CAMAS — It wasn’t a question of if the Camas girls soccer team could fire up their engine on Thursday.
After all, the team always plays full-throttle.
And after a convincing 5-0 win over Rogers of Puyallup, the Papermakers are one mile further on the road to their goal.
Maddie Kemp scored three goals as Camas won a bi-district playoff game Thursday at Doc Harris Stadium. The victory ensures Camas a berth in the Class 4A state tournament.
That Thursday was a loser-out game didn’t faze the Papermakers, who are looking to build off their third-place finish in state last year.
“I don’t think there was a flipping of the switch because we’ve always played pretty intense,” Camas coach Roland Minder said. “We have a good speed of play. They’re very competitive, every one of them, even in practice.”
Camas (16-0-1) entered Thursday having outscored its opponents 68-1. It’s been a season of consistent dominance for a team that has high goals.
That didn’t change against Rogers (8-7-2), which finished fourth in the South Puget Sound League.
“We want to go all the way,” Kemp said. “We are not settling for anything but first this year.”
Kemp, a sophomore, now has 24 goals on the season. She needed just seven minutes to open the scoring on Thursday. She won a loose ball in the penalty area, then fired a low shot inside the left post from 10 yards.
The Papermakers doubled their lead 11 minutes later. Morgan Winston scored from close range after she controlled a long throw-in by Perrin Belzer.
Leading 2-0 at halftime, Camas never let Rogers threaten as the game went along.
“The second half, we really brought it,” Kemp said.
Kemp added her second goal with 27 minutes to play. She spun, then unleashed a shot from 20 yards by the diving goalkeeper.
Belzer put Camas up 4-0 with 13 minutes left. She hit a corner kick that the goalkeeper could not stop from curling into the goal.
Kemp scored her third goal in the final minute, coolly finishing a one-on-one breakaway.
The Papermakers have one more game in the bi-district playoffs. They travel to Kent on Saturday to face Hazen or Kentridge.
The winner earns a No. 1 seed and would be in line to host two state playoff matches. The loser is a No. 3 seed and would host only in the round of 16.
“Now the real season starts,” Minder said. “You play the season to get to this place.”
CAMAS 5, ROGERS 0
Rogers
Goalkeeper saves — Taryn McCullough 9.
Camas
Goals (assist) — Maddie Kemp (unassisted), Morgan Winston (Perrin Belzer), Kemp (unassisted), Belzer (unassisted), Kemp (unassisted).
Goalkeeper saves — Julia Coombs 3.
Halftime — Camas 2-0
