Joel A. says: Crane turns preseason predictions around

Time to face the facts.

Preseason predictions should be taken about as seriously as anything that groundhog in Punxsutawney has to say about whether or not winter is going to end.

For one simple reason.

Preseason polls built on a team’s returning players — and the body of work they put together a full year ago — have nothing but circumstantial evidence to make their case.

Case in point, the Associated Press Top 25. Before this season began, Oklahoma checked in at No. 3. Good luck finding the Sooners anywhere near the AP poll right now.

Or simply take a look at the Permian Basin’s lone surviving football team, the Crane Golden Cranes, a team that came into the season with very little fanfare or expectations at all.

At least not like the weight Crane carried into the football season a year ago.

Ranked No. 2 in the state to open the season, the Golden Cranes had plenty of reasons to make the pollsters drool.

Coming off a second-round playoff exit in 2007, Crane had its golden arm, Lloyd Chisum, a host of talented skill players and a 7-on-7 state title to boot.

But those Golden Cranes never lived up to expectations. Rather than make a run to the state final, Crane got knocked out of the playoffs in a 21-14 loss to Lubbock Roosevelt.

“It was a real letdown last year,” senior linebacker Justin Mendoza said. “Rolling into the playoffs last year, I remember the guys telling people that Lubbock Roosevelt wasn’t too good, that we should beat them, and they surprised us.”

Shocked a team that expected to be playing football into December.

Fast forward to this season.

Losing Chisum, Justin Carrasco, Isidro Garcia and a host of other players to graduation, the Golden Cranes didn’t come into the season holding a lofty preseason ranking or a statewide reputation.

Crane didn’t even make it back to the 7-on-7 state championships.

“It all comes down to this,” Crane head coach Naldo Esparza said. “Every team is different, every team has its own personality, but ever since seventh grade, I knew this group was special because they always played together.”

Team chemistry is hard to quantify.

But its importance can’t be understated. For a football team to operate on all cylinders, the team has to be close, because every moving part affects another player on the field.

For this Crane team, the team chemistry starts with the team’s leaders. Running back Cody Black, who has rushed for 1,431 yards and 15 touchdowns, and inside linebacker Justin Mendoza, a force who has a whopping 185 tackles this season, are the same type of leader.

Quiet. Humble. Lead by example, rather than through words.

Every day this summer, Black and Mendoza rose early enough in the morning to work out together, then came back to work out in the afternoon with the team.

And they never missed a day. Working that hard sets the bar high for the rest of the team, and the Golden Cranes have followed the lead of Black, of Mendoza, of quarterback Jordan Cavazos and safety Teague Esparza and center Michael Flores and a host of other leaders.\

“This group of kids are a little bit closer,” Esparza said. “Nobody cares who gets the glory on Friday nights.”

So it should come as no surprise that Crane has reached the third round, a feat no other Permian Basin team accomplished.

And earned its glory as a team.