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 football team has won the National Valley Conference and qualified for the Northern California state playoffs for the first time.

The Laney College football team has won the National Valley Conference and qualified for the Northern California state playoffs for the first time.

The Eagles (9-1, 5-0 NVC) won the title outright with a 34-8 victory over Chabot College in Hayward on Nov.  11.

Laney, fifth in the State Coaches poll and seeded No.4 in the NorCal playoffs, will travel to Sacramento to play top-seeded American River College (9-1) in a first-round game on Saturday, Nov. 18. Game time is 6 p.m.

If the Eagles prevail against the Beavers, they will play the winner of No. 3 College of the Siskiyous vs. No. 2 College of San Mateo the following weekend.

The current format for state playoffs has been in existence for four years and the Eagles have never qualified for it, but they have gone to bowl games, including last year’s 49-35 victory over City College of San Francisco in its own San Francisco Community College Bowl.

The victory over Chabot solidified Laney’s NVC championship. The Eagles defense turned in its best statistical performance of the season, holding the home Gladiators (2-8, 0-5) to just 57 yards of total offense.

Chabot had just three net yards rushing.

Noah Davis (Pleasant Valley HS) and Bishop Apodaka (Fremont HS-Oakland) each totaled had five tackles (Davis five solo; Apodaka four) and Jonathan Whittley (Castlemont HS) had three of Laney’s four sacks. Brandon Hill (Oakland Tech HS) had the other.

Offensively, the Eagles were led by running back Marcel Dancy, who had 142 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns.

Laney scored twice in the first quarter to take a 10-0 lead. Dancy scored on an 18-yard run and KC Onwuemeka (Hercules HS) kicked a 33-yard field goal.

The Eagles upped the lead to 24-0 when quarterback Noah Suszckiewicz scored on a 35-yard run and Dancy scored on a 10-yard run.

Laney capped an 11-play, 84-yard drive in the third quarter when Suszckiewicz threw a 3-yard scoring pass to Jake Ramsey (Dougherty Valley HS) with 5:57 left in the third quarter.

Onwuemeka’s 20-yard field goal in the fourth quarter completed the Eagles’ scoring.

By Scott A. Strain

Laney College Sports Information

The Laney College football team won the National Valley Conference championship with a 40-33 victory over Modesto Junior College on Nov. 3 in Oakland.

The Laney College football team won the National Valley Conference championship with a 40-33 victory over Modesto Junior College on Nov.  3 in Oakland.

The Eagles (8-1, 4-0 NVC) finish their regular season on Saturday, Nov.  11 against Chabot College in Hayward. Game time is 6 p.m.

The Northern California playoff pairings won’t be decided until after this weekend’s slate of games are concluded.

But Laney, for the first time, is included.

The Eagles currently ranked No. 5 in the JC Athletic Bureau Coaches poll, pulled away from the Pirates (2-2, 4-5) after leading only 21-20 at the end of the first half.

Laney was held to 58 yards rushing in the first two quarters, but finished with 236 yards on the ground and a total of 469 for the game.

Marcel Dancy (West-Oakland HS) took charge in the first half, scoring the Eagles’ first two touchdowns. He ran 28 yards for Laney’s first score, then caught a pass from quarterback Noah Suszckiewicz and went 84 yards for a 14-7 lead with 13:21 left in the second quarter.

Suszckiewicz threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Robert Stern (De Anza HS) that gave Laney that 21-20 halftime lead.

Then it was Ahmari Davis’ turn. Davis (James Logan HS) scored Laney’s next two touchdowns, the first coming on a 21-yard run in the third quarter ad then a 51-yarder to start the fourth quarter as the Eagles took a 35-20 lead.

Modesto score the next touchdown, but Joseph Butler (Houston HS-San Antonio) picked up a blocked PAT attempt and ran the length of the field to give the Eagles two points and a 37-26 lead with 12:36 left in the game.

Laney’s final points came on KC Onwuemeka’s (Hercules HS) 18-yard field goal with 7:02 left.

Davis finished with 147 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns. Dancy had 94 yards on 11 carries and one score. He also caught three passes for 149 yards and a touchdown.

Suszckiewicz completed nine of 18 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, linebacker Cameron Nathan (Antioch HS) had his best game of the season with 17 tackles (14 solo); Butler 10 tackles (8 solo); and Da’Meak Brandon (La Salle HS-Cincinnati) had an interception.

By Scott A. Strain

Laney College Sports Information

Laney Football Wins at Fresno City, Leads National Valley Conference

The Laney College football team scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to defeat Fresno City College 30-23 on Oct. 28 in Fresno and took the lead the National Valley Conference with a 3-0 record.

The Eagles, 7-1 overall, have won six straight games. They play host to Modesto Junior College (4-4, 2-1 NVC) on Friday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.

Ahmari Davis (James Logan HS) rushed for 193 yards and scored on a 41-yard run with 11:36 left in the fourth quarter. KC Onwuemeka (Hercules HS) kicked the extra point that tied the score at 23-23.

Andrew Ve'e (Encinal HS) threw a 4-yard scoring pass to Marcel Dancy (West HS-Oakland) with 10:09 left in the game for what proved to be the game-winniner.

The Laney defense forced three turnovers, with linebacker Joseph Butler (Sam Houston HS, San Antonio, TX) and Zach Zimmerman (Monroe HS, Monroe, LA) getting interceptions.  

The Eagles had no turnovers.