Dan Trujillo
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On the sidelines: Ahead of the curve
Click here for updates on the Camas and Washougal athletes as they continue their quest toward state this week.
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- by Dan Trujillo
- May 16, 2012
Washougal boys soccer gets to state for the first time in 11 seasons
Today is the day six Washougal High School seniors have been dreaming about for four years.
Zach Boland, Caleb Howard, Sam O'Hara, Jeremiah Palmer and Colton Sullivan never made it to the playoffs in football, so they focused all of their attention on soccer.
"We've all been working toward this moment for pretty much the whole year, and in previous years too," Boland said. "I trust my teammates with my life."
"When I say these guys are my brothers, I view them as that," O'Hara added. "We grew up together in this town and we all care about this community. I just feel lucky to be around this great group of guys all through high school."
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- by Dan Trujillo
- May 15, 2012
Camas boys soccer reaches state for the 14th year in a row
Tradition continued for the Camas boys soccer team Saturday.
Giving up the lead to Bonney Lake in the last 20 minutes put the Papermakers on the hot seat, but then Roldan Alcobendas took his coaches and teammates for a cool ride by kicking the ball into the back of the net in the final 4 minutes, 27 seconds.
"I just tried to find an opening and put all I had left into that shot," Alcobendas said. "Thankfully, it went in."
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- by Dan Trujillo
- May 15, 2012
Papermaker softball team is playing for more prizes
After becoming league and district champions in the same season for the first time in school history, the Camas softball players are determined to go the distance.
On Friday at 4 p.m., the Papermakers play Capital or Bonney Lake in the quarterfinals of the bi-district tournament at the Sprinkler Center in Tacoma. And that is the only game that matters to them.
"We can't look too far ahead. Just take things inning by inning and pitch by pitch," said senior pitcher and infielder Sarah Nidick. "If we take care of that first goal and win that first game we're going to state, which is the ultimate goal."
Camas (17-3) was in this same position in 2011 and failed to capitalize. The opportunity to rewrite history in 2012 makes this the most important week of the season for the Papermakers.
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- by Dan Trujillo
- May 15, 2012
Efraimson turning heads
Still just a freshman, Alexa Efraimson is breaking school records for Camas every time she steps on the track.
On Friday at the Nike Jesuit Relays in Beaverton, Ore., Efraimson finished first in the 1,500-meter elite run with a time of 4 minutes, 23.41 seconds.
"I've really pushed myself to times I never thought I could reach until I was a senior," Efraimson said. "It makes me realize how fortunate I am to have the talent I have and the capability I have. I hope it just gets better with time."
Head coach Alisa Wise said Efraimson dropped about 10 seconds off her winning time at the Oregon Relays, April 21. It is also the second fastest 1,500 in the nation.
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- by Dan Trujillo
- May 8, 2012
WHS track achieves league titles
The Washougal track and field athletes came home from Longview May 1 with crowns on their heads.
It was a special way to symbolize league championships for both teams. The girls finished first in league for the fourth year in a row, and the boys rose to the top of pile for the first time since the 2000 season.
"It was a very loud bus ride home. That's all I can say," said junior Joe Harris. "It's just really cool to be the league champions. It shows that working hard in our events and helping others has such a good outcome."
The Panther boys defeated Mark Morris 77-68. Isaac Bischoff grabbed first in the discus (125 feet, 6 inches) and shot put (41-7). Nathan Milojevic clinched first in the javelin (135-7) and the pole vault (12 feet).
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- by Dan Trujillo
- May 8, 2012
Chasing destiny
Destiny was on the side of the Washougal soccer family Saturday, at Fishback Stadium.
The Panthers snagged a 2-1 victory against the Aberdeen Bobcats in the quarterfinals of the district tournament.
Goals by sophomores Spencer Carnera and Elesey Razumovskiy gave the Panthers a 2-0 advantage with 23 minutes to go. Five minutes later, Aberdeen put a ball in the net and threatened to tie the game on two penalty kick attempts. Senior goalkeeper Caleb Howard dove left and deflected the first attempt. The last shot by the Bobcats hit the crossbar with 17 seconds left.
"If I block this, we win the game. It hit the bar, but I was right there," Howard said. "It wasn't just me. My whole team got together and scored those goals. We came out fierce and we fought for this win like a family. I'm going to remember every moment. These guys are my brothers."
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- by Dan Trujillo
- May 8, 2012
Camas softball snags elusive league title
Winning a league championship has been a rallying cry for the Camas softball team all season long.
On Monday, they captured that elusive title for the first time in 10 years.
"I don't think words can describe how amazing it feels," said senior center fielder Cali Mulholland. "It really shows how much hard work pays off. It wasn't always easy, but our love for the game kept us going. Everybody on this team has the passion. You can see it when we step out on the field."
The Papermakers showed plenty of desire Monday, and defeated Kelso 2-1 for their first league title since 2002.
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- by Dan Trujillo
- May 8, 2012
Prairie softball rattles Camas in rematch
The Camas softball team took one on the chin Monday, at Prairie.
After the Falcons tied the game up at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth, the Papermakers loaded the bases and Cailyn Grindy came off the bench and delivered a pinch hit 2-run single into left center to give Camas a 6-4 advantage. But those pesky Prairie batters nibbled for three runs in the last two innings to win the game 7-6.
"You want to try and get a lead on them early and keep adding on," said Camas head coach Ken Nidick. "I don't think there's ever a comfortable lead against them because they have so many quality hitters. And so do we. The fact that we can play at a high level like Prairie has for so many years shows the growth of our program."
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- by Dan Trujillo
- May 1, 2012
Austin Barr has more career hits than any Camas baseball player
As Austin Barr rounded the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning, it felt like it was going to be a better day for the Camas baseball team Friday.
But then Mountain View scored four runs in the bottom of the first to put the Papermakers in another hole they could not dig themselves out of. On Thursday, the Thunder shocked the Papermakers with a 10-0 victory on the Camas field. On Friday, they defeated the Papermakers 7-2 on their home field to capture the league championship.
"It definitely hurts. You get that choked up feeling in your throat after two tough losses," Barr said. "The important thing to remember is, we're not done yet. As much as this hurts right now, we can get another shot at Mountain View if we come back and play a great game on Wednesday. That's what we want."
Camas (12-5) has already locked up a spot in the bi-district tournament. This week is about redemption and playing for a higher seed in the district tournament. On Wednesday at Propstra Park, the Papermakers will play in the semifinal game at 4 p.m. If they win, they get another crack at Mountain View in the championship game Thursday at 4 p.m.
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- by Dan Trujillo
- May 1, 2012
