Curtis, the No. 1 seed, topped the Papermakers 73-46 in the Tacoma Dome
Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com
TACOMA — The Camas boys basketball team still has a chance for the best finish in program history this season.
That’s what making it the Elite Eight means, even after a tough performance in the quarterfinals.
Curtis, the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A boys basketball state tournament, had no trouble with the Papermakers on Thursday morning, cruising to a 73-46 victory.
Camas fell into the consolation bracket and will face Skyline at 9 a.m. Friday in the fourth-place semifinals. If Camas wins that game, it will be playing in the fourth-place game on Saturday and will be guaranteed to bring home a trophy.
In fact, the best trophy in program history.
The 1962 Papermakers finished eighth in state.
The 2023 Papermakers, well, it remains to be seen. But no matter what happens Friday, this was the first Camas team to win its way into the championship quarterfinals.
“It means everything,” said senior Theo McMillan, who led the Papermakers with 14 points in Thursday’s game against Curtis. “This is what we wanted to do from the start of the season. To get here. To be here. We get to play in front of all these people, under the lights. It’s an amazing experience.”
“Last year, we fell a little short,” added sophomore Jace VanVoorhis, who had 10 points Thursday. “It feels good to make up for it. It’s a blessing to come up here and play in the quarterfinals. We came up short, but we still have got another game to play.”
And maybe two.
The season will be over Saturday or Friday, depending on Friday’s result. For McMillan, he will leave the program knowing it has improved under his watch. VanVoorhis has two more years with the Papermakers. Both players noted young star Beckett Currie and up-and-coming players, as well.
“The future’s so bright in the next couple of years,” VanVoorhis said.
“They’re going to do well, for sure,” McMillan added.
The Camas boys are scheduled to play March 3 and could make it to the final day of the season on March 4.
The last time Camas basketball played in March? That would be 1964.
Gotta go deep in history to put some present-day perspective on this achievement, with an eye to the future, as well.
Also read:
- High school sports: Union’s Mitch Ratigan is way ahead of his time
A multi-sport athlete for the Union Titans, senior Mitch Ratigan is back on the baseball field five months after reconstructive knee surgery, celebrating the fact that he and his parents opted for a procedure that allowed for a fast recovery. - Volcanoes name director of youth basketball, schedule camps this summer
Porter Troupe, a former player for the Vancouver Volcanoes and now the team’s associate head coach, will lead the organization’s youth basketball program, and the Volcanoes have announced a series of camps this summer, including one in a partnership with Nike. - Basketball: Camas all-stars help Washington prevail in Northwest ShootoutReagan Jamison and Addison Harris were among Washington’s top senior girls basketball players, and they teamed up again Sunday to help Washington beat Oregon in the annual Northwest Shootout in Portland.
- Vancouver Volcanoes have two home games this week at Hudson’s Bay High SchoolFoundation for Vancouver Public Schools and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington will be recognized at fundraising projects during the Vancouver Volcanoes basketball games this week.
- Union High School student scores Evans Scholarship through caddy program at Royal OaksMadison Kao has learned a lot about herself as a caddy at Royal Oaks Country Club in Vancouver, and her experience has led to one of the most prestigious scholarships in all of golf, the Evans Scholarship for caddies.
