Prep football: Sacramento Charter looked like a powerhouse. Then came the injuries

The season couldn’t have started any better for the Sacramento Charter football team.

The Dragons were preseason ranked 14th by The Bee. They opened up the season with a commanding 48-6 win over Stagg of Stockton. Everything was looking up for a team that went 9-3 and reached the second round of the playoffs.

And Sacramento returned a majority of its roster from last year’s team, which went to the semifinals of the section playoffs.

But star running back Lamar Radcliffe, who is gaining national recruiting attention, tore his ACL and MCL during that first game. His season was over before it even got started. It wasn’t the last injury the team suffered. As first-year Sacramento coach Kimbbie Drayton put it, “it’s someone new every week.”

Sacramento was blown out on Friday night, 49-7, against Capital Athletic League opponent and Oak Park rival Christian Brothers. It marked the fifth consecutive loss for the Dragons.

“It’s been a learning experience,” Drayton said. “We have a lot of sophomores playing on varsity. Big-time players hurt, underclassmen with offers hurt. It’s a big battle for us to try and compete in the games. We are getting better and better every week and the kids are playing hard. … It’s going to be a learning season for us.”

Morla, the Christian Brothers coach, recognizes how important a player Radcliffe was for the Dragons.

“Sac High is a tough team,” Morla said. “They’re down one of their best players. Lamar is their engine. I’m sad he wasn’t playing but they aren’t the same team without him.”

Another key player the Dragons lost for the season is running back Darrius Moore, who also doubles as a starting cornerback. He broke his collarbone in the opening game of the season.

All the injuries have forced the Dragons to call on reinforcements. They have pulled up six players from the junior varsity team and have combined practices to have enough bodies. Sacramento had 24 healthy players in the game against Christian Brothers.

A handful of the players on Sacramento are underclassmen who have never played football. They come from basketball backgrounds and are learning how to play football. It’s been a learning curve to get them up to speed.

“It’s a battle,” Drayton said. “We have a lot of sophomores who are athletic basketball players and it’s their first year putting on pads and playing football. Every rep is a learning experience.”

Without Radcliffe, teams have been approaching the Dragons differently. Instead of loading the box to stop the run, they’re playing without as many bodies up front. They’re forcing the Dragons to lean on their passing attack.

“Without him, people play a looser box,” Drayton said. “They play us over the top and make us run the ball. Without him explosiveness, it’s hard to gain yards.”

Sacramento scored only 55 points in five loses to McNair, Inderkum, Rancho Cotate, Vista del Lago and Christian Brothers, a stark contrast to the offensive outburst they had in the opening week.

Despite the losses, there have been bright spots. Naaman Branyan connected with Kendahl Hearne for a 39-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against the Falcons for the lone score of the game. Branyan was the starter in 2021.

The outlook for the rest of the season is unknown. Playoffs remain a possibility. So does getting back some players from injury. But it will be an uphill climb for the storied program.

“We are trying to find a way to compete,” Drayton said. “I tell the kids to have fun and fly around. And whatever happens, happens. Let’s get out here and enjoy ourselves and see what outcome happens.”