TACOMA – Walking off the field Saturday, Dylan White raised a fist in victory.
Actually, it was a black bandaged club over his broken left hand.
As the Camas linebacker pumped it above his head, he celebrated more than a victory in the Class 4A state semifinals. He cheered his return from an injury that threatened to end his high school football career.
White broke the metacarpal bone of his ring finger in a state preliminary game Nov. 8 against Monroe. He had four screws inserted into his hand last week to stabilize the bone.
“He could have easily said ‘I’m done,'” coach Jon Eagle said. “He wanted to be here with the kids he grew up with.”
Seeing White return after missing two playoff games inspired his teammates on offense and defense in Saturday’s 49-21 win over Bellarmine Prep of Tacoma.
“He has a real passion for the game,” senior Nate Beasley said. “You can see that by the club he’s wearing. He doesn’t want to give up, and that’s what he shows on the field. If something happens that goes against us, he gets right back in it.”
It wasn’t just an emotional lift that White provided. As one of the most experienced members of the defense, he’s responsible for calling out assignments and reading what the offense is trying to run.
“He’s the quarterback of our defense,” Eagle said.
Saturday, Camas allowed 269 yards to a Bellarmine team that had scored more than 50 points on four occasions this season.
The stories you hear about it being more nerve-wracking to watch a big game than play in it? They’re true, according to White. Camas had its toughest test of the year last week in the quarterfinals against Eastlake, which hung with the Papermakers for three quarters before losing 47-28.
“I was definitely more nervous watching last week,” White said. “But I trusted my teammates and knew they could do the job.”
White plays tight end on offense. Because catching a football is tough with that club, the injury forced him to focus mostly on defense.
Playing with the club requires adjustments on defense too.
“It’s weird trying to reach out because you can’t grab any jersey,” White said. “It’s just like swinging a club.”
White’s three first-half tackles showed he wasn’t rusty. Even if he was, playing in Saturday’s game was about more than racking up stats.
“I want to be out there and share that moment with them,” White said.
