Papermakers turn 7-7 game into rout over 3 minutes, 16 seconds of fourth quarter

A week after being shut out, the Camas Papermakers offense came to life in a span of 3 minutes and 16 seconds of the fourth quarter.

Three touchdowns off three turnovers by the Coeur d’Alene Vikings helped the Papermakers pull away with a 26-7 victory over the visitors from Idaho on Friday at Doc Harris Stadium.

The non-league game was deadlocked at 7-7 going into the fourth quarter with the Vikings lining up for a 38-yard field goal attempt.

The kick was blocked, and that seemed to turn a corner for the Papermakers (3-2), who lost 41-0 last week at Oregon 6A powerhouse West Linn.

Camas senior defensive lineman Jack Roberts said the spark was lit during halftime when assistant coach Jack Hathaway pulled him and fellow senior lineman Spencer Perley aside.

“He said we need to work hard and bring the juice,” Roberts said. “It worked.”

Added Perley: “We became a team in that last quarter. We finished the game and really came together.”

After blocking the field goal try, Camas went 80 yards capped by senior quarterback Tyson Ruggiero’s 33-yard swing pass to Charlie Barr, who ran toward the sideline, took a push in the back from the Vikings’ Daniel Shoup and was still able to tight-roped his way to the end zone, finishing with a dive that knocked over the pylon.

“I just didn’t want to go down,” said Barr, who caught seven passes for 90 yards and two TDs. “I wanted to step up and help us get the win. It felt great.”

That touchdown gave Camas a 14-7 lead it wouldn’t give back.

But there was more.

The Vikings fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Camas recovered at the Vikings’ 12-yard line.

On second down, Ruggiero ran it from there for a 20-7 Camas lead.

And there was one more.

Again, the Vikings fumbled the kickoff, but recovered. Their second-down play, however, was a lost fumble with Camas recovering on the Vikings’ 37.

Thor Brody, who rushed 32 times for 134 yards, popped through a hole in the line for a 32-yard gain. Three plays later he was in the end zone after a 7-yard run.

“Today felt different. Today our team was all together. Special teams, defensive line and offensive line. We just wanted it more,” Brody said. “The O-line never looked so good. They set us up so well.”

Ruggiero was 12 of 26 passing for 122 yards and two touchdowns plus his one rushing TD. His 19-yard pass to Barr in the corner of the end zone put Camas on the scoreboard first.

Coeur d’Alene (3-3) answered thanks to blocking a Camas punt and getting a big bounce back and downing the ball at the Camas 20-yard line for a net 9-yard punt.

One play later, quarterback Tannar Stern ran it in to tie the game at 7-7.

It would stay that way until 9:33 to play in the game.

“We were told we’ve got to respond and how we respond will determine how the season goes,” Ruggiero said of how the Papermakers recovered from last week’s loss. “We definitely responded and will take this momentum into the rest of the season.”