A Sacramento high school football field needs a face lift. Here’s how to help

Julius Douglas played high school football 15 years ago on a Sacramento field that didn’t have lights for night games or even turf.

He wants young athletes at his old high school to have a better experience, and he’s helping Sacramento Charter High School raise money to make it happen.

Douglas, founder of the Oak Park nonprofit Ceaze the Moment, for years has searched for ways to enhance his community through food drives, feeding the homeless, giving Easter baskets, and much more.

In addition to giving back to his community, he’s kept his passion for football. He mentors youth through the Sacramento Panthers.

He recently started a new program called Players Project, a community service initiative to improve the athletic facilities at Sacramento Charter High School and support the football team.

“(Our) purpose and mission is to teach these young men responsibilities, teamwork and integrity,” Douglas said.

Douglas has been coaching alongside Kimbbie Drayton, the school’s head coach of the varsity football team, for the past two years. He played football at Sacramento Charter High School from 2005 through 2009.

When Douglas was on the field, players competed on natural grass and had to be mindful of the occasional potholes. They did not have a stadium, lights or turf.

Over a decade later, the team still plays on grass with a few potholes. It still lacks turf and lights.

The school lost its bleachers, too, because they became worn down. Drayton said that the school usually rents temporary bleachers, but it doesn’t have the funds to continue that practice.

“Douglas hit me about trying to help the kids in Oak Park, to try and better the facilities at Sacramento (Charter) High School, for the kids to have a better playing facility and a better place to relax before and after the game,” said Drayton. “It’s something that we really need and we’re really grateful to take any type of help we can to try to show these kids a little something different that life can be better with a little help and hard work.”

A year ago, The Sacramento Bee reported that the campus had one of the region’s worst fields, despite having a top football team.

Following the 2021 season, the Dragons posted a 9 win, 3 loss record. They are are ranked No. 14 this year in The Bee’s Best Top 25 preseason high school football rankings.

Within the last 10 years, other schools such as Luther Burbank High School and John F. Kennedy High School, gained lights for their stadiums. Johnson and McClatchy high schools received artificial grass and improved tracks.

“Every high school has a field. What about Sacramento High? The Oak Park community is always overlooked and that’s not fair to these kids that are working hard,” Douglas said.

‘Why not us?’

The field is just one of the facility issues the school faces. Another is the deteriorating locker room. Instead, the players use a classroom pod with two microwaves, a refrigerator, and a couple of leftover chairs.

Most high schools have a press box that overlooks the entire field, allowing coaches and scouts to obtain game footage. Sac High does not have a traditional press box, making it difficult for players to be noticed by college recruiters.

“I think a lot of times we’re the most forgotten school. Everybody around us as far as Christian Brothers, McClatchy, Johnson, they all got the turf fields, they all had opportunities to better their facilities. I’m just waiting on our school to get our turn so we can have (the same) opportunities other kids have to be greater, faster, more athletic and play on a safer playing field and player environment,” said Drayton.

In a 2021 interview with The Bee, Justin Reber, now former athletic director and head coach said that the fields “hurt their image” and the kids “deserved better” than the facilities they have to play on.

“Why not us? Why don’t we get the opportunity, the same opportunity as other schools are getting to help make sure the kids successful? Why not Sac High?” said Drayton.

How to donate to Sacramento High

Family and community fundraisers are routine for the Dragons football program. Players took to social media for donations creating, a short YouTube video where they describe their push for new uniforms, a new locker room, and travel expenses.

So far, Douglas’s Ceaze the Moment and Sacramento Charter have have raised $3,000, but their goal is to at least make another $10,000 which would go toward improving the playing field with fertilizer dirt and seeds to grow grass, a security gate, a new bench and paint.

On Aug. 6, the team is planning a ‘field resurrection’ where they will plan to fix the field themselves. They’re accepting volunteers and donations.

“The football team and I are teaming up to fix the field ourselves,” said Douglas “We need the community to get involved.”

Donations can be made online at the GoFundMe account created to raise funds for the program.

This story was originally published July 22, 2022 at 5:25 AM.