Camas celebrates community with football, cheerleader visits to elementary schools

Camas football player Luke Parbon and Camas cheerleader Maya Harris greet students at LaCamas Lake Elementary School on Friday. Photo courtesy Camas High School Athletics

Camas High School football players and cheerleaders start many of their Fridays by going back to their elementary schools, to greet younger students, hoping to inspire future Papermakers

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

The fascination of Friday Night Lights cannot happen without the magic of Friday mornings.

Roughly 12 hours before every home football game, representatives of Camas High School athletics — football players and cheerleaders — visit local elementary schools throughout the district, kicking off the school day with a high-five, a hug, and/or a picture.

It is a brief visit with a lasting impact.

“Growing up in Camas, all I ever wanted to be was a Camas football player,” said senior Jack Parbon. “Getting to be on the other end of that, being the guy to inspire kids, give them a high-five, interacting with them, it’s awesome.

“It’s one of my favorite things I get to do.”

Maya Harris, a junior on the Camas cheer squad, remembered what it was like when she attended LaCamas Lake Elementary School.

“I thought the cheerleaders were the coolest girls ever,” she said. “I wanted to be a cheerleader.”

Now, she goes back on those Friday mornings, inspiring younger students.

“I think it’s super fun and important. A bunch of little kids look up to cheerleaders and football players,” Harris said. “It’s such a cool thing every Friday morning to greet them.”

Camas senior Jack Parbon gives a high-five to a student from LaCamas Lake Elementary School on Friday. On the day of home football games, football players and cheerleaders from Camas High School visit Camas elementary schools to greet younger students and invite them to come to the game. Photo courtesy Camas High School Athletics

Stephen Baranowski, the athletic director for Camas High School, said for the most part the football players and cheerleaders go back to the elementary schools that they attended back in the day. So it gives the athletes a chance to reconnect with their former teachers, too.

The main purpose though, is the meet-and-greet with the elementary school students.

“We want to go out and get connected with our community,” Baranowski said. “We want to get future Papermakers to come out to a game and be part of something special in Camas.”

Parbon said players and cheerleaders meet students as they arrive on campus, greeting them at the door. Sometimes, they walk the children to their classroom.

“We talk to them about the game, invite them out, raise school spirit, and show them a positive influence on the community,” Parbon said.

Friday was the first home game of the season for the Papermakers. It was a rare loss for Camas at Doc Harris Stadium. Mount Tahoma, one of the most talented teams in the state, took down Camas 49-22.

“It didn’t happen this week, but we’ll be back,” Parbon said.

Clearly, though, Friday was not a total loss for the Papermakers.

They sure looked like winners on Friday morning.

“We play for the community,” Parbon said.