Papermakers amass 618 yards of total offense in a 56-27 win over Puyallup Saturday
CAMAS — This was supposed to be a close game.
This was supposed to be a battle.
It was a state quarterfinal game, after all.
Someone forgot to tell the Camas Papermakers.
The only battle was between the Papermakers. Would the ground game outduel the ariel attack?
Yes, but only because Camas didn’t need much passing in the second half.
The Papermakers ran at will Saturday afternoon, they passed whenever they wanted to, and they put up 618 yards of offense, advancing to the Class 4A state semifinals with a 56-27 win over Puyallup at Doc Harris Stadium.
Jacques Badolato-Birdsell and Randy Yaacoub each had 100-yard rushing games, Jackson Clemmer got past the century mark in receiving yards, and quarterback Blake Ascuitto was on target most of the day.
Camas led 42-7 early in the third quarter and could start making plans to take on Mount Si in the semifinals. While not official until the WIAA makes it official, Camas will most likely play at Vancouver’s McKenzie Stadium in the semifinals.
Which means this was the last game at Doc Harris Stadium for the Papermaker seniors.
“It’s a feeling that you can never get again,” Clemmer said. “It’s exhilarating. We have an amazing crowd. The whole town comes in. It’s a feeling that can’t be explained.”
“It’s such a great community,” Yaacoub said. “I love Camas. I love our fans. I love our coaches. I love our team. It means a lot to be a part of it. I love this place from the bottom of my heart. So much love for Camas.”
The Camas seniors gave that community one last special performance at Doc Harris, but they are hoping for two more memorable games past Thanksgiving.
The Papermakers improved to 12-0, a year after going 5-5.
“This means a lot. The previous year, we didn’t have much success,” Badolato-Birdsell said. “Coming into this season, we had a new motive: Revenge Tour. Anything can happen if you put work in it.”
Saturday’s victory took less than two minutes to get started in the right direction for the Papermakers.
Asciutto found Charlie Bump for a 15-yard touchdown pass for a quick 7-0 lead. The Papermakers went 74 yards on seven plays.
After a Puyallup punt, the Papermakers scored in 12 seconds: An 81-yard bomb from Asciutto to Clemmer. Just like that, 14-0.
A football rarity followed: The Vikings drove into the red zone, but were stopped at the 1-yard line. Jackson Preston got credit with the fourth-down tackle. Then Camas drove 98 yards to the Puyallup 1-yard line and also lost the ball on downs.
Puyallup would later capitalize on a Camas turnover to make it 14-7 midway through the second quarter.
At that point, the game, predicted by many to be close, was still just that.
Then it was all Camas the rest of the half.
• Yaacoub broke free for a 30-yard touchdown run.
• Puyallup went 3-and-out-punt.
• Badolato-Birdsell broke free for a 54-yard touchdown run.
• Puyallup went 3-and-out-punt.
• Camas got the ball back with 1:08 in the half, used 62 seconds, and scored on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Ascuitto to Clemmer.
From 14-7 with six minutes to play in the half to 35-7 at the break.
“It all had to do with the O-line and Blake being confident in throwing me the ball. They were all perfect balls,” said Clemmer, who had six catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns — all in the first half.
Camas scored first in the second half, too, when Tyler Forner, in Wildcat formation, scored on a 2-yard touchdown run.
The Vikings would get the next two touchdowns, but by then, this one was pretty much over.
Badolato-Birdsell got his second touchdown of the game to make it 49-21. He finished with 186 yards on 25 carries.
“I couldn’t do anything without my O-line of course,” he said.
He also appreciated the Camas passing game. Ascuitto threw for 257 yards in the first half.
“The linebackers had to respect the pass and that gave me the opportunity to see the holes and attack,” Badolato-Birdsell said.
In the fourth quarter, Yaacoub hit the century mark on his 17th carry. On the 18th attempt, as Camas was trying to run out the clock, Yaacoub broke free for a 55-yard touchdown.
“That’s just great teamwork, great brotherhood, great chemistry,” Yaacoub said. “Shout to my offensive line. They blocked great this game. All our coaches ask for us running backs is to run our hardest. They don’t need nothing special. Just run our hardest. If we can do that, our O-line can do their job, and we can score.”
In the end, the Camas ground game put put up 352 yards. The passing game finished with 266 yards.
All the Papermakers will take that … take that to the state semifinals.
CAMAS 56, PUYALLUP 27
Puyallup 0 7 7 13 — 21
Camas 14 21 7 14 — 56
First quarter
C — Charlie Bump 15 pass from Blake Ascuitto (Bryce Leighton kick)
C — Jackson Clemmer 81 pass from Ascuitto (Leighton kick)
Second quarter
P — Isaiah Dickerson 32 pass from Luke Holcomb (Hayden Lovett kick)
C — Randy Yaacoub 30 run (Leighton kick)
C — Jacques Badolato-Birdsell 54 run (Leighton kick)
C — Clemmer 13 pass from Ascuitto (Leighton kick)
Third quarter
C — Tyler Forner 2 run (Leighton kick)
P — Jordan Dwyer 6 pass from Holcomb (Lovett kick)
Fourth quarter
P — Dickerson 1 run (Lovett kick)
C — Badolato-Birdsell 4 run (Leighton kick)
C — Yaacoub 55 run (Leighton kick)
P — Joseph Dwyer 6 pass from Holcomb
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Puyallup — Zierre Ford 2-5, Holcomb 8-3, Dickerson 18-120, Isaac Clark 1-3, Team 1-(minus 1). Camas — Badolato-Birdsell 25-186, Ascuitto 2-4, Yaacoub 18-152, Tyler Forner 2-5, Bump 1-5.
PASSING: Puyallup — Holcomb 22-40-2-292. Camas — Ascuitto 14-22-2-266.
RECEIVING: Puyallup — Jordan Dwyer 6-58, Clark 3-58, Joseph Dwyer 6-98, Sermon Wilson 1-14, Dickerson 5-59, Jaiden Tapec 1-5. Camas — Bump 7-96, Clemmer 6-150, Kenny Wright 1-20.
