Imani Moore

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 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

The Laney College Eagles football team continues to roll on both offense and defense.

The Laney College Eagles football team continues to roll on both offense and defense.

The Eagles’ latest victim: The Feather River Golden Eagles, who were blasted by Laney 47-13 on Sept. 18 in Quincy.

For the Laney fans who made the four-plus hour trip up a winding Highway 70, they were treated to a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter when quarterback Noah Suszckiewicz (Berkeley High School) threw touchdown passes of 50 yards to Keith Tracy (Antioch HS) and 31 yards t o Ronald Thomas (San Leandro HS).

The Eagles extended the lead to 20-0 when Ahmari Davis (12 carries, 68 yards, James Logan HS) scored on a 3-yard run with 12:29 left in the second quarter. Marcel Dancy (12 carries, 94 yards, West HS-Oakland) scored on a 3-yard run with 2:40 left in the first half.

Laney led 27-13 at the half.

The second half was all Eagles. Armani Turner-Jenkins (Berkeley HS) picked off a pass and raced 35 yards for a touchdown just 15 seconds into the third quarter.

Laney made it 40-13 when quarterback Andrew Ve’e (Encinal HS) threw a 4-yard scoring pass to Devond Blair, Jr. (Bunche HS-Oakland) with 5:11 left in the third quarter. Dancy capped off the Eagles’ scoring when he ran 34 yards for a touchdown with 3:22 remaining in the third period.

Suszckiewicz completed 9 of 16 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns as Laney rolled up 451 yards in total offense.

The Laney defense was sterling, especially in the second half when it held Feather River scoreless. Imani Moore (Dublin HS) led the effort with six solo tackles and two assists. Armani-Turner, besides his interception, had three solo tackles and four assists.

Joseph Butler (Sam Houston HS, San Antonio) and Cameron Nathan (Antioch HS) each had two solo tackles and three assists. The Eagles intercepted three passes—Turner-Jenkins, Da’Meak Brandon (La Salle HS-Cincinnati) and Zach Zimmerman (Monroe HS-Monroe, WA). Thomas was also credited with a blocked punt.

The Eagles’ ‘D’ held Feather River to 263 yards of total offense with just 74 coming in the second half.

Laney’s next game is Friday, Sept. 22, when it plays host to DeAnza College. It is Laney Alumni Night.

By Scott Strain

Laney College Sports Information