Skyview football ends skid against Camas

For Camas, it was a streak. For Skyview, a curse. By any name, it’s now over. For the first time since 2011, Skyview football topped Camas with a 38-21 win Sept. 18 at Kiggins Bowl. The Storm had come close recently. Camas won last year’s game on a last-second field goal. In 2022, the Papermakers overcame a 19-point fourth-quarter deficit to win 36-33. Even in a strange post-COVID season in spring 2021, Camas triumphed in double overtime. Not since Sept. 23, 2011 — a span of 15 games — had Skyview solved the Camas riddle. But Sept. 18, the Storm left no doubt. Three long touchdown catches by Adarius Sparrow and David Dudko’s two rushing touchdowns were more than enough support for a Skyview defense that asserted its will. A key member of a linebacking corps that believes it’s among the state’s best, Dudko felt Skyview’s year-over-year progress made a win over Camas a possibility. After practice, the senior believed a win was a certainty. “We knew we had them,” Dudko said. “We were confident from the start.” Dudko helped Skyview strike first. On fourth and 1, he took a direct snap and rushed 30 yards for a touchdown. That was the first big play for a Skyview offense that was without its top running back Kenroy Brown. Brown, a senior who rushed for 268 yards and four touchdowns Skyview’s first two games, missed Friday after suffering a leg injury last week against Ridgefield. But four Skyview running backs combined for 155 yards on 25 carries. That allowed Storm quarterback Dugan Logue to try the occasional deep pass. That was the recipe when Sparrow got behind open for a 43-yard touchdown that put Skyview ahead 14-3. “We ran the ball well, so they were forced to come down in the box and try to stop the run,” Skyview coach Matt Hamlin said. “That really allowed (Sparrow) to be one on one. He’s an explosive player.” Camas pulled within 14-10 with a big defensive play. Blitzing linebacker Nathan Ochirsukh sacked Dudko, knocking the ball free for Braydon Cook’s 14-yard scoop and score. The teams then traded field goals and entered halftime with Skyview ahead 17-10. “We came into the locker room at halftime and were like, it’s 0-0,” Dudko said. “We can’t take a step back. This losing streak had to end.” Camas held the ball for nearly six minutes on the second half’s first drive, but turned the ball over on downs. Skyview responded with a 68-yard drive, all on the ground, capped by Dudko’s 6-yard touchdown that put the Storm ahead 24-13. But Camas punched back. Maxwell Gibson caught four catches for 69 yards on the next drive, including a 12-yard touchdown pass from Ben Druckman. After Gibson caught the 2-point conversion, Camas had pulled within 24-21 with 10:46 to play. That’s when Sparrow struck again. The 180-pound junior hauled in a 76-yard touchdown on the first play of the next drive to instantly recapture the momentum. Sparrow wasn’t surprised how his team responded. “This group has got everything,” he said. “We’ve got the grit.” Skyview’s defense, which allowed 247 yards Friday, forced a stop on the next drive. That set the stage for the game-sealing touchdown as Logue found Sparrow for 42 yards.

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