Papermakers persevere against Mountain View

The Camas Papermakers took the first step toward what they hope will become a Class 3A Greater St. Helens League championship.

They also found out that the league title will not simply be given to them, despite that No. 3 state ranking by The Seattle Times.

Zack Marshall had his second consecutive strong game, rushing for 129 yards and three touchdowns Friday night, leading the Papermakers to a 27-14 victory over the Mountain View Thunder at McKenzie Stadium.

But the post-game celebration was a bit muted.

The Papermakers acknowledged their attitudes were sketchy, at best. And they were humbled, at times, by the Thunder.

Just ask them.

“We were just getting real full of ourselves,” said senior Ikaika Gunderson. “We were getting really cocky, and we weren’t playing how we should be playing.”

The Papermakers took control on the scoreboard early.

However, the Thunder seemed to be always a play or two away from getting back in the game. And it was the Thunder who led on the stat sheet.

“No. 1, tip your hat to Mountain View,” Camas coach Jon Eagle said. “They had a good game plan. They controlled the ball. They moved the ball.”

At the same time, Eagle was disappointed with his team’s preparation for Week 2 of the season, a week after a win in the Emerald City Kickoff Classic in Seattle.

“You win a big game and you start listening to how good your are. Then you think all you have to do is show up,” Eagle said.

His players got the message, in the form of Mountain View’s rushing attack, which gained 274 yards.

“We just didn’t finish the game the way we should have finished it,” Gunderson explained.

But there is a benefit to the way the game played out, the Papermakers say. After all, it was a win in league play. It is always better to learn a lesson with a win rather than a loss.

“This will just make us stronger in practice,” Gunderson said.

“It’s a good time to check ourselves,” said senior Jeremy Faulkner, who had a key interception to end one of Mountain View’s second-half threats. “Practice next week needs to be a lot better.”

Marshall scored two touchdowns in the first half, giving the Papermakers a 20-0 lead. In the third quarter, he had his own personal 73-yard drive, his number called five consecutive times. That last carry went for a 22-yard touchdown and a 27-7 lead.

That gave him six touchdowns in two weeks.

“It’s just been so great. All that hard work you put in in the summer and to come out like this,” Marshall said. “Not just me, but the offensive line and the receivers are blocking. I have to thank them. They were blocking out of their minds.”

That third touchdown by Marshall gave the Papermakers some breathing room. And with the way the Thunder were playing, it was needed.

Mountain View got on the board with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Hansen to P.J. Jones to make it 20-7 with a minute to play in the first half.

The Thunder then got the ball first in the second half and looked to be on their way to another score. A 15-play drive was thwarted, though, by Faulkner’s interception.

“That was definitely a comeback-stopper,” Faulkner said.

Marshall responded with his five-play TD drive for the three-TD advantage.

The game opened like it would become a Camas rout.

Gunderson caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Logan Grindy, and Marshall scored from a yard out to give the Papermakers a 13-0 lead after the first quarter. It was 20-0 within the first minute of the second quarter.

But from that point, the Thunder controlled the ball. Jones finished with 93 yards on 16 carries, and four Thunder ball carriers gained at least 50 yards. Mountain View had 327 yards of offense to Camas’ 292.

Mountain View’s Sterling Reynolds capped the game’s scoring with a 25-yard touchdown run in the closing seconds.

Camas defensive lineman Erik Clay, who had a sack and another tackle-for-loss in the game, said he and his teammates need to get better. He also said he appreciated his coach’s words in the post-game talk.

“He doesn’t want us to get arrogant,” Clay said. “We may be good, but we have to play good, too.”

Even Marshall, with his big game, understood the Papermakers have not achieved much this season. At least not yet.

“This is great to win, but it’s just the beginning,” he said. “Our motto is ‘Keep Climbing.’ That’s what we’ve got to do.”

CAMAS 27, MOUNTAIN VIEW 14

Camas 13 7 7 0—27

Mountain View 0 7 0 7—14

First quarter

Cam — Ikaika Gunderson 5 pass from Logan Grindy (Dylan Stoller kick)

Cam — Zack Marshall 1 run (kick failed)

Second quarter

Cam — Marshall 35 run (Stoller kick)

MV — P.J. Jones 22 pass from Ryan Hansen (Chavo Camargo kick)

Third quarter

Cam — Marshall 22 run (Stoller kick)

Fourth quarter

MV — Sterling Reynolds 25 run (Camargo kick)

Leaders

Rushing — Camas: Marshall 12-129, Addison Owen 5-23; Mountain View: Jones 16-93, Reynolds 7-80, Hansen 12-51, Dylan Petersen 14-50.

Passing — Camas: Grindy 12-19-0-126; Mountain View: Hansen 5-12-1-53.

Receiving — Camas: Miguel Salamanca 3-36, Marshall 2-28, Jonathan Warner 2-21, Zach Anderson 2-16, Kyle Ervin 1-13, Jeremy Faulkner 1-7, Gunderson 1-5; Mountain View: Jones 2-23, Josh Parker 1-11, Petersen 1-10, Dean Koba 1-9.