The Camas-Washougal Lightning Junior Babe Ruth baseball team beat Pasco 13-12 Friday to advance to bracket play in the Southwest Washington Babe Ruth state tournament, at Wheeler Field in Centralia.
Racing fans of the 40-year-old Washougal Motocross Park had never seen so many twists and turns, until Ryan Dungey and Ryan Villopoto took the stage Saturday.
When Sport Road Trip Co-Founders Casey Johnson of Washougal and Michael Walsh of Vancouver returned home July 2, the odometer on their 2011 Lincoln MKX read 7,003.1 miles. The vehicle, provided specifically for the trip by Foothills Lincoln Mazda in Spokane, took the two Boise State University graduate students to 23 different states, 11 Major League Baseball ballparks, five minor league games and the U.S. Open Golf Championship in 25 days. "Once you get past the Midwest, it feels like you're getting closer to home," Johnson said. "There's just something special about the Northwest, especially when you drive back through Montana, Idaho and the Columbia River Gorge. I've lived here my whole life. This is home for me."
Ralph and Carolyn Huffman have the biggest backyard in Washougal, and they don't mind sharing it with tens of thousands of racing fans around the world. Since the 1970s, the Washougal Motocross Park has attracted thrill seekers on wheels with its hairpin turns, hang time jumps and breathtaking scenery. Forty years later, the community support and the international flavor for this iconic landmark near the Washougal River continues to grow. "A lot of riders say there's not a more beautiful track on the circuit," said track manager Ryan Huffman, son of Ralph and Carolyn. "We are grateful for our loyal following of fans, riders and their families who travel from all parts of the globe to spend the whole week out here with us.
Clash at the Border weekend in Camas featured a return to greatness for Camas High School graduates Brent Richards and Nick Palodichuk. A total of 2,453 soccer fans packed Doc Harris Stadium Friday night, to see Richards, Palodichuk and the U-23 Portland Timbers take on the Abbotsford Mariners of British Columbia, Canada. Richards netted a penalty kick goal for the Timbers in the 37th minute, before Abbotsford bounced back to win the game by the score of 2-1. Palodichuk was the first one to congratulate Richards after his goal.
State wrestling champion Miguel Salamanca may have been a step slower in his return to the gridiron Saturday, but it sure felt good to get out in the open again with a football in his hands. "I had a little rust to knock off," he said. "It felt really good to put the pads back on, and to hit some people. It was fun getting everyone back together for one more game of football."
One more week of high school football starts today for the 83 graduates selected to play in Saturday's Freedom Bowl Classic, at Kiggins Bowl. Eight of these athletes are from Camas, and two more are from Washougal. These proud Panthers and Papermakers will put their differences aside and work together to raise money and awareness for the children of Shriner's Hospital. "One of the things you learn is life's a lot bigger than football. Not everybody is dealt the same cards," said East All-Stars head coach Bob Jacobs of Washougal. "There are a bunch of kids in that hospital who would love the opportunity to be able to play football. In some ways, we are playing for them."
In his final start on the mound for the Papermakers, Taylor Williams pitched seven innings at Safeco Field. The 2010 Camas High School graduate remembers that moment like it was yesterday, but said it doesn't even compare to the one he had eight days ago. On that day, the 19-year-old was popping the glove at Fenway Park. "Having the opportunity to pitch at Fenway, which is known as the 'Cathedral of Stadiums,' is something you dream about," Williams said. "You can't help but think about the history that surrounds that ballpark, and all of the greats who have played there. To be on the same field and in the same spot as those guys is something nobody can take away from you."
After three days of thinking and doing nothing but football, the Camas High School athletes and coaches are feeling more like a family. A total of 72 Papermakers tasted life on a college campus by attending the Oregon State University football camp, June 24 to 27, in Corvallis. The boys stayed overnight in a dorm room and threw the ball around Reser Stadium, one of the premier college football fields in the Pacific Northwest. Wide receiver Jonathan Warner, a senior for the Papermakers next fall, was invited for a personal workout in front of Beavers head coach Mike Riley.
Approximately 120 youth soccer teams from throughout Washington and Oregon are expected to arrive next week in Camas and Washougal, to participate in the "Clash at the Border" tournament. The ninth annual competition, involving more than 1,900 soccer players, will be held Friday, July 8, through Sunday, July 10, at several local fields including Doc Harris Stadium and complex, Cardon Field at Camas High School, Harmony Sports Complex, the JD Zellerbach Administration Building, Dorothy Fox and Prune Hill elementary schools, Skyridge Middle School and Nautilus, in Vancouver.
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