Sacramento High School Dragons have a lot to play for: Oak Park, families — and themselves

It was the last time seniors on the football team at Sacramento Charter High School would experience the traditional Saturday afternoon vibe of game day in Oak Park, and the Dragons capped their final regular-season home game with a much-needed victory over Fairfield, 32-14.

Of their 41-man roster, the Dragons fielded 19 seniors who were recognized before kickoff. For their senior day ceremonial tributes, the players graduating in June and their families graced the home grass field together.

This is the most graduating players Sacramento coach Kimbbie Drayton has seen since he joined the coaching staff nine years ago. He has been the head coach since 2020. The coach and others applauded the student-athletes whose Monticello Empire League schedule concludes Friday in West Sacramento against River City and continues in next week’s CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoffs.

People defended the student-athletes, the program and the school after an Oct. 19 game that went to the wire against visiting Vacaville nearly turned chaotic, when fans spilled onto the field without the resistance of any barriers — issues that have since been addressed with the CIF and resolved. There were no issues on Saturday against Fairfield. Barriers similar to those used at concerts were in place at the field.

“Our students are good students. They’re here to work hard, whether it’s on the field (or) in the classroom,” said Sacramento Charter Superintendent Lisa Ruda, who regularly attends games. “Enrollment is up at Sac High by nearly 15%. I think we got another 60 students here. We’re excited about football season. We’re looking forward to the playoffs.”

Though Sac High has limited seating, making for a lawn-chair setting, the atmosphere was festive. Music was bumping. The aroma from the food at the snack bar filled the hallways as fans approached the field.

Spectators were packed in under canopies, nestled in lawn chairs. Others soaked up the sun occupying the few bleachers provided.

Community efforts to improve the field have been spearheaded by the football team, coaches, alumni, parents and Oak Park residents. The natural grass on the field has been progressively growing. Of course, coaches, players, faculty and fans would love a brand-new, $25 million dollar stadium, Ruda said, but they make the best of what they have. It’s their home and they embrace it.

“Coach Kimbbie and our students themselves have done epic work in maintaining the field,” Ruda said. “We lease. We pay to rent this facility from Sac City Unified, but we’re the ones who play on it. So we take very, very seriously how the field is maintained. You can always see us out here, watering, mowing the lawn through the end of the day like just as our home field.”

‘The pride of Oak Park’

The culture at the region’s oldest high school is that it isn’t just a place for learning. It’s a community — the pride of Oak Park.

Senior running back and campus scholar Darius Moore said he is proud to have donned Oak Park across his chest the last four years. This is his roots, his home.

“The people for sure, all my friends, the coaches,” Moore said. “It’s more than just the school I go to. I’ve known these people since I was young. I’m saying we all grew up together. So that’s what I’m going to remember the most. That stuck with me a lot. ”

As he watched his team’s dominant performance, Moore took it in. He processed his thoughts of this senior farewell day while nursing a sprained ankle that kept him out the previous three games, each of which they lost by a touchdown or field goal.

“I remember being a freshman like yesterday,” Moore said as he fought back tears on the sideline, not from the pain in his ankle but at the magnitude of the moment. “Life after high school is going to be something different. All that childish stuff is done with. You have new responsibilities.”

Moore rushed 14 times for 88 yards. Drayton, the Dragons coach, has called Moore “invaluable” for his worth to the program, be it leadership or game production.

“I came to terms with it already. I got everything I need out of high school, so I’m going out of it with a cool head. I processed it well,” Moore said.

Moore has the talent and the grades to play football in college. But he said he is not going to be reliant solely on athletics to get him to further his education. Moore is a wiz in the classroom. He brags on a 4.0 grade-point average. His dream school is Stanford.

Runs in the family

Sac High seniors said they can feel at ease knowing that the following Dragons classes can continue what they started.

Underclassmen brothers had a big impact on Saturday’s game against their visitors from Solano County. Sophomore quarterback Le’ron James Radcliffe led the way, passing for 240 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran for a score.

Junior wide receiver Damarie Taylor caught four passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns from Radcliffe.

Radcliffe’s younger brother, Cordell, is a freshman who broke tackles, busted for gains and carried the load when Moore was dealing with ankle soreness. The future looks bright for Sac High and the Radcliffes, both younger brothers of former Dragons running back star Lamar Radcliffe, a freshman at San Jose State on a full scholarship.

Sending seniors out with a bang

The underclassmen were showing out for the seniors, but it was the soon-to-be graduates who were flying all over the field, giving their last ditch efforts in the final home game of their high school careers.

Senior Tayjon Dixon caught a 20-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter. Senior Jay’mir Lewis showed his brute strength, whether it was running through defenders on offense, making crucial defensive stops or delivering a big-hit pancake block that laid out a defender.

All season, Drayton the coach preached defense. The message resonated Saturday against a good team.

“We’re talking about being the most physical team,” Drayton said. “We started off kind of slow, picked up in the middle of the game, and kind of flattened out, finished strong. Defense is a big part of us. Honestly, we’re a defensive team and running the ball, so being physical, more physical is the most important part.”

Early in the fourth quarter when the Dragons led 20-14, Fairfield drove downfield, but senior defensive back Pete Arafiles Jr. forced a fumble with a tackle. Senior Marjon Johnson had a sack that forced a fumble.

The game was sealed when senior Ajani Key picked off a pass and raced the other way for a 100-yard touchdown.

“Just felt amazing,” said Key, who nabbed his first high school career interception. “I dropped my first three (interceptions) of the year. I don’t get to that many targets, so I had to make the most of the opportunity.”

Key, also a basketball player, joined the football team for the first time last year as a junior.

Win or go home

The Dragons victory halted a three-game losing streak and kept the team’s morale and playoff hopes alive.

“We had to plan to go to sections all year, and it was my guy, coach Kimbbie’s birthday,” Key said. “All the pain from last year, from starting off 0-6, that’s what built us. We wanted it all this year. We want to go to sections.”

Drayton told his team in their postgame huddle that it’s now “win or go home” and this upcoming week is a “week of sacrifice.”

“I think we’re projected as a 5 seed, but we gotta get to the top four to get that first-round bye,” Drayton said. “We get guys healthy going into the playoffs, it’ll increase our chances of winning. One more game against River City, a tough team. I think we got the dog to pull it out, if everybody shows up to practice and continues to work hard, like we were doing all year.”