Camas beats Union 17-7 to win 4A GSHL title

It’s about to get serious for the Camas Papermakers.

When the Papermakers play their next football game, it will be November. And that means playoff time.

Perhaps what’s scariest for Camas is that after nine weeks of regular-season football, including Friday’s 17-7 victory Friday over Union to clinch another 4A Greater St. Helens League title and a much-talked-about 0-4 start to the season, players and coaches still believe they haven’t reached their peak yet.

“It’s crazy, I’m overwhelmed,” senior receiver and defensive back Mark Thorkelson said. “It’s so exciting to be able to say we’re league champions and to be able to go onto the playoffs.

“We’re here to win, and we’re not going to stop right here.”

Camas (5-4 overall) is now winners of five straight.

Just like it did in 2019 on its way to an undefeated state championship season, Camas captured the 4A GSHL title outright and joins Skyview as the league’s two postseason representatives. A newly formed committee will determine Week 10 state preliminary round matchups Sunday.

After starting 0-4 against a stiff schedule of Oregon 6A opponents that entered Friday with a combined 32-2 record, Camas has allowed 10.6 points per game since then, including giving up just one touchdown in four of its past five games.

The past two weeks have been identical winning scores of 17-7 — allowing one touchdown apiece to both Skyview and Union.

Friday against the Titans (6-3), Camas’ defense made two interceptions, had a fumble recovery and a sack in the endzone for a safety while allowing Union inside the redzone just once in the second half.

Jon Schultz’s 165 yards rushing on 37 carries sparked the offense.

The Papermakers never trailed after Sam Stark’s 16-yard touchdown reception in the closing seconds of the first half to make a 12-7 lead at halftime.

Thorkelson’s interception and big return a series earlier gave Camas’ offense short field position at the Union 25. Nine of their 12 first-half points came off plays set up by the defense deep in Union territory.

And what impressed Thorkelson most from the defense’s performance is not allowing the deep ball.

Statistically, Union’s longest pass play was 17 yards, and had two offensive drives start at its own 1-yard line.

Notre Dame-bound receiver Tobias Merriweather had five catches for 58 yards in his final high school game for the Titans. Jaydon Jones led Union with 98 yards on 17 carries and their second-quarter 1-yard rushing touchdown.

“That helped us so much,” Thorkelson said of coverage in the secondary. “We practiced that and we locked down and did what we had to do.”

Union lost starting linebacker Kellen Milliken (knee) and quarterback Mitch Ratigan (shoulder) to injury. Ratigan’s injury came on a sack in the endzone for a safety with 4:16 left in the third quarter which pushed Camas’ lead to 14-7. Ethan Ouchi went 3-for-3 on field goals of 33, 28 and 26 yards.

CAMAS 17, UNION 7

Camas 0 12 2 3—17

Union 0 7 0 0—7

Second quarter

C — Ethan Ouchi 33 FG

U — Jaydon Jones 1 run (kick good)

C — Ouchi 26 FG

C — Sam Stark 15 pass from Taylor Ioane (conversion failed)

Third quarter

U — Safety, quarterback tackled in endzone

Fourth quarter

C — FG, Ouchi 28

Individual statistics

RUSHING — Camas: Jon Schultz 37-165, Taylor Ioane 8-6, Luke Jamison 4-8, Jairus Phillips 2-6; Union: Jaydon Jones 19-92, Marques Cantu 4-3, Mitch Ratigan 2-5, Tobias Merriweather 1-1, Tyson Fuehrer 4-10, Toby Smoot 1-3.

PASSING — Camas: Taylor Ioane 7-18-0-70; Union: Mitch Ratigan 9-19-2-65, Tyson Fuehrer 6-11-0-50.

RECEIVING — Camas: Zach Blair 4-41, Chase Howington 1-0, Nathan Criddle 1-13, Sam Stark 1-16; Union: Tobias Merriweather 5-58, Korey Bozovich 4-51, Jaydon Jones 3-7, LIam Boyce 1-1, Toby Smoot 2-16.