SEATTLE — The final football game of their high school careers didn’t end the way they envisioned it.
But as the final seconds ticked off the clock in Sumner’s 27-24 win over Camas in the Class 4A state football championship game on Saturday, there was no doubt the seniors of the Camas Papermakers left everything they had on the field at Husky Stadium.
Sumner drove down the field tied at 24-24 to set up Austin Ferencz’s game-winning, 21-yard field goal as time expired, sealing the Spartans’ first state championship in 47 years.
It was Camas’ first state championship appearance since winning the title five years to the day in 2019, before any of the Papermakers’ current players were in high school.
“Since we got into high school, man, we’ve talked about this moment, this game,” Camas linebacker Beau Harlan said.
“I love these guys with all my heart and they’re my best friends. Since I was four, five, six years old playing football with them, we dreamt about this moment. It’s not how we dreamt of it, but, you know, I think things happen for a reason, … We played the best we could.”
Ferencz and the Spartans had the final say in a back-and-forth battle between two heavyweight programs.
The Papermakers got to that point with countless timely plays from their seniors.
In the second quarter, tight end Nikko Speer made a twisting, one-handed catch from quarterback Jake Davidson for a 9-yard touchdown, sending Camas to halftime in a 7-7 tie with Sumner.
Midway through the third quarter, much like last week’s state semifinal game against Gonzaga Prep, senior receiver Chase McGee ignited the Papermakers’ offense.
First, he went up against Sumner’s Israel Nabors for a contested catch and came down with a game-tying 39-yard touchdown catch.
On Camas’ next drive, Davidson threw a screen pass to his left for McGee, who got behind his blockers and broke free for a 62-yard touchdown, giving the Papermakers their first lead, 21-17. McGee finished with a team-high nine catches and 144 receiving yards.
“Honestly, I couldn’t be doing those (plays) without the O-line,” McGee said. “On that screen play where I broke out, I think I had maybe six guys blocking for me, making crucial blocks. I just give it all to the team.”
One of those blockers was senior offensive lineman Ryan Criddle.
“It’s an honor being able to block for him,” Criddle said, “and then seeing him run down the sideline, it’s really special to have big players step up in big moments.”
The Papermakers also came up with an important goal-line stand nearing the end of the third quarter when Sumner reached the Camas 1-yard line after Nate Donavon’s 34-yard pass to Kainoa Grounds.
Harlan burst through the Spartans’ line on back-to-back plays to tackle Sumner running back Steele Isaacs for negative yardage. On fourth-and-goal from the 5-yard line, senior Jared Forner made a tackle on a short Sumner pass to turn the Spartans over on downs.
“It felt like we were playing how we were supposed to be playing,” Harlan said. “Go back to Gonzaga Prep (last week) and things came together, and today they didn’t. I think we played awesome against GPrep, I think we played awesome today, it’s just, the cards didn’t fall in our favor.”
Moments like the fourth-down stop were proof of a group leaving it all out on the field. Camas coach Adam Mathieson had a similar impression after the game.
In his first year as the Papermakers’ head coach, Mathieson spoke highly of the senior group he inherited and made for an easy transition by welcoming him with open arms.
“They’re a special group, they’re special young men and they’re going to be special people,” Mathieson said. “I feel fortunate and very blessed to be impacted by them. They left a lasting impact on me as well, they allowed me to enter into their family and be part of it. So, I’m thankful for the journey.”
The feeling was mutual for players.
“At the end of the day we tried our best and we fought so hard,” Harlan said. “The passion that all these guys have, and Math has (that) I share with him, Luke (Webb) shares with him, Jake shares with him, Nikko shares with him, our O-line and our defense, it’s special. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
