The Camas Papermakers won a league title Friday night but also lost their starting quarterback for their playoff run.
Logan Grindy, the 2009 co-player of the year in the Class 3A Greater St. Helens League, suffered a broken fibula near the ankle late in Camas’ 24-13 victory over Kelso at Doc Harris Stadium.
The official diagnosis came Saturday morning.
“I don’t know exactly how it happened,” Grindy said Saturday afternoon. “Something went wrong. My foot planted, and my leg kept going. I felt it pop. I couldn’t get up from it.”
Tony Gennaro, who led the Camas offense through much of summer drills when Grindy was recovering from a thumb injury, is expected to get the start for the Papermakers in their home playoff game Friday night against Rainier Beach.
After the injury, Grindy came out of the game to have his ankle taped, then ran back onto the field — without getting clearance from a trainer.
His coach, Jon Eagle, was in the huddle during a timeout when Grindy returned.
“At that time, we didn’t know he had a broken leg,” Eagle said. “As a coach, I was thinking apparently he’d been cleared to play.”
Grindy said he noticed it was third-and-long, the game was close, and he figured he would give it a try.
“I didn’t want to let down my team,” Grindy said. “I just wanted to play.”
The Papermakers picked up the first down when Kelso was called for roughing the passer. Grindy, already in pain, said he knew then he could not continue.
“The guy’s a legend,” Eagle said. “He wanted so bad to get in there and lead his team. He’s just a warrior. Broken leg, runs onto the field. That tells you everything you need to know about that kid.”
Grindy, who has been the starter at Camas since his sophomore year, missed the Week 10 playoff game in 2008 after suffering a separated shoulder in Week 9. Last year, he played all of Week 10’s loss, even after taking a hard hit. He was later diagnosed with a concussion.
And now this year.
The 9-0 Papermakers, although stunned by the injury to Grindy, still believe they can make a long run in the playoffs — with Gennaro, a junior, as quarterback.
“When we went to all our summer scrimmages, he was our quarterback,” Eagle said. “We won the Oregon State camp with him as our quarterback. He’s been there. He’s done it. He can do it.”
“He’s a worker and he’s a really good leader,” Grindy said. “I have faith in him. I think he has what it takes to lead our team to a victory.”
Grindy will still be very much a part of the team throughout the playoffs, helping wherever he can.
“I will try to be a second coach” to Gennaro, he said.
