Camas pushes G-K out of post-season

The Graham-Kapowsin Eagles lost only twice during the 2016 high school football season. The second time was the most painful.

Camas demolished Graham-Kapowsin 55-6 in the first round of the 4A state tournament last Friday, quickly ending the Eagles’ hope for a deep run in the post-season.

G-K’s only other loss was during the regular season to Sumner, an outcome that prevented the Eagles from winning the South Puget Sound League title. But they headed into the state tourney on a high note with a 55-28 victory over Kentlake and a six-game winning streak.

Camas stunningly put an end to that as Graham-Kapowsin, which finished the season with a 9-2 record, found out what Enumclaw learned the week before in a 56-0 loss to Camas in the district playoffs: The Papermakers can win big when they get on a roll.

After the teams traded touchdowns to start the game, the Papermakers, playing on their home field, ran off to a 20-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and never let G-K recover. The advantage grew to 34-6 at halftime and 48-6 after three periods.

Quarterback Jack Colletto accounted for a lot of the carnage. He passed or ran for four of Camas’ first five touchdowns. His biggest scoring plays were runs of 64 and 32 yards in the second quarter. His touchdown passes were much shorter – 13 yards and five yards – but just as efficient.

Michael Matthews scored two touchdowns, one of them on defense when he recovered a G-K fumble.

Micah Smith produced the Eagles’ only touchdown with a two-yard run that gave them a shortlived 6-6  tie.

The eventual loss was a repeat of last year’s first-round removal of G-K from the state tournament. The Eagles reached the semifinals in 2014. 

Camas is in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row.