BELLEVUE — Just another check mark on the self-proclaimed “revenge tour.” Camas improved to 4-0 on the year with a 24-7 win over 3A’s seventh-ranked Bellevue on Friday.
The Papermakers were 2-2 at this point last year with heartbreaking defeats to Lincoln and Bellevue. This year is a different story, as Camas took care of business against both of the 3A foes.
Camas set the tone early in this one. After a long bus ride, and against an elite opponent, a coach never knows how his team will show up. Jon Eagle got the best response: An 85-yard Tyler Forner touchdown on the opening kickoff.
“He’s a force,” Eagle said. “That’s three for the year. That’s impressive.”
Forner said it was the biggest hole he’s had on a kickoff, as he went untouched the distance to give the fourth-ranked Papermakers the early 7-0 lead.
“I think some of our coaches could have hopped out and ran through that hole,” Forner laughed.
Forner made it 14-0 with a 3-yard touchdown run later in the first quarter, before the Camas defense took over. The Papermakers held the potent wing-T of the Wolverines to 281 yards and just seven points, refusing to let a replay of Bellevue’s 38-35 comeback win a season ago happen. Camas forced a red-zone fumble and didn’t allow a score until Bellevue’s Joby Schneider escaped for a 33-yard touchdown with 22 seconds left in the half.
“It was kind of a chess match going back and forth,” Eagle said. “When we had to make stops, we made stops. They had the one play, but when you hold a team like that to seven points, it’s a good night.”
Jacques Badolato-Birdsell rushed for 140 yards and a 6-yard touchdown in the victory, and Bryce Leighton hit a 44-yard field goal in the third quarter.
Key moments
— With Bellevue ready to put the finishing touches on a 70-yard drive, the Wolverines fumbled a handoff at the Camas 3-yard line and the Papermakers recovered. The Papermakers then went 11 plays and 96 yards, capped by a Tyler Forner 3-yard rushing touchdown, to take a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
— The Papermakers thought they had a touchdown when Jake Blair hit Jackson Preston in the corner for a 24-yard strike. But the play was ruled an offensive pass interference, and Camas was staring down an empty drive and just a one-score lead in the third quarter. Enter Montana State commit Bryce Leighton, who just cleared the crossbar on a 44-yard kick against the wind and sideways rain at Bellevue Memorial. It made it 17-7 and gave the Papermakers some third-quarter breathing room.
— Logan Silva came up with a big fourth-down sack on Bellevue quarterback Bryson Sleeper in the fourth quarter to effectively seal the game with less than 6 minutes to go and Camas leading 24-7.
Key players
Tyler Forner — After the opening kickoff, the Camas senior also found paydirt on a 3-yard rushing score, one of two rushes he had on the night. He also played a part in the stingy Camas defense.
Joby Schneider — The Bellevue senior ran 32 times for 189 yards and a 33-yard touchdown.
Jackson Preston — Came up big in snuffing out a Bellevue reverse for a five-yard loss in the second quarter, the Papermaker senior was a force all night. He also caught a pass for 34 yards and had a touchdown called back for pass interference.
Quotable
“It wasn’t instinct. It was coached. It was our reads.” — Camas senior Jackson Preston on the Papermaker defense.
CAMAS 24, BELLEVUE 7
Camas;14;0;3;7;24
Bellevue;0;7;0;0;7
C — Tyler Forner 85 kickoff return (Bryce Leighton kick)
C — Forner 3 run (Leighton kick)
B — Joby Schneider 33 run (Nicholas Barros-Barreto kick)
C — FG Leighton 44
C — Jacques Badolato-Birdsell 6 run (Leighton kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing — C: Jacques Badolato-Birdsell 26-140; Jake Blair 1-7; Tyler Forner 2-4; Gabe Guo 6-23. B: Bryson Sleeper 3-(-13); Joby Schneider 32-189; Alex Reid 12-56; Parker Hauser 2-11.
Passing — C: Blair 6-11-0-121. B: Sleeper 1-1-0-19; Schneider 0-1-0-0; Reid 1-2-0-20.
Receiving — C: Charlie Bump 4-43; Jackson Preston 1-34; Jackson Clemmer 1-44. B: Reid 1-19; Joshua Goates 1-20.
