Camas continues football streak with wild rally to shock Coeur d’Alene

CAMAS, Wash. – The Coeur d’Alene Vikings just missed ending one of the more impressive streaks in Northwest high school football Friday night.

Instead, the Camas Papermakers stunned the Vikings with two touchdowns in the final 64 seconds for a 28-25 victory.

Drake Owen caught a fourth-down touchdown pass from Kyle Allen with 20 seconds left to win it for the Papermakers, who have won 54 consecutive games in the regular season. The defending State 4A champions from Washington have won 18 in a row overall after going 14-0 in 2016.

It was Allen and Owen who connected on Camas’ touchdown with 1:04 remaining. That score capped a 97-yard drive in 1 minute, 17 seconds to cut the Coeur d’Alene lead to 25-20.

Owen then recovered the onside kick for the Papermakers, who then used two passes and two defensive pass interference calls to get inside the Coeur d’Alene 5-yard line.

On fourth down, Allen found Owen on a corner route to take the lead.

“I was proud of the way they battled,” Coeur d’Alene coach Shawn Amos said of his Vikings (3-2). “We had our opportunities to win the game. (Camas) just made the last play.”

Coeur d’Alene took a 25-14 lead with 9:30 left when quarterback Colson Yankoff broke free for a 65-yard touchdown run.

The Vikings tried to put away the game inside three minutes, but they fumbled the ball on a fourth-down play in the red zone. Camas recovered at its 3-yard line, still trailing but with a little life.

“We never lost hope,” Owen said. “You always gotta keep trying. Something will work eventually.”

It all worked for Camas in those final minutes.

Coeur d’Alene did little with the ball in its final three desperation plays. The Camas crowd rushed the field, celebrating not only the streak, but how the streak continued. The Papermakers have not lost in the regular season since 2011, and that now includes two wins over one of the best programs in Idaho.

Yankoff threw for 251 yards and one TD, and he rushed for 182 yards and a score. Shilo Morgan rushed for 120 yards and a score for the Vikings.

Allen threw for 235 yards and three touchdown to lead Camas. Will Schultz had 127 yards rushing and a touchdown for the Papermakers.

Morgan gave Coeur d’Alene the lead in the first quarter on a 13-yard touchdown run.

Camas took the lead at the half on a 13-play, 86-yard drive. Ja’Michael Shelton caught a 10-yard pass from Allen.

It took just three plays in the second half for the Vikings to regain the lead. Yankoff found Kyler Prendergast, who ran most of the 57-yard touchdown play and a 12-7 lead.

Caleb Beggerly made it 19-7 when he got out of a jam and ran for a 38-yard score late in the third quarter.

Camas got three fourth-quarter touchdowns, though, to continue its streak.

“That’s why we like playing them,” Amos said, noting a tough schedule always helps. “We have to learn from it and get better.”