Do you believe curses in high school sports? Or just a good winning (or losing) streak?
Either way, Camas’ 21-9 victory Friday night over Skyview to open 4A Greater St. Helens League play makes it 13 wins in a row by the Papermakers over Skyview.
“I love to compete with them,” said Camas running back Titan Brody, who powered the run game with a game-high 23 rushes for 104 yards. “It’s always good to have them as our (league) opener. It’s great competition.”
Skyview’s last win over Camas came in 2011 — the year Skyview last captured the 4A GSHL title and went onto play in the 4A state championship game.
Since then, Camas has won 13 straight, including two meetings in the 2015 season: one regular season and one postseason. Friday, the Papermakers held the Storm out of the end zone until the final 2:43 of the game. Skyview took a 3-0 lead to open the game on a 26-yard field goal by Ethan McClinton before Camas touchdowns by Anthony Forner and Beau Harlan (two) made it a 21-3 Papermakers advantage.
Tigers get tricky
Battle Ground got the opportunity to pull out one of their trick plays for the first time in a game this season, and it worked to perfection.
Facing a 3rd down and 13 during the second quarter of the Tigers’ 4A Greater St. Helens League game against Union on Thursday, quarterback Ethan Adams flipped a pass to his left to running back Jacob Champine, who aired out a pass to a wide open Saveliy Tkachenko for a 42-yard touchdown. Just like they drew it up in practice.
“It was great,” Champine said. “We’ve been practicing that one for like a month now. (Union) pulled that one out on us at our house last year, so it felt pretty good to do it right back at them.”
The play was part of a balanced showing for the Tigers’ offense, which accounted for 41 points in the 48-30 win. Adams, the sophomore signal-caller shined with 182 passing yards and two touchdowns, both to Grayson Gambee, who posted 121 receiving yards on 11 catches.
Champine led the rushing attack with 157 yards on 35 carries.
“We had a good balance of everything,” Tkachenko said. “It all starts the O-line.”
Battle Ground (7-0) beat Union (2-5) for the first time since 2016. Next up is another big 4A GSHL road game on Friday against Skyview.
Top rushers shine in overtime thriller
Mountain View’s 35-34 overtime win at Kelso saw two of the area’s top running backs have stellar games.
Porter Drake rushed for 223 yards, just one off his season high. The Mountain View senior has 916 yards this season, trailing only Woodland’s Elijah Andersen.
Drake has rushed for 100-plus yards in five straight games, averaging 171.8 yards per game and 9.95 yards per carry over that span.
For Kelso, Aden Mintonye carried the ball on 40 of the Hilanders’ 60 plays from scrimmage. He rushed for 214 yards and five touchdowns, but was stopped on a two-point attempt in the first overtime to end the game.
Mintonye has averaged 179 yards over the past three games. His 11 rushing touchdowns ranks third among area players.
Wildcats give kudos to Cougars coach
Last season, La Center put up 70 points on Seton Catholic.
On Friday, for almost 44 minutes, the Wildcats didn’t have a single point against the Cougars, and La Center coach John Lambert gave credit to a friend.
“Shout out to Mark Greenleaf,” Lambert said, referring to the Seton assistant coach. “Mark Greenleaf, who is a golfing buddy of mine and who I will beat every day in golf, really schooled me today. He had his guys dialed in.”
Lambert said Seton should be proud of the way it played and how far the Cougars’ program has grown. And that growth is good for the Trico League.
“I have no doubt that both of these teams will be in the playoffs,” Lambert said. “And it’s exciting in the Trico to have that. … And that’s what we want. The high tide raises all boats, and we want this league to be good.”
La Center (7-0) turns its attention to finishing out league play this week at home against Columbia-White Salmon before playing at Castle Rock in Week 9.
Seton Catholic (6-1) plays Fort Vancouver at home this week before playing at King’s Way Christian in Week 9.
