10 interceptions, nine fumble recoveries lead to a 3–1 record
Eagles to play De Anza Oct. 3 before bye week
Interceptions. Fumble recoveries.
Teams can live (and die) when it comes to turnovers. One of the signature signposts of a team’s success (or failure) is the number of turnovers it generates versus the number it yields.
Right now, the Laney College football team is riding high on turnovers. They have 10 interceptions and nine fumble recoveries. Conversely, the Eagles have only committed seven miscues.
That’s a turnover margin of plus-12 (19 minus 7) and it is always an advantage to be on the plus side of these things.
Turnovers are a big reason Laney is 3–1 after back-to-back victories over Sierra College in Rocklin (45–28) on Sept. 19 and Santa Rosa Junior College (31–20) on Sept. 25 in Oakland.
Last season, the Eagles lost to both these teams in a 6–5 campaign.
Laney travels to Cupertino on Saturday, Oct. 3 to play the De Anza College Dons (1–3). Game time is 1 p.m. Last season the Eagles won 41–7 in Oakland.
Laney 31, Santa Rosa 20 — The 11th-ranked Eagles grabbed a 24–0 lead early in the third quarter against the Bear Cubs (2–2) and held on for a rare victory over SRJC.
Laney forced six turnovers (four interceptions, two fumble recoveries) that helped overcome a sputtering offense. Defensive back Leroy Taylor had two of the interceptions.
DeAndre Diggs-Ray blocked a punt and Dynamite Faagata returned it 22 yards to give the Eagles a 7–0 lead with 5:28 left in the first quarter. The Eagles extended their lead to 17–0 at the half on Felix Mendoza’s 29-yard field goal and a 1-yard scoring run by Ryan Gordan.
A fumble (forced and recovered) by Tanner Fellows preceded Mendoza’s field goal and an interception set up Gordan’s touchdown run.
The Eagles extended the lead to 24–0 with 1:30 remaining in the third quarter when quarterback Shawn Hessler threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Darneail Jenkins.
The two teams exchanged tipped passes for touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Santa Rosa got the first one when Vince Jefferies completed a 38-yard scoring pass to Kerr Johnson to cut the lead to 24–6 with 10:43 left in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles got a break of their own when a Santa Rosa player had a Hessler pass bounce off the hands and into the arms of Aaron Tabor, who ran into the end zone for a 31-yard scoring play.