Andrew Ve'e

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.

If it is anything, this Laney College football team is resilient

If it is anything, this Laney College football team is resilient.

The Eagles (6-1, 2-0 National Valley Conference) came from behind three times to finally defeat a stubborn College of the Sequoias team 34-17 on Oct. 20 in Oakland.

Laney was down 3-0, 10-6 and 17-13 before scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

Ahmari Davis (James Logan HS) rushed for 90 yards and scored the Eagles’ first touchdown on a 25-yard run with 13:46 left in the second quarter. Laney’s other first-half score came with 44 seconds left when Noah Suszckiewicz (Berkeley HS) threw a 22-yard pass to Devond Blair Jr. (Bunche HS-Oakland) for a 13-10 lead.

After the Giants (2-5, 0-2) scored on the first play of the third quarter, the Eagles got back on top for good when Blair Jr. caught a 24-yard scoring pass from Suszckiewicz with 5:31 reaming in the third quarter.

Quarterback Andrew Ve’e (Encinal HS) scored on a 3-yard run 44 seconds into the fourth quarter and Marcel Dancy (West HS-Oakland) added a 13-yard scoring run with 8:39 left in the game.

Laney took advantage of three turnovers and had eight sacks on defense. Defensive back Zach Zimmerman (Monroe HS-Monroe, LA) returned an interception 31 yards.

Linebackers Joseph Butler (Houston HS-San Antonio) and Bishop Apodaka (Fremont HS-Oakland) each finished with seven tackles. Butler had four solo tackles; Apodaka had four.

Butler also had three sacks and three tackles for losses (TFL). Apodaka had two sacks and two TFL.

Armani Turner-Jenkins (Berkeley HS) and Erin Austin (Heritage HS-Brentwood each had six tackles. Turner-Jenkins had five solo tackles; Austin had four solo tackles and two sacks; Turner-Jenkins had one sack.

Austin was credited with 3.5 TFL and Turner-Jenkins had 1.5 TFL.

The Eagles’ next game is at Fresno City College on Saturday, Oct. 28. Game time is 6 p.m.

By Scott Strain

Laney College Sports Information

Laney College’s football winning streak reached four in a row after the Eagles dumped San Joaquin Delta College 40-7 on Oct. 14 in Stockton.

Laney College’s football winning streak reached four in a row after the Eagles dumped San Joaquin Delta College 40-7 on Oct. 14 in Stockton.

Running back Ahmari Davis (James Logan HS) rushed for 146 yards on 17 carries and Marcel Dancy (West HS-Oakland) had 83 yards on 15 carries as the Eagles (5-1, 1-0 NVC) piled up 504 yards of total offense. The stout Laney defense allowed the Mustangs only 168 yards.

It was the National Valley Conference opener for both teams. With the victory, Laney moved up to No. 7 in the JC Athletic Bureau coaches poll.

After the Mustangs (1-5, 0-1) took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, Eagles quarterback Noah Suszckiewicz (Berkeley HS) threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to Beejay Byrd (John Swett HS) with 4:48 left in the first quarter. Isaak Prada (Arroyo HS) kicked the extra point and the game was tied at 7-7.

But then it was all Laney. Davis scored his first touchdown on a 59-yard run with 12:17 left in the second quarter then added a 10-yard scoring run with 3:25 left as the Eagles drove 98 yards in 13 plays.

Laney led 19-7 at the half.

The Eagles added three more scores in the second half. Suszckiewicz threw a 45-yard TD pass to Robert Stern (DeAnza HS) and Dancy scored on a 1-yard run. Both came in the third quarter.

The Eagles’ final score came when quarterback Andrew Ve’e (Encinal HS) threw one yard to Keith Tracy (Antioch HS) for a touchdown with nine minutes left in the game.

Linebacker Joseph Butler (Houston HS-San Antonio) had his best game statistically with 12 tackles (eight solo), two sacks and five tackles for losses (TFL). Armani Turner-Jenkins (Berkeley HS) was right behind Butler with 11 tackles (eight solo) and three TFL.

The Eagles had four sacks for 27 yards lost.

By Scott Strain

Laney College Sports Information

The Laney College football team continues to pound it on the ground

The Laney College football team continues to pound it on the ground.

The Eagles rushed for 323 yards in a 34-6 grinding of visiting Contra Costa College on Sept. 28 in Oakland.

Laney finished the non-conference portion of its season with a 4-1 record. The Eagles have a bye week Oct. 6-7 and then start National Valley Conference play against San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton on Saturday, Oct. 14.

The Eagles’ next home game is Friday, Oct. 20 against College of the Sequoias.

Ahmari Davis (James Logan HS) rushed for 153 yards on 16 carries and Marcel Dancy (West HS-Oakland) had 21 carries for 136 yards. Each player scored a touchdown.

Laney took the opening kickoff and drove 67 yards in eight plays with Andrew Ve’e (Encinal HS) scoring on a 1-yard run. The Eagles took a 20-6 lead at the half when quarterback Noah Suszckiewicz (Berkeley HS) threw a 36-yard scoring pass to Devond Blair (Bunche HS-Oakland) and Davis went 20 yards for a TD. Both scores came in the second quarter.

Dancy scored on an 11-yard run with 47 seconds left in the third quarter and Zach Zimmerman (Monroe HS-Monroe, Wash.) returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown with 2:23 left in the game.

 Ronnie Van set the Laney record with a 95-yard interception return in in 1968.

Defensively, the Eagles held Contra Costa (0-5) to 208 yards of total offense. The Comets ran 76 plays, but averaged just 2.7 yards on each one.

Cameron Nathan (Antioch HS) had 11 tackles, seven solo.  Joseph Butler (Sam Houston HS-San Antonio) had 9 tackles, 8 solo; and Erin Austin (Heritage HS) had six solo, including three for losses. Jonathan Whittley (Castlemont) had two of Laney’s three sacks; Butler had the other.

By Scott Strain

Laney College Sports Information

The Laney College Eagles continued on their offensive roll, pummeling De Anza College 60-7 on Sept. 22 in Oakland

The Laney College Eagles continued on their offensive roll, pummeling De Anza College 60-7 on Sept. 22 in Oakland.

It was the fourth time in Eagles’ football history that the team has scored 60 or more points in a game.

The victory moved Laney up five spots to ninth in the JC Athletic Bureau of California Community College poll.

Ahmari Davis (16, carries, 77 yards) scored three touchdowns and Marcel Dancy (10 carries, 131 yards) scored twice as Laney piled up 300 yards on the ground. The Eagles gained 481 yards of total offense.

Laney took the lead on its opening drive, driving 64 yards in 10 plays and finished when Noah Suszckiewicz threw a 12-yard scoring pass to Keith Tracy with 11:53 left.

Dancy caped off the Eagles’ second series when he bolted 65 yards for a score to make it 12-0.

Laney scored three times in the second quarter to put the game away. Quarterback Andrew Ve’e ran 4 yards for one score, Suszckiewcz threw 27 yards to Devond Blair Jr., for another, and Dancy ran 4 yards to cap off the 39-7 halftime lead.

The Eagles scored three more times in the second half, with Davis scoring on runs of 9 and 11 yards and Kendall Prater going 1 yard for the final touchdown.

Defensively, Laney held De Anza to 186 yards and just 22 yards rushing. The Eagles had four sacks, resulting in 18 yards in losses. Leo Rodriguez was credited with 1.5 sacks; Vili Paea one; Cameron Nathan one; and Jordan Whittley had a half.

Zach Zimmerman recovered fumble and Erin Austin blocked a punt.

Laney’s next game is at home against Contra Costa College on Friday, Sept. 29. The Eagles defeated the Comets 21-20 in 2016 and are 5-0 against the San Pablo team.

Game time is 7 p.m.

NOTES: Laney’s other 60+ point games:

Nov. 11, 1965—Laney 60, Gavilan College 0

Oct. 24, 2008—Laney 66, Los Medanos College 17

Nov. 15, 2013—Laney 68, Sacramento City College 0

By Scott A. Strain

Laney College 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

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