By Eva Hannah
The Laney Eagles football team came on strong from the start in the home opener with a 41–14 victory against the American River College Beavers on Sept. 7 as the setting sun gave way to the cool of evening.
Fourth-ranked American River won the coin toss but deferred to Laney, which was ranked 10th in the JC Athletic Bureau Poll of California Community College Football Coaches.
The Beavers’ punt went to the endzone, where they had a short return of 10 yards.
After that the Eagles seemed to gulp up the field. In nine plays and in less than four minutes, running back John McDonald scored the first touchdown in a rush from the 20-yard line.
A successful PAT from KC Onwuemeka had Laney ahead 7–0.
The Beavers quickly answered Laney’s impressive first drive with one of their own to tie the score at 7–7.
After a back-and-forth struggle that resulted in Laney intercepting the ball from ARC at Laney’s 32-yard line, the Eagles ran a play that showed off both skill and deception.
Quarterback Jordon Brookshire executed a classic fake handoff followed by a sensational pass play perfectly.
He threw a 29-yard laser beam for a touchdown to wide receiver Jared Smart while most of the Beavers defenders were still chasing McDonald.
Some drama got added to the mix when Laney missed its next field goal. ARC quickly responded with a 56-yard pass, which resulted in a touchdown.
The extra point was good and the first quarter ended with the score 14–13 in favor of American River.
Laney roared back almost immediately, scoring again within three minutes of the second quarter on a four-yard run from Brookshire.
From then on, Laney ruled the field, dominating the Beavers both offensively and defensively.
A 45-yard pass from Brookshire to wide receiver Dior Walker left the Eagles just shy of a touchdown, and in the next play Brookshire ran the remaining yard to score again.
At the half the score stood at 27–14 in favor of the Eagles.
First Laney, then American River, intercepted the ball to start the second half.
Doubts about the arc of the game were quickly quelled by Laney’s next drive, resulting in McDonald scoring on a one-yard pass from Brookshire.
All in all, Brookshire had an excellent game, scoring two rushing touchdowns and throwing 258 yards on 17 of 23 passes.
In the fourth, with Junior Diala as the quarterback, Aquantay Morris rushed six yards in two plays to score another touchdown.
The final score of 41–14 is a definitive win for Laney, who are now 2–0 on the season.
Laney’s defense shone. The Eagles kept the Beavers scoreless after the first quarter and had two interceptions.
Linebacker Cameron Nathan helped to keep the defense sewn up tight with eight tackles, two of which were solo tackles.
Upcoming Games
@ Feather River College
Saturday, Sept. 15 5 p.m.
@ Home vs. West Hills College
Friday, Sept. 21 6 p.m.