CAMAS — To completely respect the place they’re now, the Camas boys basketball workforce can look to the previous as a reminder.
The Papermakers defeated Sumner 69-49 within the Class 4A bi-district quarterfinals on Saturday at dwelling, which additionally sealed a 3rd consecutive 4A state event berth for this system.
Previous to the 2022-23 season, the Camas boys made only one state look for the reason that Nineteen Sixties. In a three-year window, the Papermakers have damaged by way of that ceiling and made state their expectation.
“Camas has always been known as a football school before the past four years,” senior Jace VanVoorhis mentioned. “It’s honestly the standard now.”
VanVoorhis, who scored a game-high 29 factors with seven 3-pointers Saturday, led a resurgent Papermakers workforce that maintained a double-digit lead from halfway by way of the second quarter onward, regardless of a number of rallies from the hot-shooting Spartans.
4 minutes into the third quarter, Camas’ lead was reduce to 54-44 on a 3-pointer from Jalen Hyppa, who led Sumner with 25 factors.
The Papermakers countered on a 12-2 run with 4 gamers — VanVoorhis, Ethan Harris, Channing Nesland and Cade Washington — scoring over the four-minute span, capped by a VanVoorhis buzzer-beating 3 to offer Camas a 66-46 lead getting into the fourth.
“That was a great stretch,” VanVoorhis mentioned. “Basketball is a game of runs, you’re going to get punched in the mouth, it’s always how you respond. We gotta stay composed — composure and adversity has been something we’ve struggled with all year — so, just being able to fight through those small moments.”
A balanced Camas scoring assault that additionally featured Harris (16 factors), Washington (11 factors) and Nesland (10 factors) solely instructed a part of the story.
The Papermakers put on black warm-up shirts that show “95%” in crimson sort. Because the Papermakers clarify, it serves as a reminder of how every participant can influence a recreation with out the ball of their fingers nearly all of the time they’re on the ground.
“Basketball, a lot of people think you’re gonna have the ball all the time,” Camas senior Nyima Namru mentioned, “but really, it’s the 95 percent of the game when you don’t have the ball, so that’s what we focus on. The rebounding … running the floor, we feel like those things we do as a team are really going to take us to the next level.”
By doing all of the little issues, the Papermakers have embodied that mantra this season.
“For the playoffs, a lot of people got to step up,” Namru mentioned. “And today, I’m super proud of the whole team. Everyone stepped (up) in their own ways, role guys hitting their shots (and) playing hard. That makes me happy to see the progress we’ve (made).”
By advancing to the 4A bi-district semifinals towards Olympia on Tuesday, Camas (18-4) can proceed to bolster its résumé for state seeding functions.
The Papermakers have already made a robust case for a excessive seed on paper by dropping only one recreation in Washington this season. A win like Saturday is additional proof of a workforce that has a excessive ceiling — and rising expectations.
“It’s a great win,” Namru mentioned, “but we’re not satisfied.”
CAMAS 79, SUMNER 59
SUMNER — Colton Kelley 2, Carson Schmidt 14, Jalen Hyppa 25, Owen Liedtke 2, Jace Andino 2, Goose Frederick 4, Austin Collins 4, Jerius Isabell 0, Andy Hobson 0, Gavin Lee 6. Totals 22 (6) 7-12 59.
CAMAS — Carter Morgan 0, Cade Washington 11, Nyima Namru 5, Jace VanVoorhis 29, Channing Nesland 10, Sami Mustafa 2, Max Rayan 0, Ethan Sobolik 0, Ethan Harris 16, Landon Frost 6, Kellen Dufner 0. Totals 30 (13) 6-9 79.
Sumner 13 17 16 13—59
Camas 22 20 24 13—79