Eagles prove to be 'Rams' tough; beat CCSF for fifth straight time

KC Onwuemeka kicked two field goals and Alex Gonsalves scored on a 4-yard run as Laney College upset City College of San Francisco 13-10 on Friday night in Oakland.

Laney was ranked 20th in the California Community Colleges Athletic Association coaches' poll; CCSF was ranked No. 5. It was also the Eagles' fifth straight victory over the Rams in the last four years.

After a scoreless first half, Onwuemeka (Hercules High School) kicked a 25-yard field goal with 11:42 left in the third quarter to give the Eagles (3-3, 1-0 National Bay 6 Conference) a 3-0 lead over the Rams (4-2,0-1).

After CCSF went up 10-3, Gonsalves (Dublin HS) scored with 14:53 left in the game and, with Onwuemeka's PAT the score was tired at 10-10 Gonsalves' scoring run was set up when quarterback Ryan Mackey (Rio Vista HS) completed a 66-yard pass-run play to wide receiver Merle Bass (Stagg HS, Stockton) down to the Rams' 4-yard line.

After Tayvian Williams (Tahoma HS, Covington, WA) blocked a CCSF punt, putting the ball on the Rams' 13, Onwuemeka kicked a 24-yard field goal for the game-winner with 8:42 left in the fourth quarter.

Laney plays at College of San Mateo Saturday, Oct. 26, at 1 p.m.

Laney College Takes 1st in the 100m and 800m at De Anza Invite

We are approaching the halfway mark of the 2019 campaign, as Laney College has another successful showing at the De Anza Invitational. As the team begins to hit their stride, the Eagles are tuning up for the Mike Fanelli Track Classic hosted by San Francisco State University and the home stretch of the competitive season.

With a history of achievement at the De Anza Invitational, the 2019 Laney College team continued to carry the torch, beginning with Shona Christensen throwing a 9.38m in the shot put, a PR for the season. This was followed by impressive performances by Zion Glasper and Jasmine McNary, finishing 1st overall in the 100m and 800m respectively.

2019 Laney College Track and Field Update

We are two meets in to the young 2019 season and we have already seen encouraging results. The goal for this season is to create a foundation for a complete track and field program. Traditionally, Laney College has been lead by elite sprinters. While this tradition will continue, our goal as a staff is to build out the rest of the team, including field events.

Our first two meets went great, with our thrower getting a PR in the shot put and our sophomore sprinters building off a solid freshman season. In our first meet, Jasmine McNary competed in both the 400m and 200m, posting a 27.22 in the 200m and 1:01.12 in the 400m. Zion Glasper was close behind Jasmine running a 27.23 in the 200m and finishing 3rd overall in the 100m with a 12.78. Da’ja Archer also ran the 100m and 200m, posting a 29.06 and 13.97 respectively.

As the rainy season extended into our second meet, the track at the Beaver Mini Meet in Sacramento was soaked. However with some encouragement and excitement to compete, we waited it out and put up great times as we competed for the second week in a row. The highlight of the meet was Shona Christensen throwing a 9.04m in the shot put, which was a personal best. Following a rainy 400m and 100m, we finished our second meet and continued to build on a young season.

LANEY WINS FIRST CCCAA CHAMPIONSHIP IN SCHOOL HISTORY

OAKLAND, Calif. — With their 40-35 defeat of the Ventura College Pirates (11-1), the Laney College Eagles(10-2) are the CCCAA Champions.

A wild game that started off looking as though the Eagles would pull away early came down to the final play. With five seconds left, the Eagles needed one more stop to secure their place in history. Instead of one final heave towards the endzone, Ventura quarterback Brock Domann elected to try and run it in from around the Eagles’ 30-yard line. He was stopped short of the goal line, and the ballgame was over.

The final stop of the game came down to the defense, but it was the offense that proved to be a relentless force throughout the entire game. The Eagles offense gained a total of 415 yards, including a monsterous 288 on the ground. Eagles running back John McDonald was responsible for a whopping 217 of those yards on 38 carries.

“They’re my o-line, man. They told me to go behind them.” McDonald said in a postgame interview on Eleven Sports Network. “It’s emotional to me man because I worked so hard, we all worked so hard. This is my o-line, I couldn’t do nothing without my o-line.”

McDonald wasn’t lying, the Eagle offensive line dominated the Pirate defensive front from start to finish.

Eagles’ quarterback Jordan Brookshire also had a day to remember, accounting for five total touchdowns (three passing and two rushing). Brookshire threw two of his three touchdown passes to wide receiver Angelo Garrett, who tallied four catches for 36 yards.

Eagles wide receiver Balewa “BJ” Byrd got the party started with a blocked punt early in the first quarter, which lead to a 9-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Brookshire to receiver Quintus Hall Jr. On the following possession, defensive tackle Jordan Whittley stopped Pirate running back Jordan Duckett in the endzone for a safety to make it 9-0, Eagles. Brookshire would rack up two more scores in the first (one through the air and one on the ground) to make it 23-0 after a quarter of play.

The Pirates would come storming back in the second, as they scored 14 unanswered points to close the gap within 9. Kicker Isaak Parada connected on a 29-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 26-14 lead at the half.

The second half would feature two very long touchdown drives in total for the Eagles, which proved to be pivotal given the Pirates’ offense was clicking. The Pirates inched within one score three times in the second half, but the Eagles answered the call every time with touchdown drives of their own that took lots of time off the clock.

The Pirates had one final shot to take the lead with under two minutes remaining, but were stopped short of the endzone on the last play of the game.

The Eagles victory in the 2018 CCCAA State Championship was the first in their school’s history, although they won a ‘mythical’ state championship against rival City College of San Francisco back in 1966.

It was the first CCCAA State Championship for head coach John Beam, who also won the CCCAA Coach of the Year award. Coach Beam also won state high school coach of the year and national regional coach of the year as a head coach at Skyline.

The victory is also categorized as the first ‘mythical’ national championship in school history since the winner of the CCCAA State Championship game is declared the winner of the national championship.

Since California has more community colleges playing football than the entire country combined, the winner of the CCCAA State Championship is also declared the national champions. With 68 teams, California has the majority of the nation’s junior and community college football teams. The slightly smaller National JC Athletic Association has a total of 65 teams. Teams that are a part of the CCCAA aren’t permitted to play any team outside of the state of California.

Twelve Former OUSD Students are on Laney College Football Team that Won California Junior College Championship on Saturday

For the first time in the history of Laney College, the school’s football team won the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Championship. The underdog Eagles beat the Pirates from Ventura College from Southern California at Sacramento City College on Saturday, December 8. Among the players are twelve former Oakland Unified School District students, including several who played major roles in the win.

Jadan Starks, who graduated from Castlemont High in 2017, played most of the game at left offensive guard where the team ran 70% of their plays. “Jadan is a beast, he’s physically dominant and imposes his will on people,” said Laney Head Coach John Beam. “And he wears his purple shirt (under his jersey) during games for his Castlemont roots.”

Siliveinusi Tomasi, who graduated from Fremont High in 2017, anchored the defense playing nose guard most of the game. Nu’u Taugavau who went to Fremont for two years before moving to Hayward played on the offensive line for about half the game. And receiver Angelo Garrett, who graduated from McClymonds in 2017, caught two touchdown passes. “Angelo is used to playing in big games, after having won the State Championship at McClymonds (in 2016). So, he wasn’t intimidated by the moment at all.”

The game was a close one as the Ventura College Pirates took it down to the final play. But when the Laney defense sealed the 40-35 win, the entire team ran onto the field in an eruption of joy, laughter, even tears.

“Doing it in high school and then going to the next level and making it happen again, it’s nothing but a blessing, first of all,” said McClymonds’ Angelo Garrett. “It’s history. History in the books all over again. Just with my name on it.”
Castlemont’s Jadan Starks said, “We got here at the beginning of this year and said we were going to take it the whole way. We learned our lessons during the process, but no matter what happened, all the injuries… that’s the resilience of this team. We never gave up. No matter what the score is, whether we are up or down, we are not going to give up. We’re going to give anybody everything we got. And I haven’t seen anybody who can take everything we got. You see the result of that today.”

One former OUSD player who didn’t get to take the field was defensive end Ramone Sanders, who graduated from McClymonds in 2018. A few weeks ago, he broke his left leg during practice, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Doctors discovered bone cancer in the leg. He’s now undergoing treatment to battle the disease. But he was on the sidelines inspiring his teammates to bring home the win.

Coach Beam, whose daughter, Sonjha Beam Phillips is the Commissioner of the Oakland Athletic League (OAL) said, “Oakland kids bring a grittiness to the team, a hunger, a chip on their shoulder. They’re used to playing in rough and tumble games. They’re a physical group. They’re fast and they don’t get intimidated.”

On what the win means for Oakland, Starks said, “Oh, it’s a great thing. It’s showing people outside of Oakland that Oakland is doing great things.... To come out here and do something like this, it’s so big, it’s beyond words... If you didn’t know about Laney, you know about Laney now.”

Coach Beam says that through oddities in the world of junior college football, technically, this win means that Laney is the National Champion. “It’s a tribute to the resilience and grit of Oakland. The city is a gem, and gets overlooked all the time. We like to say Laney Built, Oakland Proud.”

The former OUSD and OAL players on the 2018 Laney College Football Team are Castlemont’s Jadan Starks (#68) and Jordan Whitley (33), Fremont’s Siliveinusi Tomasi (97), Nu’u Taugavau (66) and O’Dale Hickman (44), Oakland Tech’s Brandon Hill (99), Skyline’s Parnell Walker (20), and McClymonds’ Angelo Garrett (13), Ramone Sanders (55), Jerrell Alberty (36), Day’Marr Johnson (82) and Kaja Zuberi (88).

OUSD congratulates Laney College and all of our former students who are now State and National Junior College Football Champions!

Laney advances to state championship!

The Laney College football team advanced to its first-ever state championship game with a 24-7 victory over Fresno City College in the Northern California Regional title game that was played Nov. 24 in Oakland.

The second-seeded Eagles (10-2) will play Ventura College (11-1) for the California Community Colleges Athletic Association championship on Saturday, Dec. 8, at Hughes Stadium at Sacramento City College. Game time is 1 p.m.

This is the first time both at-large qualifiers have advanced to the state title game. The second-seeded Pirates upset previously unbeaten Riverside College 31-21 to win the Southern California Regional on Nov. 24.

Laney finished second to College of San Mateo in the National Bay 6 Conference, but shut out the Bulldogs 14-0 in a NorCal Regional semifinal game on Nov. 17 at Cabrillo College in Aptos. That game was scheduled to be played at Laney, but was moved due to poor air quality.

In the game against Fresno, Laney jumped ahead of the Rams 7-0 when quarterback Jordon Brookshire (Cardinal Newman High School-Santa Rosa) scored on a 2-yard run with 1:52 left in the first quarter.

The Eagles went 50 yards in seven plays for the score. Big plays in the drive were a Brookshire 18-yard run to the Fresno 32 and a 10-yard run by John McDonald (Lincoln HS-Stockton) that put the ball on the Rams’ 8-yard line.

After FCC tied the score at 7-7, Laney went ahead for good when Balewa Byrd (John Swett HS) fell on a fumble in the end zone with 2:38 left in the first half. The Eagles led 14-7 at the half.

The Eagles extended the lead to 17-7 with 12:00 left in the third quarter when Isaak Parada (Arroyo HS) kicked a 25-yard field goal. The opportunity came when FCC fumbled a punt and the Eagles took over at the Rams’ 9.

Laney’s final score came when running back Harold Tidwell (Concord HS) capped an 11-play, 65-yard drive with a 1-yard scoring run. Big plays on the drive included a 14-yard run by McDonald and a 13-yarder by Brookshire.

The Eagles gained 327 yards in total offense. McDonald had the best individual game—102 yards rushing on 16 carries. Brookshire had 46 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown.

The Laney defense held the Rams to 70 yards rushing and 245 overall. Linebacker Armani Turner-Jenkins (Berkeley HS) finished with 11 tackles (7 solo). Linebacker Jahari Kay  (San Leandro) had seven tackles (3 solo) as did Jack Lutz (Granada HS). Turner-Jenkins also had a sack and a tackle-for-loss (DFL). Kay had a half-sack and one TFL; Lutz was credited with one TFL.

In all, the Eagles defense was credited with 10 TFL, good for 67 yards in losses.

NOTES: Ticket prices are as follows:

$12 general admission

$8 general admission (seniors 60+, children 12-under, students, faculty and staff (with ID)

$4 CIF Special

Free: First responders (fire, police, etc.)

THERE WILL BE NO ADVANCE TICKET SALES

TV: Eleven Sports Network [National Broadcast: Direct TV—623 (HD), Verizon FiOS—597 (HD), AT&T U-verse 1665]

ONLINE: BAOSN [http://baosn.tv/]

PARKING: SAC CITY [$10 per vehicle]

By Scott A. Strain, Laney College Sports Information

The Road to Sacramento goes through Oakland

The second-seeded Laney College football team advanced to the Northern California Regional championship game by defeating No. 3-seed College of San Mateo 14-0 in a NorCal semifinal game played Nov. 17 at Cabrillo College.

The game, initially to be played at Laney, was moved to Cabrillo due to poor air quality in Oakland.

The championship game is scheduled to be played Saturday, Nov. 24 at Laney. Game time is 6 p.m. The Eagles’ opponent will be No. 4 seed Fresno City College, which upset top-seeded Butte College 29-26 on Nov. 17.

The victor will play the winner of the Riverside College-Ventura College Southern California title game. The California Community Colleges Athletic Association state championship game will be played at Hughes Stadium at Sacramento City College on Dec. 8 at 1 p.m.

This is the first time Laney has advanced to the NorCal championship game. Last year, the Eagles qualified for the NorCal regional, but lost at American River College 41-35 in the semifinals.

The Eagles (9-2) scored two touchdowns in the second quarter and utilized a stingy defensive effort to stifle CSM (8-3).

The teams battled to a 0-0 tie in the first quarter. Laney drove down to the CSM 9 on its opening drive, but a lost fumble on 4th-and-goal negated the drive.

The Eagles got on the scoreboard with an 11-play, 42-yard drive in the second quarter, quarterback Jordon Brookshire (Cardinal Newman High School-Santa Rosa) scoring on a 1-yard plunge with 10:10 left in the period.

The big play on the drive was a 13-yard pass from Brookshire to El-Joshua Allen (Washington HS-Fremont) on 4th-and-2 from the CSM 34.

Laney’s next chance came after linebacker Josh Bolding (Alameda HS) intercepted a pass and returned it five yards to the Bulldogs’ 30.

It took the Eagles four plays to go 30 yards. Brookshire threw a 13-yard scoring pass to Angelo Garrett (McClymonds HS), who made a leaping catch in the end zone with 1:13 remaining in the half. Isaak Parada (Arroyo HS) kicked the PAT for 14-0.

Neither team did much offensively in the second half. The Laney defense made the Bulldogs’ passing game virtually disappear as their two quarterbacks completed just five of 24 passes for 65 yards and were sacked six times.

CSM had 130 yards of total offense; the Eagles finished with 245 yards.

Bolding had a monster game for Laney on defense with 11 solo tackles (12 overall) and three sacks. He also had five tackles-for-loss (TFL) for 79 yards and had one interception.

Linebacker Armani Turner-Jenkins (Berkeley HS) had seven solo tackles (eight overall) and defensive lineman Ramone Sanders (McClymonds HS) had two sacks and two TFL. Defensive lineman Timmy Dorsey (McClymonds HS) had the other sack.

Ticket prices for the Fresno City College-Laney College game will $12 for general admission and $8 for students, staff, faculty with ID, children under 12 and seniors.

NOTES—The victory was Laney’s first over College of San Mateo since 2001…the Eagles defeated Fresno City College 30-23 in 2017…Laney’s last shutout was on Nov. 15, 2013, when it beat Sacramento City College 68-0…FCC holds a 12-7 advantage in games played vs. Laney…The Eagles lost to CSM 27-18 on Oct. 19.

This is perhaps the biggest game Laney has played on its home field. In 1966, the Eagles defeated City College of San Francisco 35-13 in the Prune Bowl at San Jose State before an estimated 12,000 fans. CCSF was led by NFL Hall of Fame running back O.J. Simpson.

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By Scott A. Strain, Laney College Sports Information

Laney Seeded No. 2 in NorCal Regional

The Laney College football team, after defeating visiting Chabot 21-7 on Nov. 9, will play host to College of San Mateo Saturday, Nov. 17, in the Northern California semifinals.

Game time is 6 p.m. at Laney College Field. This is the first time Laney will play host to a NorCal Regional game AND the No. 2 seed is the highest the Eagles have ever been ranked.

The Eagles finished the regular season with an 8-2 record and were 4-1 in the National Bay 6 Conference, the top conference in Northern California. Laney’s only conference loss was to CSM (8-2), which won the Bay 6 title with a 5-0 mark. That came on Oct. 19, when the Bulldogs won 27-18.

 Four teams were seeded in NorCal. Top-seeded Butte College (9-1) will play No. 4 Fresno City College (8-2) at Shasta College in Redding on Saturday at 1 p.m., weather permitting.

The winners of the two semifinal games will play for the NorCal championship at the home of the highest surviving seed on Nov. 24. The state championship game will be played on Saturday, Dec. 8, at Hughes Stadium at Sacramento City College. Game time is 1 p.m.

Ticket prices will $12 for general admission and $8 for students, staff, faculty with ID, children under 12 and seniors.

The Eagles’ first appearance in the NorCal semifinals was in 2017, when they lost 41-35 at American River College.

The CSM-Laney game will be televised live on ELEVEN SPORTS USA (DirecTV 623, AT&T U-verse 1665, Verizon Fios 597, etc.)

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Scott A. Strain

Laney College Wins at Santa Rosa Junior College

Quarterback Jordon Brookshire threw for 312 yards and accounted for five touchdowns as the Laney Eagles football team scored 35 points in the second half to come from behind and defeat Santa Rosa Junior College 42-35 at Santa Rosa High School on Oct. 27.

The Eagles (6-2, 2-1 in the National Bay 6 Conference) scored five touchdowns in the second half to erase a 17-7 halftime deficit against the Bears Cubs (5-3, 1-2).

Laney remains tied with College of San Mateo and City College of San Francisco for the conference lead and travels to Pleasant Hill on Friday, Nov. 2, to play Diablo Valley College in a 7 p.m. game.

Laney’s only score in the first half came on Brookshire’s 2-yard run with 8:54 left in the first quarter. It was a homecoming of sorts for the Laney QB; Brookshire graduated from Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa and played for SRJC for half a season.

The Eagles’ first touchdown in the third quarter came with 12:34 left when Brookshire threw a 35-yard scoring pass to Angelo Garrett (McClymonds HS).

Two more scores wiped out the Bear Cubs’ lead in the period. Running back Harold Tidwell (Concord HS) scored on a 28-yard run with 7:23 left and Brookshire made the score 27-24 on an 11-yard run with 23 seconds left in the quarter.

The Eagles added two more scores in the fourth quarter, just enough to withstand a SRJC comeback. Garrett caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Brookshire with 10:08 left in the game and Brookshire scored his third rushing touchdown on a 4-yard run with 8:24 left.

Brookshire had a mammoth game in front of his hometown fans, completing 29 of 38 passes for 312 yards with two touchdown passes and two interceptions. He also ran for 49 yards on 12 carries and scored three touchdowns.

Tidwell rushed for 113 yards on 12 carries and scored once.  Garrett had eight receptions for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Balewa Byrd (John Swett HS) had 10 catches for 99 yards and Jared Smart (Dublin HS) had eight receptions for 50 yards.

Linebacker Cameron Nathan (Antioch HS) had six tackles (four solo) and 1.5 sacks. Imani Moore (4-1, Dublin HS), Jahari Kay (3-2, San Leandro HS), Jordan Whittley (2-3, Castlemont HS) and Josh Bolding (2-3, Alameda HS) were credited with five tackles apiece.

Moore and Nahshon Wright (James Logan HS) had interceptions and Armani Turner-Jenkins (Berkeley HS) had a sack.

Placekicker Isaak Prada (Arroyo HS) was a perfect 6-for-6 on PAT attempts.

By Scott A. Strain, Laney College Sports Information

Laney Defeats CCSF 42-21

The defense never rested for the Laney College football team against City College of San Francisco.

Five turnovers (four interceptions, one fumble) helped the Eagles (5-1, 1-0 in the National Bay 6 Conference) clobber the host Rams (4-2, 0-1), 42-21, on Oct. 13.

The victory was the Eagles’ fourth straight over CCSF—the longest in the 53-year rivalry between the two schools.

Big key for Laney: no turnovers. Another key: the Rams had one yard net rushing.

Laney plays host to College of San Mateo (4-2, 1-0) on Friday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m.

Runnin back Joe McDonald (Lincoln High School-Stockton) rushed for 135 yards on 13 carries, all in the second half. His 58-yard scoring run with 5:57 left in the game gave Laney its final score.

CCSF scored on its first play from scrimmage for a 6-0 lead, but then committed its first mistake. The PAT kick was missed and Laney’s Nahshon Wright (James Logan HS) scooped up the loose ball and ran 98 yards for a two-point conversion.

The Eagles then took advantage of another mistake as Cameron Nathan (Antioch HS) intercepted a pass and ran 77 yards for a score to give Laney an 8-6 lead with 2:57 left in the first quarter.

Laney took scored again on yet another CCSF miscue. Troy McConico (Pinole Valley HS) blocked a punt; Trevor King (Bishop O’Dowd HS) picked up the loose ball and went 4 yards to give the Eagles a 15-6 lead with 10:10 left in the second quarter.

CCSF scored again for 15-13, but the Eagles jammed in another score with 1:14 left in the half when quarterback Jordon Brookshire (Cardinal Newman HS-Santa Rosa) threw 34 yards to Jared Smart (Dublin HS) for a 21-13 halftime lead.

CCSF tied the game at 21-21 with a touchdown on the second play of the second half, but from them on, it was all Laney.

The Eagles took the lead for good when Brookshire threw 65 yards to Angelo Garrett (McClymonds HS) with 5:56 to play in the third quarter. Laney drove 99 yards in six plays.

The Eagles then drove 85 yards in six plays with Brookshire hitting Smart with a 24-yard scoring pass with 37 seconds left in the third quarter. That drive took nine plays and covered 85 yards.

Laney’s final score came with 5:57 left in the game when McDonald ripped off his long touchdown run.

Along with McDonald, the offensive stars for Laney were Brookshire (16-25, 222 yards, 2 TDs), Smart (seven receptions, 101 yards, two TDs) and Garrett (four catches, 82 yards, 1 TD).

Linebacker Armani Turner-Jenkins (Berkeley HS) Linebacker Jahari Kay (San Leandro HS) had 10 tackles (four solo) and linebacker Jahari Kay (San Leandro HS) had 8 (two solo). Kay was credited with 2.5 sacks (11 yards for losses) and Turner- Jenkins had 1.5 sacks (8 yards for losses).

Besides Nathan’s interception, the Eagles got three more: Da’Meak Brandon (La Salle HS-Cincinnati), Imani Moore (Dublin HS) and Kentrell Pierce (Richards HS-Oaklawn, IL).

By Scott A. Strain, Laney College Sports Information

Water polo ‘more than our win-loss record’

The Laney College Women’s Water Polo team saw plenty of improvement in their match at home against Merced College on Sept. 19, despite losing the match 16–2.

“We are so much more than our win- loss record,” said coach Beth Laberge.

During the match, and despite treading water for minutes at a time, the team was constantly yelling instructions to one another, either to ask for the ball or to tell someone to take a shot when they were open.

“We’re gonna be out-matched nearly every time this season, but that’s not the point,” Laberge said.

Instead, she stressed the importance of community and confidence that she sees as more of a focus for Laney’s team.

“Some of us need to gain some more confidence, we’re sorta timid,” she said. “When people have a chance to make a shot, then they need to know it’s their moment, yes, take it!”

Come watch the Laney Eagles Water Polo team has their next home match at 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28, against Ohlone College.

The Laney College football team is now the top-ranked team in Northern California

The Laney College football team is now the top-ranked team in Northern California.

The Eagles moved up to No. 3 in the JC Athletic Bureau/California Community College football coaches poll after overwhelming mistake-prone West Hills College 77-12 on Sept. 21 in Oakland to improve their record to 4-0.

Laney now faces its toughest test of the nonconference portion of the season when it plays host to Butte College (3-1) of Oroville on Friday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. The Roadrunners are coming off a big 42-21 home victory over City College of San Francisco on Sept. 22.

The Eagles blocked two punts and returned an interception for a touchdown as they scored the most points in the 53-year history of football program.

Quarterback Jordon Brookshire (Cardinal-Newman High School-Santa Rosa) completed 11 of 16 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns, both to Jared Smart () for 1 and 30 yards respectively.

Running back John McDonald (Lincoln HS-Stockton) rushed for 125 yards and scored two touchdowns on runs of 8 and 11 yards.

The Eagles led 42-6 at the half and 70-6 at the end of three quarters. Running back Jerrell Alberty (McClymonds HS) rushed for 58 yards on five carries and scored on runs of 15 and 26 yards.

Quarterback Junior Diala (American HS) threw a 38-yard scoring pass to Angelo Garrett (MClymonds HS) and also scored on a 1-yard run.

The Lane defense held the Falcons to 171 yards of total offense and reached the end zone twice. Nahshon Wright (James Logan HS) scored on a 20-yard interception return and, after Damon Lynch (Manteca HS) blocked a punt, Jaelyn Thomas (Freedom HS) fell on the ball in the West Hills end zone for a touchdown.

Ryan Mackey (Rio Vista HS) scored the Eagles’ last touchdown on an 8-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Defensively, linebacker Armani Turner-Jenkins (Berkeley HS) had seven solo tackles—eight overall—and Laney defenders had six sacks and 12 tackles for losses, spread among 11 players.

By Scott A. Strain, Laney College Sports Information

Laney gets offensive in win over Feather River

Feather River may have struck first on Saturday night in Quincy, but it was all Laney from that point forward, as the Eagles rolled up over 700 yards of total offense during an explosive 55-24 victory to stay unbeaten.

Feather River drove 50 yards before settling for a field goal midway through the first quarter for a 3-0 advantage, but it was short-lived, as Laney quarterback Jordon Brookshire (Cardinal Newman) connected with Balewa Byrd (Swett) for a 74-yard touchdown and a 6-3 lead after one quarter.

The Eagles started to pull away in the second quarter, thanks to a pair of John McDonald (Lincoln-Stockton) touchdown runs, including a 58-yarder with under two minutes remaining in the first half. It appeared as if Laney would go into halftime up 20-3, but Feather River’s Antoine Patton broke loose for a 73-yard score on the next offensive play. The Eagles, however, refused to let that end the first-half scoring, as McDonald reached paydirt one more time, this time from 29 yards out, capping a five-play, 71-yard drive which took just 46 seconds.

Feather River closed the gap one more time on a short touchdown run by Patton to open the third quarter, but Brookshire connected with Quintus Hall and Angelo Garrett (McClymonds) to extend the lead, and fourth-quarter touchdown runs from Kerrion Hadnot and Josh Blocker (Berkeley) put the game away for good.

Brookshire finished the night 14-of-21 passing for 318 yards and three scores, while Byrd led the way with five catches for 138 yards and a touchdown. McDonald led the rushing attack with 127 yards, while Hadnot added 70 yards on just four carries, and Ledre McCullough (Amador Valley) had eight carries for 58 yards. The Laney defense notched 12 total stops behind the line of scrimmage, including three tackles for a loss from linebacker Cam Nathan (Antioch).

Patton was the lone standout for Feather River, carrying the ball 13 times for 130 yards and three touchdowns.

NorCal juco roundup: Laney storms past ARC, and more

In a marquee showdown this past Friday night between two of Northern California’s top junior college football programs, Laney College scored the final 28 points of the game against visiting American River to overcome a one-point deficit after the first quarter and roll to the 41-14 victory.

A 56-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Cruz to Nate Thomas gave ARC a 14-13 lead with 27 seconds left in the first quarter, but it was all Eagles from there, as a pair of short touchdown runs in the second quarter from quarterback Jordon Brookshire gave Laney a 27-14 halftime advantage and they continued to dominate play in the second half. The Eagles finished the night with a whopping 547 yards of total offense, while holding American River to just 213 total yards.

Brookshire, who was a league MVP at Cardinal Newman in Santa Rosa before sitting out last season, controlled the game with his arm and legs for Laney. The dual-threat signal-caller completed 17-of-23 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 46 yards and two scores. His effort was complemented by a big night on the ground from John McDonald, who ran for 122 yards and one touchdown each rushing and receiving.

“It always feel good to win, especially against a strong opponent, but that game is over now and we just need to be ready for the next one and take it one step at a time,” Brookshire said. “Even with my own performance, there were mistakes that I made, things for me to improve on and correct before the next game.”

McDonald’s 20-yard scoring run in the first quarter capped an opening statement by the Laney offense, a nine-play, 90-yard drive on the first possession of the game. After American River tied the game on a one-yard touchdown pass from Cruz to Logan Paulson, the Eagles regained the advantage on a 29-yard pass from Brookshire to Jared Smart (Dublin HS), who had eight catches for 153 yards.

Dior Walker (Deer Valley-Antioch) also had a big night receiving for Laney, with four catches for 70 yards. Linebacker Cameron Nathan (Antioch) led the defense with eight tackles, while Jahari Kay (San Leandro) made his presence felt with four tackles, including a tackle for a loss, and a sack. Armani Turner-Jenkins (Berkeley) had five total tackles, while Derrick Quesada (John Swett) rounded out a strong performance by the linebackers with another four tackles, including a tackle for a loss.

Laney improved to 2-0 with the win, while ARC fell to 1-1.

Laney Defeats American River College 41-14

Laney College quarterback Jordon Brookshire scored two touchdowns and wide receiver Jared Smart had eight receptions for 153 yards as the 10th-ranked Eagles defeated fourth-ranked American River College of Sacramento in impressive fashion, defeating the Beavers 41-14 on Sept. 7 in Oakland.

Laney (2-0) will travel to Quincy on Saturday, Sept. 15, to play Feather River College. Game time is 5 p.m. The Golden Eagles (1-1) lost at Diablo Valley College 29-21 on Sept. 7.

Laney and ARC combined for four touchdowns in the first quarter with the Beavers holding a 14-13 lead. John McDonald (Lincoln High School-Stockton) scored on a 20-yard run on the Eagles’ first drive of the game for a 7-0 lead.

After the Beavers tied the game, Brookshire (Cardinal Newman HS) threw a 29-yard scoring pass to Smart (Dublin HS).  

The Beavers scored again with 37 seconds left, but that was it for the visitors.

Laney took solid control of the game in the second quarter, scoring twice to take a 27-14 lead. Brookshire (12 carries 46 yards) scored twice on runs of 4 and 1 yards.

At the half, the Eagles had already rolled up 356 yards in total offense; they finished with 547 yards.

Brookshire threw his second touchdown pass when he connected with McDonald on a 1-yard toss with 5:44 left in the third quarter.

Freshman running back Aquantay Morris (Clark HS-Las Vegas) scored on a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring.

For the game, Brookshire completed 17 of 23 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns. McDonald carried 15 times for 122 yards, his second straight game of over 100 yards rushing.

Defensively, linebacker Cameron Nathan (Antioch HS) had eight tackles (two solo). Levon Barnett (Dwyer HS-Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) and Rejzohn Wright (James Logan HS) had interceptions.

By Scott A. Strain, Laney College Sports Information

Laney Defeats Modesto Junior College 31-17 in their Season Opener

John McDonald ran for 121 yards, scored two touchdowns and a ferocious defense recorded 10 sacks as Laney College defeated Modesto Junior College 31-17 in the season opener for both teams on Sept. 1.

McDonald (Lincoln High School-Stockton) scored on runs of 29 and 23 yards for the Eagles (1-0), who open their home season on Friday, Sept. 7, against American River College of Sacramento. Game time is 7 p.m.

Linebacker Armani Turner-Jenkins (Berkeley HS), led a sterling effort with 11 solo tackles, two sacks (for 15 yards) and two tackles for losses (15 yards). Jordan Whittley (Castlemont HS) had 21/2 sacks and two TFL (Laney had 14 TFL overall). Defensive back Imani Moore (Dublin HS) had an interception.

The Eagles took the opening kickoff and drove to the Pirates’ 9-yard line, but the drive stalled. MJC drove 90 yards to take a 7-0 lead, but Laney answered back when quarterback Jordon Brookshire (Cardinal Newman HS-Santa Rosa) threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Angelo Garrett (McClymonds HS) and the Eagles tied the game at 7-7 with 2 minutes, 20 seconds left in the first quarter.

Laney took the lead for good when Brookshire threw 9 yards to El-Joshua Allen (Washington-Fremont) for 14-7 with 2:20 left in the second quarter. Brookshire finished 16-of-28 for 201 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran 13 times for 43 yards.

Whittley sacked Modesto quarterback Jacob Perez for a 6-yard loss on a 4-and-5 play with 41 seconds left in the half. The Eagles managed to a jam in a six-play drive in the waning seconds, culminating with a KC Onwuemeka (Hercules HS) field goal of 43 yards with six seconds left for a 17-7 lead.

The Pirates cut the lead to 17-10 with a field goal in the third quarter, but McDonald his first touchdown on a 29-yard run with 9:15 left in the game to extend Laney’s margin to 24-10.

MJC scored again with 7:11 left, but McDonald answered back again with a 23-yard run with 4:02 remaining for the final score of the game.

By Scott A. Strain

Laney Sports Information

2018 Laney College Football Preview

The Laney College football team opens its 2018 season on Saturday, Sept. 1, with a road game at Modesto Junior College. Game time is 6 p.m.

The Eagles’ home opener is on Friday, Sept. 7, against American River College of Sacramento. Game time is 6 p.m.

Laney is coming off a stellar 2017 campaign, finishing the season with a 9-2 record, winning the National Valley Conference championship with a 5-0 mark and advancing to the Northern California state semifinals for the first time.

The Eagles have also been promoted to the top (and toughest) conference in Northern California, the National Bay 6 Conference. Besides Laney, the teams in the Bay 6 include rivals City College of San Francisco and Chabot College; Santa Rosa Junior College, College of San Mateo and Diablo Valley College.

The non-conference schedule (the first five games of the season) is also difficult. Besides playing at Modesto and at home to American River College, Laney also has home games against West Hills College (Sept. 21) and Butte College (Sept. 28). The Eagles also have a road game against Feather River College in Quincy (Sept. 15)

The Eagles also finished the 2016 season with a 9-2 record, giving John Beam, now in his seventh year as head coach (15 years overall), an 18-4 mark the last two years.

A handful of Laney players from last season received Division I scholarship offers and the Eagles will have to replace them.

“We have a long way to go,” Beam said, “but we’ve got a lot of young men who are working hard. Whether they mature and stay healthy—that’s the key.  It’s always about health.

“Our starters are pretty good, but we have to build more depth. I tell my players: ‘You don’t give up; you battle. You get things done and see what happens.’”

Top returners are: linebacker Cameron Nathan (Antioch High School), linebacker Armani Turner-Jenkins, running back John McDonald (Lincoln HS-Stockton), defensive back Imani Moore (Dublin HS), defensive lineman Jordan Whittley (Castlemont HS), punter Isaak Parada (Arroyo HS), kicker KC Onwuemeka (Hercules HS), defensive back Da’Meak Brandon (La Salle HS-Cincinnati).

Top newcomers are: quarterback Jordon Brookshire (Cardinal Newman HS, SRJC), defensive back Rejzohn Wright (James Logan HS), defensive back Nahshon Wright (James Logan HS), wide receiver Dior Walker (Deer Valley HS), quarterback Junior Diala (American HS), quarterback Ryan Mackey (Rio Vista HS).

By Scott Strain, Laney College Sports Information

Contributor: Eva Hannan, Laney Tower Sports Editor

For The Kids

Marcel Dancy seems to do all the right things.
 
Since taking his first reps with the California football team during training camp, the running back from Oakland has been impressing coaches and teammates.
 
Dancy is also wise beyond his years. He learned at a young age how important it is to stay on the right path if he really wanted to find success playing football.
 
After earning his spot with the Golden Bears – his dream school since he was a youngster growing up in Oakland – Dancy is determined to take advantage of his opportunity to be an inspiration for Oakland youth. He hopes to instill the same mindset of working hard and staying on the right path that he learned when he was their age.
 
"My motivation is to play in the NFL, but along that journey, I want to show kids how important it is to make the right decisions, not only in football but in life," Dancy said. "It's cool to go to school and I try to lead by example with that."
 
Before he snapped on a Cal helmet for the first time, Dancy played two seasons at Laney College in Oakland. During his time at Laney, he met Thirland Ross, head coach of the Oakland Dynamites Pop Warner football team. They met through Ross' son, Mekhi, who played on a flag football team with Dancy. After chatting with Dancy for a bit, Ross was impressed with his football knowledge and asked him if he would like to meet the kids he coaches and teach them more about the game of football.
 
Dancy jumped at the opportunity.
 
"He's great with the kids," Ross said. "The kids can relate to him because he had the same upbringing. Growing up in Oakland, you don't see a lot of people who give back the way he does. He teaches them that there's more to football besides what you do on the field. He tells them to make sure they're a student first and to make sure their grades are good. He tells them to respect their parents and give back when you can."
 
Dancy considers himself to be a big brother to the Dynamites. They can call him whenever they need anything, and he frequently checks in with Ross to see on how the team is doing.
 
Growing up, Dancy's family was instrumental in showing him the right path, and now he's trying to return the favor to kids he considers to be his younger brothers.
 
"I was lucky enough to have a lot of people looking out after me when I was a kid," Dancy said. "They made sure I stayed out of trouble and stayed focused on what I was trying to do. I'm trying to pay my family back by guiding everybody who looks up to me now."
 
Dancy's father, Daryl, said that while he's proud of how much his son cares about the kids, he isn't surprised.
 
"He is a really good man," Daryl said. "He cares about everybody and everything. That's rare coming from some of the places that people come from. He truly cares about people. It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from."
 
Growing up, Dancy attended a few Cal games and watched many more on TV. While he was attending West High School in Tracy, he participated in a Cal camp where he was coached by former Cal standout and current Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff. Not only did Goff and Dancy bond during that camp, but Goff was the one who told running backs coach Burl Toler III and the rest of the coaching staff that Dancy could be the real deal.

Toler remembers meeting Dancy at that camp and being very impressed with his talent and personality.
 
"It's funny because the guys who were at that camp in 2014 and are still here remember Marcel because he stood out that much," Toler said. "He was so determined and just got after it. He had the same mature personality back then and that also really stood out to me. I'm so happy to see things come to fruition for him with this opportunity and to see him take advantage of it."
 
Head coach Justin Wilcox has also taken notice of Dancy.
 
"He's a quick guy who makes powerful and decisive cuts," Wilcox said. "We're excited about what he's doing. He's got to continue to build off of what he's done so far. It's a competitive situation at running back, but he's going all-in on it. Every single day the guy brings it."

Dancy credits Kevin Parker – Cal's former director of player development – in being instrumental with him joining the Bears.  
 
A childhood inspiration on and off the field for Dancy was former Cal standout running back Marshawn Lynch. Dancy volunteers at Lynch's Fam1st camps and Lynch is a family friend of the Dancys.
 
Dancy shares the same goal as Lynch of trying to make positive change in as many lives as possible. He hopes to follow in his role model's footsteps into the NFL and earn the opportunity to teach and inspire on a larger scale.
 
"When you get a platform like that, you have two options – you can just worry about yourself and take care of yourself, or you can take as many people as you can with you, and that's what I'm trying to do," Dancy said. "I'm trying to help put as many of these kids as I can in a position to succeed."
 
While there will be a lot of kids rooting for Dancy on the football field, he will be rooting for them in life.

Ahmari Davis is Good, Young Talent for Lobo Football

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - Lobo football fans might hear the name Ahmari Davis a lot in 2018. The talented running back will experience his first season in Lobos cherry and silver. "Ahmari Davis is as talented as any back we have if you just put the ball in his hands and say run with the ball," said UNM head football coach Bob Davie. "That's the good news and really the bottom line, that's great news."

Davis is a red shirt junior who is getting adjusted to division one football at New Mexico. "The difference is everyone is fast," said Davis. "You have to be more efficient with your reads, you cuts, especially as a running back." Davis transferred to New Mexico from Laney College in Oakland, California. The school is known for having good talent. "They play a high, high level of football," said Davie.

Davie also acknowledged there still was a learning curve from junior college to division one football. Davis is coming along fine. He has put a lot of time in the game, starting from an early age. "I was seven years old when I started playing football," said Davis. "I knew I wanted to be a running back because I was always faster than a lot of people. I was always that type of person, just try to get away. Give me the ball and I would just take off running and that's how I kind of knew. I kind of wanted to play quarterback too, but running back just stuck with me ever since."

Coach Davie believes it can take his young running back a long way. He controls his destiny because he does have that kind of talent level," said Davie. "We've been pushing him pretty hard on all the little things." The Lobos open the season when they host Incarnate Word September 1.

Cal QB Ross Bowers Sure to Start, but Backups Look Strong

After providing zero indication of a legitimate “open competition” for Cal’s starting quarterback spot during training camp’s first 13 practices, backups Brandon McIlwain and Chase Garbers made strong pitches in Saturday’s camp-closing scrimmage.

There’s still little doubt that incumbent Ross Bowers, who consistently shows the best command of the offense, will be the starter. However, the next two weeks could prove a little more interesting than expected.

Bowers completed 12 of 19 passes for 94 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the situational scrimmage. His most impressive series came during a two-minute drill, when he drove the Bears 66 yards in 90 seconds and found Kanawai Noa for a 12-yard score on a fourth down.

“For him, he was OK today,” head coach Justin Wilcox said of Bowers, a perfectionist who says he hasn’t consistently played “elite” for the past week. “… We expect him to play better and better, and I think he’ll take all of this and grow from it.”

Save for a period early in camp, when Bowers was disciplining himself for an errant fade pass by running the stadium steps, the junior had taken every first-team snap until Saturday.

After starting a drive from the 43-yard line midway through the scrimmage, Bowers was replaced for a few plays by McIlwain. Bowers returned to finish the series, which was capped with a 50-yard field goal by Greg Thomas.

When asked about the unique substitution, Wilcox offered only a refrain he’s repeated from time to time since declaring the quarterback competition open prior to spring drills: “Everything is kind of on the table.”

Cal will have 11 practices in the two weeks remaining before the season-opener against North Carolina on Sept. 1. The team’s workouts will be moved from the mornings to the afternoons after classes start Wednesday.

It’s unclear how many chances McIlwain or Garbers will get as training camp shifts into regular-season practices, so they made the most of Saturday’s repetitions. McIlwain completed 3 of 8 passes for 53 yards and ran five times for 62 yards and two scores. Garbers completed 13 of 22 passes for 177 yards, two touchdowns and an interception and ran four times for 70 yards and a score.

McIlwain came up hobbling after being dragged down from behind at the tail end of a 30-yard touchdown run, but he stayed in to hold the extra-point attempt and didn’t appear to be limping after practice.

“He’s tough to tackle. That’s the thing that jumps out,” Wilcox said. “He can run some of the option game and can throw the football. Being comfortable in the offense and with his decision-making, all those things need to continue to improve. But he’s a really good athlete. I think you saw the burst that he has. When he has the ball in his hands, he’s a lot like a running back.