Papermakers look to extend regular-season win streak to 56 games

Camas Papermakers (5-0, 1-2 4A GSHL)

Week 1: Camas 35, Central Catholic (Ore.) 13

Week 2: Camas 34, Sherwood (Ore.) 12

Week 3: Camas 52, Davis 19

Week 4: Camas 28, Coeur d’Alene 25

Week 5: Camas 35, Battle Ground 0

Next: vs. Skyview, 5 p.m. Friday at Kiggins Bowl

It took some time for the Papermakers to take control, but once they did it was a second-half stroll to their 55th consecutive regular-season victory.

Milestone:

This was Jon Eagle’s 100th win as Camas’ head coach.

That is 100 wins in his now nine-and-a-half seasons as head coach.

To show just how far Camas has come, it took the program 23 seasons to pick up the previous 100 wins. And 67 of those wins came in the 10 seasons with the the man who turned the program around, Bob Holman. When Holman took over in 1997, Camas was in the midst of a 22-game losing streak. Holman turned Camas into a winner, hired Eagle as an assistant, and when Holman resigned, Eagle took over and made Camas into an elite program.

Eagle said he did not have time to reflect on what 100 wins at Camas means to him right now, but he did have time to talk about what the community means to him.

“My wife and I raised our family in Camas. Would not change a thing,” he said. “Love where I work and who I work with. Very blessed.”

Next:

If Eagle wins No. 101 this coming week, that will mean Camas has won 56 consecutive regular-season games, and that victory will come against the last team to beat Camas in the regular season.

Skyview topped the Papermakers in 2011 in Week 4 of 2011. That was back when the two teams were not in the same league. Skyview has not come close* to beating Camas since then in the regular season..

(* The Storm almost had the Papermakers the second time they faced each other in 2015. That was a state playoff game. Camas would rally for the win in the fourth quarter.)

Shutout:

As far as the Week 5 victory, the score turned lopsided, but this was a close game for a half. The Papermakers know, however, they cannot lose if the other team does not score.

Battle Ground did have its chances. The Camas defense would not budge when it mattered most.

The Tigers got a first-and-goal situation in the first quarter of a scoreless game. A few plays later, it was fourth down at the 3-yard line.

Battle Ground wanted a touchdown, not a field goal.

Camas wanted the Tigers to have nothing.

Camas won that play, with Luke Bruno, Trevor Bentley, and Sam Malychewski working together to stuff the fourth-down run at the 2-yard line. Camas ball.

The next play, Drake Owen caught a short pass from quarterback Kyle Allen, then managed to gain 47 yards to get Camas out of jeopardy of a safety.

Later in the half, Taylor Adams made a huge hit on a Battle Ground running back, when the back was just about to hit top speed into a hole. The play went for a yard, and without the tackle from Adams, it looked like a possible 10+yard gain.

Another play led to a Battle Ground punt when Bruno and Jordan Howes got to a ball carrier at the same time for a tackle-for-loss.

Game-changing plays:

Camas had a 7-0 lead less than two minutes left in the first half.

Battle Ground fumbled the center-quarterback exchange, and safety Kolby Broadbent recovered, setting up a touchdown just before the half for a 14-0 advantage. By the way, it is rare for a safety to recover such a fumble, between the QB and center. Broadbent was 11 yards from the line of scrimmage when the play started. He reacted to the fumble, and the ball squirted out of the mass of people, and Broadbent was all over it.

Just like that, a close game was a two-score game at the half.

Oh, then Owen returned the second-half kickoff and it was 21-0. Ball game.

Coach Speak:

What did Jon Eagle learn about his team in Week 5? “We did not play our best, but Battle Ground is much improved and had a lot to do with our early struggles.”

Thoughts on Week 6 vs. Skyvew: “Skyview and Camas is always a great game.”