Camas becomes first football team to shut out Union

The Union Titanic could not withstand the Camas typhoon.

The Papermakers earned a 22-0 victory against their cross town rivals Friday night, at McKenzie Stadium in Vancouver. Camas became the first football team to shut out Union since the school opened in 2007.

“All 11 guys played to the ball on every play. I couldn’t ask for more from my teammates,” said senior linebacker Colton Dowd. “This win was for all those past alums who lost to Union. It was unlike any other game.”

For starters, the Papermakers and Titans had to adjust to the first rainfall of the season. Bad snaps and fumbles humbled both teams in the first quarter, but Camas broke through the dam when Zach Eagle snagged a pass from Reilly Hennessey out in the open and plunged into the end zone.

“It was a pretty wet night. I think they expected us to run, but we caught them off guard,” Eagle said. “Reilly got it to me and the O-line held their blocks. I had some open space and wanted to see what I could do with it.”

The Papermakers had to settle for just six points on that play, after a bad snap on the extra-point kick. Union had an opportunity to tie the game and possibly take the lead on their next possession. The Titans charged into Camas territory after a couple of first downs. They were about 30 yards away from the end zone when Eagle stripped the ball from the handler and dove on top of it. The crowd was on edge as the officials waded through the sea of bodies, but Eagle was at the bottom of the pile with the ball.

“Those guys were trying to grab the ball from me,” he said. “I just had to hold on to it, no matter what.”

The Papermakers took their 6-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. Before they returned to the field, head coach Jon Eagle delivered a heart felt message.

“Go out there and get a stop. Show them what Papermaker football is all about,” he said. “A lot of people came here to watch you play. Let’s not let them down.”

Camas kicked off to Union to start the third quarter. It wasn’t long before the Titans were facing fourth and long. On the next snap, Vince Huber got to the Union quarterback and brought him down for a loss of yards. The Titans had no choice but to punt it away again.

“Words can’t describe the happiness I feel inside of me,” Huber said. “Happiness for my brothers and my hometown.”

Union could not get any closer to the end zone, while Camas added 16 more points.

Eagle grabbed another short pass from Hennessey, weaved around the defenders and took off down the sidelines. He was tackled from behind at the 1-yard line. On the next snap, John Norcross dove through the hole created by his offensive linemen and landed in the end zone for a touchdown.

“I’ve got some bumps and bruises, but I don’t think anything can dampen my spirits right now,” Norcross said. “I’ve played with a lot of these guys since fourth or fifth grade. You don’t want anybody else out there but your football brothers.”

Roldan Alcobendas kicked a 41-yard field goal, and Hennessey had a 20-yard touchdown run. Eagle added an interception to his touchdown catch, forced fumble and recovery. Norcross and Jack Beall also scooped up fumbles. Connor Maloney, Jason Vailea, Nick Gadbaw, Norcross and Dowd delivered some ear shattering hits on defense.

Camas (7-0) returns to McKenzie Stadium on Friday to play Heritage. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. The Papermakers then host Battle Ground for their Homecoming game on Friday, Oct. 26.

“Every team has a chance to beat us,” Dowd said. “As long as we can continue to play Camas football, I feel good about what the result will be when the clock hits zero in the fourth quarter.”