Speaking for the masses is a bad idea because no person can claim to know where every member of a mass stands on a particular issue. Discounting the inherent diversity of any group would be the same as painting with a broad brush and using just one color to blend all the unique perspectives.

Such is not true when the issue is realignment of the Monticello Empire League in 2024. It would be safe for most any person to say the addition of Pioneer, River City and Sacramento High has been an unmitigated mistake. Two of those schools immediately balked at becoming realignment pawns.

Pioneer and River City had no interest in leaving the Golden Empire and Sacramento Metro Athletic leagues, respectively. And they have continually complained since learning they had been selected by the Sac-Joaquin Section to join the MEL after the section allowed Armijo and Fairfield to leave the league.

The Falcons and Royals got their wish by threatening to leave the section. Napa and Vintage bolted in 2017, leaving the MEL with four schools. The league was rebuilt by adding Armijo and Vanden when the Superior California Athletic Conference was dissolved after four SCAC schools left the section.

Having six schools leave in 2017 could be the reason why the section was willing to do anything to prevent Fairfield and Armijo from joining the exodus. Why Pioneer and River City were selected to move to the MEL is anybody’s guess. The Patriots and Raiders continue to wait for an explanation.

And that is nothing compared with a section official trying to explain how Sacramento High moved to the MEL. How could any person of sound mind believe a school with just 354 students would compete against Vacaville, River City and Rodriguez when they have enrollments exceeding  2,000. River City is first with 2,311, followed by Rodriguez (2,070) and Vacaville (2,020).

Sacramento High also offers just 10 sports, while the other six MEL schools each have more than 20. And the Dragons might as well drop five given how they fared in their first MEL season. They were a combined 0-58 in flag football, boys and girls volleyball, softball and baseball. So much for a warm welcome

The boys volleyball team was 0-12 in matches and 1-30 in games, while the girls finished 0-10. The Dragons were 0-12 in baseball and outscored 231-4. The softball team forfeited its final five games and was outscored 150-3 in the first seven. The flag football team was 0-12 and outscored 293-42. And the Dragons were outscored by 251 points in 10 losses because they forfeited two games.

Wrestling is certainly not a popular pastime at Sacramento High after the Dragons made their MEL debut by losing 84-0 at Vacaville. A few of the boys earned a smidgeon of respect after having to share wrestling shoes to join the ever-growing list of opponents pinned in seconds by the Bulldogs.

Finding a new league for Sacramento High was not a simple task for section officials because the Dragons and several schools in other leagues do not get along. Sacramento High’s football team did not play nice with Vacaville last Oct. 19 as tempers flared after the Bulldogs’ 21-14 victory in Sacramento.

The chaos had as much to do with Sacramento High’s stadium as it did with the charter school’s administrators not having any security. Sacramento High had used Hughes Stadium in an agreement with the city’s school district, but the school lost it by attempting to operate independent of the district.

Whoever thought the school’s stadium was fit for high school games needs to have his of her head examined. There is nothing to separate the players and coaches from folks standing on the track or sitting on the few bleachers available. And the field is ragged with more holes than a golf course.

Vacaville’s flag football team was to play Oct. 21 at Sacramento High, but Vacaville administrators refused to let the girls go for fear of another incident and to have time to address their concerns about the stadium with the section.  The game was played Oct. 25 with the Bulldogs winning 52-0.

Those concerns continue to be raised and now go as far as to whether Sacramento High should remain  in the MEL. The section realigns leagues for a minimum of four years, so the MEL could be stuck with the Dragons until 2028 unless the section can find another league willing to take them. 

On top of all that, the Sacramento Bee recently reported that three teachers at the school spoke to administrators after hearing students talk about parties in 2023 at head football coach Kimble Drayton’s home. The first teacher to do so was fired and then reached a settlement with the school that included a non-disclosure agreement.

Allegations related to Drayton led to an investigation, which reportedly found no wrongdoing by the coach or other staff members and recommended no disciplinary action. News of the allegations and investigation has spread throughout the MEL, raising further concerns about Sacramento High.

Vacaville Principal Adam Wight, who is also the MEL president, mentioned the Sacramento Bee report published May 23 when asked about Sacramento High’s future in the MEL for this story. The section might have to rethink how the MEL was realigned because there is little chance it will get better.

Fostering competitive equity was the section’s goal in realigning leagues, but all the MEL got was two schools that do not want to be in the league and a third that has yet to prove it deserves to be.