Davis has been charged with coaching one of the most important positions in football. And he’s making sure that his players know how to do their jobs and keep the defense from getting through to the quarterback and other players in the backfield. 

When his players get tired, because this position wears on the big boys who do it, Davis has to know when to pull them out to rest and when he feels like they have more gas in the tank and can stay on the field for a bit longer. He has to know who the best blockers are, and which players have the natural killer instinct for the position. Additionally, he has to teach his players how to be in the appropriate position at the right time.

Davis is working hard to make this year’s team. Especially the offensive line.

“I became a coach because of the positive influence that the coaches I had modeled for me, and this is a way I can do the same,” he said.

Davis also said it’s good to be back home.

“I grew up in Crane, and I attended school from Kindergarten on here.”

Davis played football for Crane High School, also.  And as you might’ve guessed, he played center on offense. On defense, he played defensive end.

Although Davis is now a coach, he had a different idea of what he wanted to be when he grew up while daydreaming as a child. 

“I grew up wanting to be a voice actor,” he said. “That was my dream as a kid.”

Even though we don’t get to hear his voice on our favorite cartoons or movies, thankfully we get to hear it on the sidelines every Thursday and Friday night as he calls out for his players and cheers them on as they do great things on the field. 

Davis said he loves the game of football and being able to be a positive influence to the players and to other coaches as well. The players Davis coaches feel the same way about him as he does about them. To a man, they all expressed their support for their new coach and say that it’s an honor to be able to play for him.

Married? No

How long have you been in education? Two years

Where were you before coming to Crane? XTO and EXXON Mobil

What do you do for fun? Spend time with family, and I love going to the movies.

How many siblings do you have? Three

Children? Two. My daughter is a senior at Buena Vista in Imperial, and my son is a junior at Buena Vista as well.

What is one of your hidden talents? Hmm, I used to sing.

What would students be surprised to find out about you? I am actually very competitive in everything I do, and I love all sports!

Do you have any pets? Yes. I have a cockapoo; his name is Rolo, and he is one-year-old.

If you won the lottery and decided to give up working in education, what would you decide to do instead? Help everyone in need in my community first, and then I would travel around the world.

What inspires you? My kids inspire me every day.

What is your dream vacation? I would love to go on an Alaskan cruise to see the northern lights. 

Is there anything else you would like to share? I love working here at Crane; the students have all been great. I love kids and enjoy helping and encouraging them in any way I can. 

Rod Wave's latest album, Nostalgia, is an exploration of the common sadness that will seem deeply familiar to many of the album's listeners. 

Wave explores in the album the common themes of love, loss and struggle. He does a deep dive into the roller-coaster of life's journey that we all find ourselves on from time to time. 

Wave's raw and arousing storytelling, paired with his emotional, melodic sound, creates a musical narrative that invites listeners to reflect on their own past while embracing the present.

One of the songs that stand out is the title-track, Nostalgia. Wave's lyrical prowess exudes truth and shows courage and authenticity. He bares his soul by sharing personal struggles, allowing listeners to connect with him on an intense and personal level. 

The album's seamless blend of relatable stories and heartfelt verses makes for a strong statement reminding us of our shared human experiences and our shared humanity.

The production on Nostalgia is masterful, with carefully crafted beats and instrumentals that complement Wave's delivery. The process of soulful melodies and rhythm arrangements adds to the album's emotional impact and draws listeners deeper into the story. Each track feels like a chapter in a book, weaving an attractive story that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

Nostalgia is an excellent model of present hip-hop artistry, showing Wave's growth as an artist and storyteller. It's a musical journey that pulls at strong affections and encourages reflection. Overall, it shows the raw power of music to bring out emotions and connect us to our shared humanity. 

Nostalgia is not just an album; it's an emotional journey that leaves a lasting impression on anyone lucky enough to experience its melodic magic. I highly recommend this album, and I give it four-out-of-five Golden Cranes.

These are the emotions that good people feel when monsters lurk in the shadows, seeking to devour and destroy the innocence of children. 

The Sound of Freedom is a powerful movie, but one that is definitely uncomfortable to sit through. The movie follows the real-life experiences of Tim Ballard, a federal agent who spends his days looking at footage of children being abused and molested, writing detailed reports of what he sees and what takes place in the disturbing tapes. And the things he sees on these tapes will make your stomach turn and your blood boil.

Imagine leaving your child in the hands of someone you trust. You leave, thinking your child is safe and sound. You’re enjoying your time with family and friends. It's been a couple of hours, and so you decide to call the person who you left your child with. There is no answer. Panic begins to flood through your veins, and you start calling again and again. No answer. You rush out of the building, dialing 9-11 as you speed towards the house. When you arrive, it's dark and abandoned, and nobody is there. Sirens can now be heard in the distance, and your child is vanished--gone without a trace.

You immediately run out of the house, across the yard,  towards the cops and explain what happened. You give a description of what your child was wearing and who they were with. The cops investigate the crime scene and find evidence of trafficking, along with photos of the kids the suspect has hurt before. You can’t hear what else the cops are saying, as their voices are drowned out by the ringing in your ears and the horrific realization that your kid has been sold by someone you considered a friend. 

The detectives and FBI agents do their best to track down your child, and the person who took your child. They look at video footage from cities nearby, talk to the Border Patrol, and discover that your child is no longer in the country. Your heart sinks. The case goes cold.

This type of scenario is often what precedes the horror that Ballard would see on the videotapes he was charged with detailing in his reports.

One day, Ballard gets caught up in the harsh reality of trafficking when he and his associates search a man’s house, finding photos of victims who were sold and abused by the man living there. When Ballard and his colleague catch the abuser, the monster asks them how many children they have saved. This question prompts Ballard to do something to help save the children.

Ballard goes undercover and pretends to be one of the abusers so he can save a little boy from being sold. Once he saves this boy, Miguel, and catches the trafficker, little Miguel asks Ballard to save his sister, giving him a necklace his older sister gave him with Ballard's name on it. Unfortunately, the constraints of his job won't allow him to do all that he feels led to do to save the children, and so he quits his job and uses all his own resources and connections to search for Rocio, the older sister. 

Ballard goes on to rescue many, many children from the clutches of monsters, and his name has become well-known throughout the world for the abusers he's brought to justice and because of the many children he has helped rescue.

This film details these events in excellent cinematography and unforgettable moments that really sear into your brain. While this movie isn't for the faint of heart, it is an important film that shines a necessary light on the dark world of human trafficking. I believe it's important to not stick our heads in the sand regarding this important issue, and thanks to this movie, many people are beginning to realize the full and awful scope of the human trafficking world.

Millions of children go missing every year and become victims of abusers; most are never found. Ballard inspired many organizations to change their ways and now does everything he can to bring kids home. 

I would say that this film is a great one. I would give it four-out-of-five Golden Cranes!

Soon, the score was a tie, at 20-20. The Lady Birds' teamwork was firing on all cylinders. Unfortunately, however, the Yellow Jackets defeated the Lady Birds in the first set. 

The Lady Jackets started the second set, taking the first point and appearing to hold the momentum carried over from the previous set. But then, suddenly, the Lady Birds flipped things around and put up five points in a row, bringing the score to 5-1. The crowd began to chant, "C-H-S" every time the Lady Birds began battling for a point. The score began to climb for the Lady Birds: 10-3, 12-3, 15-6, and 18-8. 

A few times it seemed like the ball would hit the floor, but one of the Lady Birds would battle and dive and steal what appeared would be a given point for the Lady Jackets. The Lady Birds took this set to tie up the game count, 1-1.

The next set went on much as the second, with the Lady Birds' dominating play. Makenna Willis, senior, was everywhere on the court, making impressive play after impressive play. The same can be said for Nayelly Sanchez, senior, whose height and quick-thinking logged many points for the Lady Birds when she stuffed it back down the throats of the Lady Jackets. Sanchez was named Player of the Game for an impressive 21 kills on the night! 

The Lady Birds took the third set 25-16, taking the ladies into the fourth set. Would it go to a fifth? Only time would tell. 

The fourth set started off appearing to go the way of the Lady Jackets. Soon, the Lady Birds were down 4-8. Unfortunately for them, Crane had other plans slowly making and began slowly closing the gap and then climbing past the Lady Jackets to bring the score to 25-13, with the Lady Jackets not answering a single point for a very long time.

When the final point was made to seal the deal on the district-opener, Barnett stormed the court and screamed at the top of her lungs. The ladies threw their hands in the air and began hugging and cheering. They were so happy to start off the district games with a win.

The Lady Birds will continue their journey in district and would love to see you show up to their games. Come on out and support the Lady Birds! You won't be disappointed!