Boys Basketball: Battle Ground Abruptly Ends Camas Season

By Dan Trujillo

The Camas High School boys basketball players learned a lot of lessons this season. They just wish it could have lasted longer.

Battle Ground defeated the Papermakers 55-40 Friday to secure the final slot into the 4A bi-district tournament. Camas finished with a 13-8 record, after starting out the season 8-0.

“At the beginning, our swagger was awesome. I just wish we could have kept it going in league,” said senior captain Tre Carlisle. “I’ll remember the fight that we showed every single day.”

This was just not the Papermakers’ day. They were held to an uncharacteristically low 15 field goals and just two 3-pointers.

Battle Ground jumped out to a 26-14 advantage at halftime. The Camas crowd did everything it could to get the Papermakers back into the game, but the Tigers would not be denied.

“The crowd came out and made a little tunnel for us,” Carlisle said. “That was awesome. That was the most touching thing I’ve ever seen from a crowd.”

Isaiah Sampson led Camas with 18 points. Kyle Allen and Carson Bonine each added five. Shane Jamison earned four points and won some impressive battles for rebounds.

Carlisle said there is a lot for the Papermakers to be thankful for. He and Sampson led a team with very little varsity experience to a tie for third place in league.

Ryan Josephson inherited the program, and brought a lot of knowledge and passion from his days as a Camas High School basketball player and a junior varsity coach.

“It was a quiet locker room, but we got a lot of ‘thank yous’ out there,” Carlisle said.

The future looks bright, as long as these Papermakers can stick together.

“I just want them to be aggressive. Go at each other in practice. Outside of practice, be friends,” Carlisle said. “Just go hard. Put it all on the line.”

in To learn more, visit www.chs.camas.wednet.edu

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