Camas turned into a state power under coach Scott Thompson, including a state championship in 2024, but his plan all along was for this to be his final season with the program, as his daughter is a senior and he has two younger sons who also play basketball
Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com
What a journey.
What an emotional ride.
The Camas girls basketball team’s season came to an end Friday afternoon in the consolation bracket of the Class 4A state tournament.
It was also the end of an era, the conclusion of Coach Scott Thompson’s run as the team’s head coach.
No, this is not breaking news. Scott Thompson told family, friends, and journalists last March that this would be his final season, with daughter Keirra set to graduate and two younger sons who also play basketball. He told school administrators before this season, as well.
This was always the plan, to make one final run with this basketball program.
It was a victorious journey for Thompson’s Papermakers. Camas made six state tournaments and would have been seven without the pandemic. The Papermakers placed fourth in state in 2022, took second in state in 2023, and they returned with a purpose in 2024 to win the state championship. This season, after losing six key players from that championship team, the Papermakers reached the elite eight.
Thompson said he knew the final day was going to be an emotional one. A couple hours after losing in the quarterfinals Thursday night, he told Clark County Today that he wasn’t ready for that final moment. He knew he was walking out of the Tacoma Dome, either Friday or Saturday, for the final time as coach.
“Losing eliminated us from the idea of a state title,” Thompson said after the Papermakers lost to Sumner on Thursday. “It didn’t end anything. I’m not ready to break down and get emotional. Not ready to call it quits because I still get one more day with them. Hopefully we win and get another day, too.”
There won’t be one more day. Camas fell a win short of another trophy with its loss to Auburn on Friday afternoon.
This is the end of Keirra Thompson’s incredible career as point guard at Camas. She has signed with Boise State.
It makes for perfect timing for her father to step away, too.
“I’ve got the boys at home. They’re involved in winter sports. Both play basketball. I want to be around. I want to make sure I’m present for them,” Scott Thompson said, adding that he and his wife Carrie have had a lot of discussions about this decision. “You can always go back and coach later, but you can’t always be there for your kids when they are in the house. I want to be there for them because time goes fast.”
He said he will miss the team, and he is unsure about his coaching future. Thompson said he does not know what he wants to do moving forward in the sport, other than he wants to make sure he can watch his sons play.
“It’s time to transition out of coaching girls and being there for the family,” the coach said. “For me, I didn’t really want to look into what comes next. I wanted to be present for this team this year, this season.”
A year ago, everyone knew Camas was the best team in the state. Runner-up in 2023, the Papermakers returned every key player, determined to make a magical run. They did not disappoint.
This year, though, through graduation and other moves, Camas was without six key players from the championship team.
Seniors Keirra Thompson (Boise State) and Sophie Buzzard (Portland State) took on the leadership roles, and led the team back to the Tacoma Dome. A win Wednesday put Camas in the state quarterfinals, an incredible accomplishment for a young squad.
The state championship last year is the highlight of the resume. But Coach Thompson said coaching is so much more than just the results.
“The biggest source of pride is in the girls. It’s the culture of Camas basketball. It’s finding players who are willing to put the team in front of their own individual accolades and willing to sacrifice to be part of something special,” Scott Thompson said. “The girls were able to accomplish something special as a team.
“We created an atmosphere where girls could grow and be part of something special and at the same time put the team first,” he continued. “Because of that we could do special things together.”
Thompson said it is always difficult for a coach to leave a program with younger talent moving up the ranks.
“That’s why I announced so early. I wanted the school to know in advance,” Scott Thompson said. “The work that this coaching staff has put into this program is precious to us. I wanted to give the school as much time as they could to formulate a plan as to what comes next. We want whatever process to happen to give the players the best coach possible, so they know they are taken care of.”
It has been one wild final year for Camas and Thompson. The Papermakers knew this was going to be the end of something special, so they worked together to make one more special season.
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