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September 3, 2011
On the sidelines: Football opening night 2011
It's not every year that Camas and Washougal both open the season at home. I siezed it by attending both games.
It's not every year that Camas and Washougal both open the season at home. I siezed it by attending both games.
Friday's rematch between the Camas and Timberline high school football teams will not be played in the home of the Seattle Seahawks, but don't expect the energy to be subdued.
On Sunday, Sept. 25, two Alumni Football USA games are going to be played at Fishback Stadium in Washougal. Washington State Director Phil Weber is looking for former Camas, Washougal, Heritage and Battle Ground high school students to play against each other. The games are open to all alumni in their late teens, 20's, 30's, 40's and up. Alumni Football USA supplies all of the equipment and officials. "This is all about giving these guys one more chance to play football," Weber said. "It will be the time of their lives."
Sept. 3, 2010, is the day football fever infected Washougal. On that fateful evening at Kiggins Bowl in downtown Vancouver, Sam O'Hara snagged a game-winning touchdown pass from Colton Sullivan in the final seconds of the game to lead the Panthers to a 10-7 victory over the hometown favored Hudson's Bay Eagles.
John Russell loves telling fishing stories. "I'm an albacore fisherman," he said. "I could tell you I caught 22 of them in one day, but you probably wouldn't believe me." Russell said he hooked a 115-pound halibut at the tender age of 88. He also caught two, 100-pound tunas during a fishing trip to Hawaii. "Anybody can fish. My favorite part is catching them," Russell said. "Whether that's paying attention to what's going on, pushing the other guy out of the way or cutting the other guy's fishing line."
America's Vancouver will never be the same. Hundreds of hockey fans from both sides of the Columbia River, including Camas and Washougal, ventured to the Mountain View Ice Arena Wednesday to hug and kiss the Stanley Cup. The line to see the trophy started forming at 12:30 p.m. In just a few short hours, it stretched from the viewing area above the ice rink, down the stairs, out of the door, and wrapped around the back of the building. "This is quite an opportunity we know not a lot people get to have," said Mountain View Ice Arena General Manager Bob Knoerl. "You don't say 'no' to the Stanley Cup. It's one of the most well-travelled and respected trophies in the world of professional sports."
Two Camas youth leaders have been named the coaches of the Clark College softball program. Head coach Ty Singleton and associate head coach Ted Buck are excited to share their passion for athletics and education with Penguins in 2012 and beyond.
The fifth Tom Wallenborn Golf Classic returns to Camas Meadows Saturday, Sept. 17, with a shotgun start at 9 a.m.
New Clark College Athletic Director Charles Guthrie is on the opposite side of the country from his hometown of Albany, N.Y., but he said living in Camas feels strangely like being back home. "I love how kind and genuine people are here. They are really passionate about this institution and this community. It's a nice change of pace after working in bigger metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles and San Diego, where people don't have that same sense of community," Guthrie said. "This area is more similar to where I grew up, where everybody knows your name. I feel like I have come full circle."
If Nancy Russell was still alive today, looking out at Columbia River Gorge from her new viewpoint at Cape Horn would have given her chills. More than 300 guests felt her presence during a dedication in her honor Saturday. The morning mist hitting their faces felt like tears of joy. And as each guest shared their story about Nancy, the fog lifted and everybody could see east for miles.