School honors first-time football champs
Oakland A’s donate $5,000 for rings, FabLab provides custom awards
By Eva Hannan/Tower Co-Editor
In case you haven’t heard, the Laney College football team is number one in the state this year. After a compelling season in the challenging National Bay 6 Conference, the Eagles (11–2) went all the way and beat Ventura College 40–35 on Dec. 8 in Sacramento.
An awards ceremony took place on Feb. 5 in the Laney Fieldhouse, where team members, coaches, faculty and staff were praised for their achievements and contributions to the championship title.
Laney College President Tammeil Gilkerson presided over the presentation, whose attendees included Peralta Chancellor Jowel Laguerre as well as several members of the Peralta Board of Trustees.
Head Coach John Beam was named 2018 Football Coach of the Year by the Community Colleges of California Athletic Association, and praised at the ceremony for his 39 years of coaching in Oakland.
A $5,000 check, a donation to help pay for championship rings for the team, was presented by the Oakland A’s Neighborhood Coordinator Warren Chu. The players were also each given a team picture in a frame custom fabricated by the Laney FabLab.
All the sophomore players came to the front, and Beam called each player up and effortlessly, affectionately and sometimes embarrassingly related details about their lives and personalities while also praising their achievements on and off the field.
Laney boasted eight Academic All-Americans with a GPA of 3.5 or higher this year.
After the awards, everyone enjoyed a beautifully presented meal catered by the Laney Culinary Department.
Six of the star players were absent, but they had a good excuse — they had already been recruited by colleges and universities across the country.
Laney’s spectacular starting quarterback Jordon Brookshire is now at San Diego State, and star running back John McDonald has gone to Middle Tennessee State.
Wide receiver Jared Smart was recruited to the University of Hawai’i and versatile defensive lineman Jordan Whittley went to Oregon State, while the defensive linemen Siliveinusi Tomasi and Lupeni Fonua are now at the University of Idaho and West Liberty University in West Virginia, respectively.
Ramone Sanders, who played on the Eagles defensive line, was diagnosed with a bone cancer called Osteosarcoma after he suffered a broken femur bone at practice. He is undergoing chemotherapy and resting at home, according to Beam.
In his three games as a freshman at Laney, Sanders had four solo tackles, one assist and two sacks for 12 yards.
An “RJ Tackling Cancer” fundraising benefit for Sanders’ medical costs will be held on Sunday, Feb. 17, from 2:30 p.m. — 8 p.m. at the Everett & Jones Barbeque, located at 126 Broadway in Jack London Square, and will include “food, entertainment, live DJ, raffles and a silent auction.” Tickets are available at www.eventbrite.com or at the door.
