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When team captains from Santee High and Miguel Contreras Learning Complex gathered at midfield for the coin toss of the CIF L.A. City Section Division III semifinal, veteran referee Gill Correa held up a gleaming LA City Championship coin.
By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
When team captains from Santee High and Miguel Contreras Learning Complex gathered at midfield for the coin toss of the CIF L.A. City Section Division III semifinal, veteran referee Gill Correa held up a gleaming LA City Championship coin.
“This is what you’re playing for next week,” he told the captains.
One player responded with enthusiasm: “Yeah—that’s it. That’s what we want.”
Correa, who has officiated several city semifinals and finals, had both teams fired up before the opening whistle.
A Wild Start
Santee opened the game by marching deep into Contreras territory. But at the 15-yard line, junior cornerback Chris Oxlaj ripped the ball away from Santee’s Ken Garcia and sprinted 85 yards for a touchdown. The added two-point conversion gave the Cobras an early 8–0 lead.
Santee answered quickly.
Senior running back Darnell Miller broke loose for a 65-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 8–6. Minutes later, his 24-yard scoring run put the Falcons ahead 12–8 with 3:03 left in the first quarter.
Miller wasn’t done. He added scoring runs of 54 yards—twice—to extend the lead to 24–8, essentially putting the game out of reach.
“We all said we were going to win this one,” said Miller, a “super senior” taking advantage of an extra year of eligibility. “We got focused and we did.”
A Star in the City
According to MaxPreps, Miller leads all of California in rushing with 2,796 yards, ranking 17th nationally.
A native of Memphis, he’s a thrill to watch—a back who can fly past defenders and “has more moves than a moving van.”
After Miller torched University High for 209 yards earlier this season, UNI head coach Bryan Robinson declared, “He’s the No. 1 running back in the City Section.”
Miller is a multi-sport athlete, also playing basketball and running track, and has been timed at 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
Falcons Return to the Big Stage
The win sends Santee to the Division III championship game for the second time in school history. The Falcons last reached the final in 2018, advancing all the way to the state championship, where they finished as runners-up.
“We knew if we could stop their run game, that would help us,” said Santee head coach John Petty. “We felt we could control the game with ours. Our defense did a great job shutting them down in the second half.”
The Falcons (9–4) will face Marquez this Friday at Birmingham High for the Division III title.
More Than Football at Santee
Football isn’t the only bright spot on campus. Santee is working to improve academic achievement and build strong character among students.
During a pause in the action, newly appointed principal Patricia Hanson took the mic.
“Let’s give a warm welcome to our guests from Contreras High,” she announced.
Hanson has been principal for just one week but brings extensive experience from Augustus Hawkins High School and the MSTMA academy at Roosevelt. A graduate of LaSalle High in Pasadena, she holds a degree from Cal State Santa Cruz.
Santee’s graduation rate sits around 85%, just a point below the state average. Last year, the school achieved an impressive 97% graduation rate, with 94% of graduates heading to college—momentum Hanson aims to build on.
A Santee cheerleader summed up the campus buzz:
“She’s only been here a week, but all my classmates say she’s cool.”