After hugs were shared and their tears wiped away, six seniors on the Camas baseball team gathered around coach Stephen Short.
The group had earned a special moment of praise. Though the Papermakers’ season ended with a 5-1 loss to Issaquah in the 4A state regionals Saturday at Propstra Stadium, the program had reached a level it had rarely seen.
“For five years we’ve been trying to develop the culture that they’ve built this year,” Short said. “It’s a hard thing to do, especially in this day and age, to build a culture of togetherness. They’ve been unbelievable at doing that.”
For the first time in Short’s five years, Camas reached the state playoffs. The Papermakers also won the bi-district and 4A Greater St. Helens League championships in a season that finished 18-6.
Though those trophies will offer lasting memories, senior Shane Jamison said he’ll cherish things that don’t go on plaques.
“Definitely just the memories with the boys,” Jamison said. “It’s a great group of guys and it’s so exciting to be around them.”
Jamison had the only Camas RBI in a game where the Papermakers put the ball in play, but couldn’t string together hits.
Issaquah pitcher Brady Liddle only had three strikeouts, but allowed just six hits and one walk over six innings.
Issaquah (17-9) took advantage of two walks, two hit batters and one error in the first two innings to take a 4-0 lead.
That was too much to overcome for Camas, which had just eight baserunners all game. Quinten Sawyer was a bright spot, going 3 for 3 with a double, a triple and scoring the Papermakers’ lone run on Jamison’s single in the fourth inning.
There was plenty of reflection in the postgame huddle, but Short also told his players that their future is bright, whether at Camas or after high school.
“The best is still ahead,” he said. “These moments are hard to handle because you’re stuck in it. But they’ll remember all the good and forget about this. The best is still to come.”
