakes went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 5 in overtime and scored the winning touchdown.
Owen's strong outing: Camas' Addison Owen rushed for 166 yards on 30 carries, filling in for the injured Zack Marshall.
History: Camas won 11 games this season and won a game in the state playoffs for the first time.
The Papermakers suffered their only loss of the season in a season of firsts. Camas won 11 games, won a state playoff game, and hosted an elite eight game that lived up to the hype of November football.
“It’s not going to be all the wins we remember. It’s going to be waking up early, lifting. It’s the small things we’re going to remember, work ing hard to achieve a goal,” senior lineman Odin Coe said. “Hopefully we set a good example for the younger kids here.”
The Papermakers nearly kept their perfect season intact.
Roldan Alcobendas nailed a 36-yard field goal on Camas’ overtime possession for a 24-21 lead. Then the Camas defense forced two fourth downs on Lakes’ OT drive. The Lancers converted both times, including the play for the game-winning touchdown when they decided against trying to tie the game again.
“It was real gutty,” Littlejohn said. “The crowd was going wild. The band was wild. When it comes down to it, you gotta gut it up and get it done.”
“It’s just hard for it to end this way,” Camas coach Jon Eagle said, looking around at his players as they tried to console one another with their family and friends on the stadium turf. “Unless you win the whole thing, this is what it looks like.”
Littlejohn rushed 30 times for 260 yards and three touchdowns. Lakes quarterback Cedric Dozier added 152 yards rushing, as the Lancers found hole in a Camas defense that was so strong in the first two playoff games this season.
Even with that, Lakes never led in the game until that final play. Camas led 7-0, 14-7, and 21-14, and both teams missed field goals in the fourth quarter.
“I thought that was one of the all-time classic high school football games,” Eagle said. “Final game at our place, overtime, back-and-forth.”
Lakes (11-1) will take on Bellevue in the state semifinals at the Tacoma Dome.
The Lancers got there with a two-man attack behind a solid offensive line. Even though the Lancers rushed for 436 yards, Littlejohn said Camas had the best defense his team played this season.
“It was hard-earned,” he said. “I just want to say thanks to Camas for giving us this opportunity to go against them.”
Camas took a 21-14 lead on Addison Owen’s 1-yard plunge in the third quarter.
But Lakes responded with an eight-play, 72-yard drive, all rushes from Littlejohn and Dozier. Littlejohn’s 2-yard touchdown run tied the game late in the third.
The Papermakers missed a short field goal with 2:24 remaining, but then Lakes missed from close-in on the final play of regulation, sending the game into overtime.
Owen, filling in superbly for the injured Zack Marshall, had 166 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown.
His line opened up running lanes most of the night.
“It was just awesome. No way to describe it,” senior lineman David Anderson said of when the offense was executing in front of a full house at home. “It’s been a wild ride. It’s sad that it’s done. We’re all brothers, and we’ll stay brothers.”
Jeremy Faulkner caught eight passes for 108 yards in his final game with the Papermakers.
“There’s just really nothing like (football),” he said. “I play three sports. There’s still nothing like it.”
Camas quarterback Tony Gennaro completed 17 of 25 passes for 167 yards and a touchdown. He also had 56 yards rushing and a TD.
Gennaro got the Papermakers on the board in the first quarter with a 1-yard quarterback sneak, capping an nine-play drive.
Lakes, which had 44 yards on its first four possessions, got going on the fifth possession, going 77 yards on six plays. Artem Petryakov scored on a 3-yard run.
Then is was Camas’ turn. Gennaro found Jonathan Warner for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 1:54 to go in the first half. The Lancers, though, got the touchdown right back, scoring with a minute to go on the half on a Littlejohn 4-yard run after Dozier’s 56-yard run put them in scoring position.
The fourth quarter was scoreless, with both teams missing opportunities. Camas took its last lead on the 36-yard field goal in overtime, but Lakes cashed in with the bold move to continue its season.
“It’s just sad to see the senior class leave,” Eagle said. “They have meant so much to our school. Not just on the football field, but off of it as well. They’ll be missed.”
But as Coe said, they did leave an example for the coming years of Papermaker football.
“I am excited for the kids coming back,” Eagle said. “The future is very bright.”
LAKES 27, CAMAS 24, OT
Lakes 0 14 7 0 6—27
Camas 7 7 7 0 3—24
First quarter
Cam — Tony Gennaro 1 run (Roldan Alcobendas kick)
Second quarter
L — Artem Petryakov 3 run (Bo Wittig kick)
Cam — Jonathan Warner 10 pass from Gennaro (Alcobendas kick)
L — Levonte Littlejohn 4 run (Wittig kick)
Third quarter
Cam — Addison Owen 1 run (Alcobendas kick)
L — Littlejohn 2 run (Wittig kick)
Overtime
Cam — Alcobendas 36 FG
L — Littlejohn 5 run (No attempt)
Leaders
Rushing — Lakes: Littlejohn 30-260, Cedric Dozier 21-152. Camas: Owen 30-166, Gennaro 9-56.
Passing — Lakes: Dozier 2-4-0-3. Camas: Gennaro 17-25-1-167.
Receiving — Lakes: Cedric Turner 1-8, Ashten Agor 1-(minus-5). Camas: Faulkner 8-108, Owen 4-27, Miguel Salamanca 3-15, Warner 1-10, Kyle Ervin 1-7.
