CAMAS — Randy Yaacoub’s broken leg and subsequent surgeries led to four surgeries and lost seasons as a sophomore and
junior.
But key lessons were learned by the Camas High senior tailback and, in turn, is why he’s back playing as a senior.
“It taught me how life is,” Yaacoub said Friday night. “It taught me life is more than football.”
Football — particularly Camas football — is why the senior is back on the field again. Yaacoub rushed 12 times for 93 carries — all season highs — in the Papermakers’ 52-0 rout of Sumner on Friday.
“My whole team is so supportive of me and it’s great. I love it.”
Yaacoub was one of many second-string and back-up players that got meaningful minutes on Senior Night at Doc Harris Stadium.
Yaacoub’s totals were second behind Jacques Badolato-Birdsell, whose game-high 121 yards and two touchdowns paced the rushing offense. Yaacoub also had five rushes for 67 carries on a drive that led to Gabe Guo’s 1-yard score that made it 52-0 late in the third.
The Papermakers (6-0 overall) sent it into a running-clock with 7 minutes, 54 seconds left in the third quarter on Tyler Forner’s 12-yard touchdown run.
For Yaacoub, he knows he’s been through hard times, yet always remains positive through “the support of everyone I have.”
“All I have to do is keep my head up,” he said.
Key moments
— When these same teams met last season, Sumner edged Camas 14-7 behind four Spartans takeaways and a stagnant Papermaker offense. Things were vastly different Friday. By the end of the first half, Camas led 38-0. Tyler Forner took a Sumner punt back 92 yards for a touchdown, Jacques Badolato-Birdsell had two rushing scores and Jake Blair threw touchdown passes to Jackson Clemmer (11 yards) and Charlie Bump (38). Bryce Leighton, who was perfect on all PATs Friday, drilled a 23-yarder to end the first half. Blair finished 8 of 9 passing.
— Camas held Sumner to 126 total yards. The Spartans’ best offensive play — a 28-yard catch by Tristan Dunn — led to a forced fumble by the Papermakers. The next series is when Yaacoub had five of his rushes, including a 58-yarder, for the team’s second longest rushing play of the game. Badolato-Birdsell’s 59-yard touchdown topped that.
Key players
Tyler Forner, Camas: The senior had two touchdowns — the 12-yard touchdown run and a 92-yard punt return for a touchdown. The latter is his second special teams score of the year.
Robert Silva, Camas: The lineman had a sack and two tackles for loss.
Bryce Leighton, Camas: The senior kicker/punter, bound for Montana State, was perfect on all PATs and also drilled a 23-yard field goal to end the first half.
