Papermakers can claim the league championship outright with a win over Union next week
VANCOUVER — Charlie Bump saw the ball, less than a yard away from the end zone.
He attacked it.
He forced the fumble.
And the Camas Papermakers recovered.
Later, Tyler Forner got the call on a third-down run. And behind his impressive offensive line, he converted for a first down.
And the Camas Papermakers survived.
Camas won at least a share of the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League title Thursday night, holding off Skyview 21-17 at Kiggins Bowl.
The Papermakers held a 21-3 lead at the half, but then it was all Skyview for the next quarter-and-a-half.
The Storm were inches away from taking the lead, too. Jaylynnee McGee appeared to be on his way to the goal line.
Then everything changed.
“Our D-line just stuffed him, but he just kept driving,” Bump said. “As he reached the ball out, I just hit his arm. The ball got loose.”
Gibson came out of the pile of bodies with the ball, and he raised both hands over his head.
“I’ve never seen our sideline go so crazy,” Bump said. “We knew from that point forward, we were going to seal this off.”
He didn’t lie, but the Camas defense had to get one more stop.
After a Camas punt, Skyview had another opportunity. But Gibson and his teammates took Skyview down for an 11-yard loss on first down.
“He ran away from me. I had contain,” Gibson said. “Earlier in the game, he did the same thing and he broke it. That was my fault. I wasn’t going to let that happen.”
Gibson slowed the ball carrier down and the rest of his teammates showed up.
“The pursuit from our team, you just gotta love it. There’s 11 guys flying to the ball,” Gibson said.
Skyview never recovered from that lost yardage. The Storm decided to punt the ball back to the Papermakers with 2:32 left in the game. Skyview’s plan was to stuff the Camas offense — like it had for much of the second half.
The Papermakers had other ideas.
Forner busted out for an 18-yard run on the first play. Then after two runs for no yards, and after Skyview had used all of its timeouts, the Papermakers had a third-and-10. An offside penalty made it third-and-5.
Forner secured the win with a 10-yard gain.
Sorry, that would be Forner and the offensive line.
“It’s beautiful,” lineman Tai Tumanuvao said. “They just simplified it. That’s when we play best. They tell us, ‘Go hit this guy and maintain your block.’ That’s when I feel we play our best. It’s exciting to know we are trusted. The coaches trust this O-line. We’re running the ball this whole time.”
Forner loved that plan, too.
“Our O-line, they were so pumped,’’ Forner said. “They have that different brotherhood, the best O-line in the state. They wanted it so bad. ‘We got this.’ I just followed them. It’s a pleasure to run behind them. Their blocking was amazing, like it always is.”
Behind that line, behind that defense, the Papermakers overcame some tough injuries. Running back Jacques Badolato-Birdsell left the game after the first play of the third quarter. A couple minutes later, quarterback Jake Blair was sacked, injured, and did not return.
Still, it is Camas that is 8-0, 3-0 in league. The Papermakers take on Union next week to try to secure the No. 1 seed. They earned at least a share of the league title with Thursday’s win.
Skyview fell to 6-2 overall, 2-1 in league. The Storm need a win next week against Heritage and hope Union can beat Camas to create a three-way tie for the league title.
For a half Thursday, it looked like it would be all Camas.
Forner scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. After a Skyview field goal, Forner broke free for a 78-yard touchdown run and a quick 14-3 lead. (Forner ended up with 167 yards on 19 carries.)
In the second quarter, it was Blair showing off his arm with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Jackson Clemmer.
It was 21-3 at the half, the Papermakers had rushed for 232 yards, and there was no evidence at the time that Skyview was going to recover.
Oh, the Storm did.
“I told them, ‘Believe in the schemes and keep playing as a team, and we’ll get back in this,’” Skyview coach Steve Kizer said. “Just proud of the way we fought back.”
The Papermakers fumbled on the second play of the second half, setting up a 13-yard touchdown pass from Yaro Duvalko to Mason Wheeler to make it 21-10.
The Skyview defense got a three-and-out, Camas punted, and three plays later, the Storm scored on a perfect pass from Duvalko to Gavin Baskette. The Camas pass coverage was there, but Baskette maintained his focus and hung on to the ball, making it 21-17 midway through the third quarter.
That was the end of the scoring, but not the scoring chances.
Skyview got to the 26-yard line before losing the ball on downs on its next possession. Then in the fourth quarter, the Storm got to the 2-yard line.
Then the fumble.
“I thought he was going to break the plane,” Gibson said. “Our corner, Charlie, punched the ball out. … It fell right into my lap. I held on to it, making sure no one was going to take it.”
And on this night, no one was going to take away Camas’ lead.
It was a big lead. Then it wasn’t a big lead. But it remained a lead. Always.
Camas secures the victory with this first-down run. pic.twitter.com/iVsYJ9AgaN
— Paul Valencia (@ValenciaCCT) October 25, 2019
CAMAS 21 SKYVIEW 17
Camas 14 7 0 0 — 21
Skyview 3 0 14 0 — 17
First quarter
C — Tyler Forner 1 run (Bryce Leighton kick)
S — Sliman Farran 23 FG
C — Forner 78 run (Leighton kick)
Second quarter
C — Jackson Clemmer 28 pass from Jake Blair (Leighton kick)
Third quarter
S — Mason Wheeler 13 pass from Yaro Duvalko (Farran kick)
S — Gavin Baskette 38 pass from Duvalko (Farran kick)
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Camas — Jacques Badolato-Birdsell 10-46, Forner 19-167, Blair 6-25, Sebastian Harb 8-37, Blake Ascuitto 1-2, Randy Yaacoub 3-18, Team 2-(minus 8). Skyview — Jalynnee McGee 24-82, Duvalko 1-0.
PASSING: Camas — Blair 4-6-1-45, Ascuitto 2-9-1-29. Skyview — Yaro Duvalko 13-34-1-194.
RECEIVING: Camas — Clemmer 2-39, Jackson Preston 1-4, Charlie Bump 2-17, Forner 1-14. Skyview — Cooper Barnum 4-24, Wheeler 2-44, Xavier Owens 2-24, Ahmani Williams 2-33, Micah Baylous 1-2. Baskette 2-67.
