Laney rides state championship to top spot in final JC Athletic Bureau poll

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San Mateo – Laney College (11-2) of Oakland is the top community college football team in the final 2018 JC Athletic Bureau football poll after winning the California Community College Athletic Association championship over Ventura College (11-2), 40-35, in the title game (Dec. 8) at Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium.

By agreement with the California Community College Football Coaches Association, the two CCCAA finalists earn the top two poll positions – in their order of finish. Southern California Football Association runner-up Riverside (11-1) took the number three position, ahead of College of the Canyons (10-1). Ventura eliminated both of those teams to reach the title game opposite Northern California Football Conference champion Laney, which had toppled a pair of NCFC champions: College of San Mateo (No. 7 in the final poll) and No. 5 Fresno City College. This was the first time that two at-large qualifiers played in the championship game…

The CCCAA, which has the majority of the USA’s 2-year college football teams (68) crowns a “National” division champion and two regional “American” division champions. There were no CCCAA unbeatens in 2018, with the last trio of “perfect” teams falling in the post season: Canyons, Riverside, and Reedley.

Big defensive plays propelled Laney to a 23-0 first quarter lead in the title game, which Ventura came up five points shy of overcoming. Laney RB John McDonald rushed for 217 yards on 38 carries for player of game honors. Quarterback Jordon Brookshire threw three TD passes and ran for two Eagles scores. Ventura tallied the game’s final score with 6:18 left on a 6-yard pass from Brock Domann to Dominic Benson and then had to wait for one last chance. McDonald and Brookshire ran off more than five minutes on the ensuing Laney drive before turning the ball back to the Pirates with just 58 seconds remaining. Ventura was able to advance 48 yards to the Laney 13 -- where time expired after a 17-yard scamper by Domann.  (The game was televised live nationally on ELEVEN SPORTS USA).

It took more than half a century for Laney to earn an official state football championship. The Eagles won a mythical state and national title in 1966, the year before the first CCCAA championship game -- defeating an O.J. Simpson-led City College of San Francisco team in the Prune Bowl at San Jose State’s Spartan Stadium to complete an unbeaten season.

AMERICAN DIVISION Top 10: (from state poll):
1. Allan Hancock; 2. Chaffey; 3. De Anza; 4. Reedley; 5. San Bernardino Valley; 6. Yuba; 7. Hartnell; 8. Citrus; 9. Mt. San Jacinto; 10(t). Cabrillo & Los Angeles Valley.

Longest winning streaks
10—Chaffey & De Anza; 9—Allan Hancock; 6—Laney.

(Fred Baer, JC Athletic Bureau)