Lane football bounces back from opening loss, prepares for trip to Alabama A&M

The first game of the season for Lane College’s football team was a case of good news and bad news for the Dragons.

The good and bad equaled a 37-24 loss to Miles College in Memphis what was also the first game in league play in the SIAC.

Miles jumped out to a 27-3 lead at halftime because of a first half riddled with mistakes, particularly on defense.

“We had a lot of guys out there who are still getting used to their new roles in our defense,” said Lane head coach Vyron Brown. “And there were a couple of instances of busted coverage and a missed sack or missed tackle on a couple of plays that allowed them to make some big plays when we had the opportunity to wrap up and stop them.

“So that gave us a big hole to dig out of, and we didn’t have enough time to dig out of it.”

But there were positives to take away from the game. For instance, the Dragons outscored the Golden Bears 21-9 in the second half, the offense worked well once it got extended time on the field and the defense played better after halftime.

“We made a couple of adjustments defensively that helped us out, and the guys simply executed better once they got settled in,” Brown said.

Quarterback Polo Solomon, whom the Dragons got out of the transfer portal less than a month ago as he transferred from Jacksonville (Ala.) State, finished the day with 361 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

“I was really glad to see him do as well as he did for someone who joined our program two or three weeks earlier to be able to do that after we threw our entire playbook at him,” Brown said. “You can’t ask for much more than that in the situation he was in.”

Jacquez Jones scored a pair of touchdowns – one on a 10-yard run and the other on a 16-yard reception – to finish with 66 total yards.

Anthony Evelyn also had a touchdown catch for 75 yards as he led the Dragons with 157 receiving yards.

Defensively, Ka’Darrion Jones led the Dragons with 10 total tackles including a pair of sacks. He also recovered a fumble that was forced by Jeremiah Brown. Asmar Hasan had nine tackles, and Jaquintis Summers had eight.

Brown said the Dragons started the week of practice well on Monday, which they did earlier than they would in a normal week in which Monday isn’t a national holiday.

“We figured we’d get practice done early so the guys could get out of here and enjoy a free evening with their friends and loved ones if they have that opportunity,” Brown said.

But the attention has turned to the second game of the season, this time a road trip to Huntsville, Ala., to take on Alabama A&M, a team that opened its season against the Southeastern Conferences Vanderbilt University.

“It’s really hard to get a good look at them on film because what they were doing against Vanderbilt will probably be different than what they’ll try to do against us,” Brown said.

When asked about the difference between an FCS program like Alabama A&M and a Division II program like Lane, Brown said the gap between the two isn’t as big as the gap between programs when an FCS team plays an FBS Power 5 conference program, but there is a gap.

“They’re a fully-funded program with nicer amenities than what most Division II schools have,” Brown said. “And on the field, the big difference is depth, especially in the trenches.

“I think our skill guys match up well with theirs, but our linemen have their work cut out for them because they’re able to offer more scholarships so they have more players. But we’re working to put ourselves in the best position to succeed and come home with a win.”

Kickoff is at 6 p.m., and tickets are available online at aamusports.com. Advance tickets are $40 for reserved seating and $30 for general admission. Both prices go up by $5 for tickets purchased on gameday. Children’s tickets (ages 6-12) are $15.

“We had a great crowd of supporters in Memphis last week against Miles, and we really appreciate everyone who traveled with us,” Brown said.

Brandon Shields, brandon@jacksonpost.news