Papermakers celebrate the holiday by inviting former players to watch practice and visit with this year’s players as the 2024 team prepares to play in Saturday’s Class 4A semifinal

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

Today’s Papermakers gave thanks to the Papermakers of yesterday, while the football players of the past celebrated the present.

Football practice on Thanksgiving Day is special for any high school team in Washington. For players who are practicing on the holiday, it means their teams have reached the state semifinals in their classification.

At Camas High School for Thanksgiving 2024, the Papermakers not only practiced, but they invited any and all Camas football alumni to watch the practice and visit with the players.

“I think it’s important for me to meet them. I think it’s important for me to be able to connect with those guys,” said Camas coach Adam Mathieson. 

Mathieson has been part of the Camas program for two seasons, and this is his first season as the head coach. But many of his assistant coaches have been with the Papermakers for years and were there when Camas became … well, Camas.

Tony Gennaro, the quarterback of the first Camas football team to make the state semifinals back in 2011, showed up to offer his support.

So, too, did Reilly Hennessey, the quarterback who led the Papermakers to their first state championship game in 2013. Hennessey, by the way, still plays professional American football in Germany.

There were also players who graduated in the 1970s and the 1960s, as well as players from the state championship teams in 2016 and 2019. In all, about 40 former Papermakers, representing teams from the past seven decades, visited the practice field Thursday.

“That’s the neat thing about football,” Mathieson said. “Even if a coach changes, (the alumni) are still a huge part of why we’re here.”

Mathieson said he wants his players “to understand that the past has shaped them, and we’re also now shaping the future.”

Gennaro said he appreciated the invite.

“This coach wants to get involved in the community and bring us all back,” said Gennaro, who is molecular bioscience researcher at WSU Vancouver. “Not only that, it’s awesome to celebrate a semifinal Camas team. It’s special.” 

The team hit the field about 9 a.m. Thursday.

“This is huge,” said senior Anthony Forner. “We talked about it at the start of the year. All of us wanted to make it to Thanksgiving practice. We even have alumni showing up. It’s a community thing. It’s huge. We know we made it to this checkpoint. We just have a little left to go, and we’re all on board.”

That includes twin brother Jared Forner.

“It’s one of the moments you’ll never forget,” Jared said. “Making it here is something bigger than just a practice. You’re here with your family, and you get to go see your family after. It’s a big deal.”

Senior lineman Gabriel Palomo was extra motivated to be working on the holiday with the Papermakers.

“I’m thankful for these boys. It means a lot to be together on Thanksgiving,” he said.

Mathieson was the longtime coach at Mountain View. He guided the Thunder to the state semifinals in 2018. He was also on staff at Ferndale for a final four appearance.

“When you grow up in the state of Washington, it’s super special,” Mathieson said of practicing on the holiday. “Thanksgiving is about family and friends and connectivity. So you get to spend your morning with your football family and the afternoon with your home family. It’s a special day in the state of Washington. A number of coaches have reached out to me to say ‘Happy Thanksgiving.’ It means a lot.”

Camas went to the semifinals in 2011 and 2012, then reached the state championship game in 2013. The Papermakers won their first state title in 2016, then won another state title in 2019. 

There was no 2020 playoff and just an abbreviated season during the pandemic. Since then, Camas was always a playoff team but did not reach the final four in the past three seasons.

This is a return to glory, Palomo said.

“We’re trying to bring back this legacy,” Palomo said. “We’re trying to make a stand on what we’re doing here in the southern part of Washington. We want to show the state that we can make it to the top.”

And these Papermakers want to share that experience with former Papermakers.

What next

Camas, the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A state playoffs, will take on No. 5 Gonzaga Prep of Spokane at 1 p.m. Saturday at McKenzie Stadium. Tickets can be purchased online: https://gofan.co/event/2346293?schoolId=WIAA&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=WA_wiaa

It is the first of two games at McKenzie featuring talented Clark County teams.

Also practicing on Thursday was Seton Catholic, the No. 2 seed in Class 1A.

The Cougars will play No. 6 Montesano at 4 p.m. Saturday at McKenzie Stadium. Tickets for the 1A game can be purchased online: https://gofan.co/event/2346288?schoolId=WIAA&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=WA_wiaa