As the calendar now reads February, coach Scott Thompson’s Camas Papermakers are all grown up.
Gone are the fresh-faced players with minimal varsity experience under first-year coach in favor of a veteran-like squad, albeit young, playing its best basketball looking ahead to the girls postseason
“Everyone is finding their confidence in what they do,” sophomore Jalena Carlisle said. “It’s exciting to see what we’re going to do for future years.”
For now, though, the young Papermakers hope Friday’s 52-45 win over league-rival Union will jump start a deep postseason run. The victory, in a game to determine bi-district seeding, solidifies Camas (14-7) as the top seed to 4A bi-districts and hosts Sumner to open the playoffs at 7 p.m. next Wednesday.
As the No. 2 seed, Union (16-5) travels to face either Thomas Jefferson or Kentwood at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Those two teams play for the No. 4 seed out of the North Puget Sound League on Saturday.
Camas and Union shared the 4A GSHL regular-season title at 7-1. Union entered Friday on a 10-game winning streak, including handing Camas its only loss in league play when it beat the Papermakers 53-44 on Jan. 18.
Friday, a balanced scoring and defense paved the way for the Papermakers building a 15-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Sophomore post Faith Bergstrom had nine of her team-best 13 points in the second half and another sophomore, Jalena Carlisle, added nine. Haley Hanson and Hannah Booth each added eight.
The growth, chemistry and maturation over the course of the season is one of the reasons why Hanson, the senior guard and reigning all-league player, is proud of how far Camas has come.
From where they started in November until now — winners of six of their past seven games entering the postseason — it’s a big transformation.
“This is amazing,” she said. … “We’re all playing our best basketball right now. We’re playing as a tema and buying into what coaches are telling us to do. And all this has really helped us.
“I think this is our best time to be playing our best right now.”
Camas led 48-33 with 6 minutes, 11 seconds to play in the fourth quarter before Union went on a 10-1 scoring run to cut the lead to six at 49-43 with 1 minute left. The Titans got as close as five inside the final minute.
Marina Morningstar led Union with 13 points and Lolo Weatherspoon and Toryi Midland had eight points apiece. Abbey Kaip added seven.
