Laney College @ American River College

The Laney College football team scored four touchdowns in the second half but came up short in a 41-35 loss to No.2 American River College in Sacramento on Nov. 18 in the first round of the Northern California playoffs.

The Eagles the No.4 seed in NorCal and champions of the National Valley Conference finished the season 9-2.

Statistically Laney dominated the game, outgaining the Beavers (10-1) 365 yards to 180 and the defense held ARC to just five yards rushing. The Eagles also had twice as many first downs (24) as the Beavers (12). ARC had no first downs in the second half.

Laney tied the game at 6-6 when Ahmari Davis (James Logan HS) scored on a 17-yard run with 3:31 left to play in the first quarter. Davis’ score capped a 12-play, 87-yard drive that took almost six minutes off the clock.

Down 27-6 at half, Laney started its comeback in the third quarter when Davis scored his second touchdown, this one coming on an 8-yard run with 7:03 left in the period.

The Eagles got the benefit of a safety when defensive lineman Erin Austin (Heritage HS) sacked the ARC quarterback, who recovered his own fumble in his own end zone with 2:37 left in the third quarter.

Laney scored three times in the fourth quarter to make it close. Davis scored his third touchdown on a 5-yard run with 10:01 left and Marcel Dancy (Merrill F. West HS) scored 4-yard run with 4:02 remaining.

The Eagles closed out the scoring when quarterback Noah Suszckiewicz (Berkeley HS) threw a 9-yard scoring pass to Dancy with 1:09 left.

Davis and Susckiewicz were the two leading rushers for Laney, Davis gaining 96 yards on 18 carries and Susckiewicz 71 yards on 13 carries.

Susckiewicz was 23 for 34 for 182 yards passing. Jared Smart (Dublin HS) caught seven passes for 57 yards and Devond Blair Jr. (Bunche HS-Oakland) had six catches for 54 yards.

On defense, linebacker Armani Turner-Jenkins (Berkeley HS) had eight tackles (four solo) and linebacker Cameron Nathan (Antioch HS) finished with seven (five solo).

Jonathan Whittley (Castlemont HS) had five tackles, which included three sacks for 25 yards in losses. Nathan had the other sack.

By Scott A. Strain

Laney College Sports Information

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

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