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Sports

January 1, 2013
Nick Lopes netted 13 points to help the Camas boys basketball team beat Washougal 51-47.

Papermaker boys gain revenge on Panthers

The Camas boys basketball team caught fire in the second half of a tie ball game, while the Washougal boys went ice cold. "We were tired of morale victories," said Camas head coach Skyler Gillispie. "We wanted to go out there, finish strong and win this game." The Papermakers played with more urgency and composure, and were rewarded with a 51-47 victory against their longtime rivals. Camas rallied to tie the score on a 15-9 scoring drive in the second quarter. Nick Lopes and Jordan Lenard attacked the basket and ignited a 17-10 swing for the Papermakers in the third quarter.

January 1, 2013
Washougal's Zach Oster turns Fort Vancouver's Isaiah Johnson on to his back and captures the 113-pound championship at the Washougal River Rumble Saturday.

A day to celebrate Washougal wrestling

With only one match to wrestle Saturday, Zach Oster still made a big splash in the Washougal River Rumble. The sophomore from Washougal High School hooked Fort Vancouver's Isaiah Johnson like a fish out of water and reeled in the 113-pound championship medal. Oster caught Johnson off guard with a single leg takedown and had him trapped. He rolled Johnson over onto his back and pinned his shoulders to the mat. "He was trying to do too much with his hands and wasn't paying attention to his legs," Oster said. "I saw my opportunity and didn't let go." Although he would have loved to wrestle more matches, Oster kept his game face on as he paced through the halls in anticipation for his championship match. As easy as his road was to the finals, it would have been just as easy to lose focus. But this was Oster's opportunity to show what Washougal wrestling was all about and he wanted to get his hand raised.

December 25, 2012
Camas High School senior McKenna Jackson tricks three defenders and passes the ball to an open teammate. The Papermakers beat the Eagles 60-19 Thursday, in the Camas warehouse.

Play with passion

Ferocious defense and relentless rebounding helped the Camas High School girls basketball team defeat Hockinson by 42 points and Hudson's Bay by 41. "Defense leads to offense," said sophomore guard Brenna Khaw. "Our goal is to shut the other team down." The Papermakers disposed of the Eagles 60-19 Thursday. Hudson's Bay never got comfortable in the Camas warehouse. The Papermakers rolled to a 12-5 advantage in the first quarter. The Eagles cut the deficit to nine points by halftime, but then the Papermakers scored the first 13 points in the third quarter before the Eagles could get one back. Camas outscored Bay 23-5 in the third quarter and 15-1 in the fourth. "We were defending better, and that led to a lot of transition baskets for us," said head coach Chuck Knight. "When we get the ball in Brenna’s hands, she's going to find players."

December 25, 2012
Zach Vergillo rolls through the hills during last season's Washougal MX Challenge. High school and middle school students can join the new Washington Student Mountain Bike League. For more information, or to register, log on to www.washingtonleague.org.

A new league for mountain bikers

Like pedals on a bicycle, Ed Fischer and the staff at Camas Bike & Sport understand the importance of youth pumping fresh blood into the heart of their sport. Mountain biking is more than just a business to them, it's a lifestyle they love to share with friends and families. As coaches in the brand new Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance's Washington Student Mountain Bike League, Fischer, his wife Katina, and friends Bill Waring and Dave Webb, help children discover a passion for cycling and teach them to nurture the trails they ride on. "We want to find young and passionate students who can follow in our footsteps and become not just great riders, but stewards as well," Fischer said. "High school students are involved in a lot of activities, and they don't always have the time or the energy to try something new. Younger kids have so much passion, and that's what we want to tap into."

December 25, 2012
Michael McElory climbs the bean stalk and scores a basket for the Washougal boys basketball team.

Washougal Panther spirit shines bright

The Washougal High School girls and boys basketball teams came home for the holidays and defeated Tenino in a doubleheader Wednesday. Eleven ladies put the ball in the basket to help the Panthers beat the Beavers 60-27. Alyssa Blankenship racked up 11 points, seven steals and six rebounds in her first start of the season. Megan Sharp scored 14 points and Megan Townsend grabbed 12 rebounds. "It was a good showing of character by our girls to bounce back after losing two tough games on the road," said Washougal girls head coach Charlie Boyce. Washougal lost to Columbia River 50-45 the day before, and Mountain View 65-54 Dec. 15.

December 18, 2012
Washougal's Austin Tran rolls by Camas defenders Trent Johnson and Drew Clarkson on a pick set by Aaron Deister. The Panthers defeated the Papermakers 59-48 Friday, at Washougal High School.

Panthers pump up the volume on Camas

Those who were inside the Panther jungle gym Friday night will never forget the moment Washougal flipped the switch on Camas. Both boys basketball teams scored eight points in eerie silence. Once the Panthers got to 10, their fans let the Papermakers have it by screaming at the top of their lungs in unison. The sound waves rippled through both towns, and the noise stayed at an ear-piercing volume for hours. "I had never seen so many people in this gym in all the games I have played here," said Washougal senior guard Michael McElroy. "I don't think there ever was a question," added senior forward Aaron Deister. "The crowd brought the energy to us. The fans were quiet at the beginning. We were just waiting for them to erupt. I'll never forget the moment when they did." Washougal defeated Camas 59-48. Austin Tran led the balanced attck for the Panthers with 15 points.

December 18, 2012
Emily McDonald turns the bowling ball loose Wednesday at Big Al's, while Hunter Lytle, Rebekah Curtis, Katie Hull and Porsche Chartrand cheer her on. The Camas girls knocked down a school record 1,764 pins, but it wasn't enough to beat Kelso.

Papermaker bowlers keep crashing pins

Bowling pins were falling for the Camas Papermakers like rows of dominoes Wednesday. Porsche Chartrand, Rebekah Curtis, Emily McDonald, Katie Hull and Hunter Lytle earned several combinations of strikes, splits and spares. As the cheers grew louder with each roll, the Papermakers couldn't wait for their next throw. "I was happy about how the positive energy kept flowing through both games and the baker," Chartrand said. "Once you get that strike streak rolling, it's easy sailing from there."

December 18, 2012
Camas High School senior Jasmin Karlous soars into first place on the uneven bars Saturday, at the Naydenov Gymnastics Center in Vancouver. Karlous finished in second place all-around with 34.05 points. She earned a 9.25 on the floor, a 9.0 on the bars, an 8.6 on the vault and a 7.2 on the beam.

New leaders rise for Camas gymnastics

Aches and pains are the sacrifices for glory in gymnastics. Together, Camas High School seniors Katelynne Jones and Hali Ramirez are unbreakable. "It's kind of cool that we get to be captains. We've been best friends since birth," Jones said. "Although the program has gone through three different coaches in the last three years, the seniors have held on to each other." Jones, Ramirez, Emily Early and Kacee Webb rely on each other for strength. It is their turn to lead returning underclassmen Virginia Duley, Amanda Kitterman, Tamaki Murata and Rachel Rakoski, along with newcomers Jasmin Karlous and Caleigh Lofstead. "What I love about gymnastics is that there is always something you can improve on," Ramirez said. "You never stop working at it. You can always get better."

December 11, 2012
Lucas Ulmer leaves a trail of water droplets in his wake while swimming the 100-meter backstroke for Camas Thursday, at David Douglas High School in Portland, Ore. Ulmer earned second place in the backstroke and the butterfly events.

Swimmers head upstream in new surroundings

The Camas High School boys swimmers are not afraid of their new surroundings in the 4A Greater St. Helens League. All it takes is a backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly or freestyle to make ripples across the landscape. Seniors Jake Yraceburu, Nick Panebianco, Trent Harimoto, Seth Albert, Alec Geenty, Jeffery Lee and Ian Walker designed a swimming tradition in Camas. Although the Papermakers are in the largest classification in Washington, their goals continue to grow. They want to win the league and district titles, and become a top five team at the state championship meet. "I love racing at districts and state, and seeing all those hardworking mornings and afternoons paying off," Harimoto said. "Don't hold back in your races. That little extra effort of pain will be gone in a minute, but the results and the memories you get will last a lifetime."

December 11, 2012
Austin Miller hyperextends his opponent Friday, at La Center High School. Miller and the Camas Papermakers won both matches.

Camas wrestling gets cracking in new league

It's been two weeks since Vince Huber played football in the Tacoma Dome. Today, he is working for an opportunity to go back as a wrestler. :Every wrestler from this state dreams of making it to the dome," he said. "I definitely want to get back there. It's such an electric atmosphere. I'm reflecting on my last season of wrestling and channelling all my experiences from football on the mat." Football has always been first in Huber's life, but wrestling is becoming a close second. His sweat on the mat made him more balanced and conditioned on the field. The Camas High School senior also developed friendships with seniors Andrew Duffy, Anthony Grable, Austin Miller and Dakota Safford. Their goal is to contend with Battle Ground, Evergreen, Heritage and Union for the top spot in the 4A Greater St. Helens League.