For the first time in 75 years, football is officially back in Crane. We reached out to Head Coach Chane Hutton and asked a series of questions about his coaching philosophy, expectations for the team, and his vision for the future of Pirates football.

Q: What does it mean to you - and to the community - to be leading Crane's first football team in 75 years?

“As far as the community is concerned, football has been a goal for quite some time and is now finally being realized because of the hard work and dedication of the Youth Competitive League coaches and parents. They have and continue to raise money for the Jr High and High School program. The community in general has been very supportive and is very excited about bringing football back to Crane.”

“For me, it is a privilege to be part of this historic moment. It’s also about the players for me. I love working with these age groups, and it is a passion for me to see them become great people and great football players.”

Q: As someone new to the district, what drew you to Crane and this coaching opportunity?

“I am new to the district, but I am not new to coaching football. After coaching youth competitive football for 12 years, my first school job was at Summit Christian Academy in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, where I started a Jr. High team. We started with 13 players our first year and grew to 50 players over about four years. After my sixth year there, coaches whom I had mentored eventually took over when my wife and I moved to SW Missouri. I then spent some time coaching at Nixa High School as an assistant. It was only natural for me to come to Crane, seeing this great opportunity to start a new football program because this is what I had done before - and it’s really who I am as a coach.”

Q: How would you describe your vision for this program, both now and in the years ahead?

“My vision for the program is to build up the Junior High program to ensure Crane has a good farm team moving up through the ranks. The youth competitive program has already been going and that is just as important. My vision also includes going to a Junior Varsity program as soon as possible and then of course putting together a Varsity program from there.”

“These programs include offseason workouts, weight room time, football camps, good practices, and mentoring new coaches to handle the different levels of competition. I will work with our AD to schedule games and all that it entails. I am certain Crane can compete at a high level in Class I once we get the players on the field.”

Q: Starting a junior high football program from scratch is no small task. What have been the biggest challenges so far?

“Starting any football program from scratch is not easy. It is a struggle in every way you can imagine. Football is the most expensive sport high schools do. The biggest challenge is financial. The question is not so much what we want but what we are willing to do to get what we want. There is equipment, practice fields, a stadium, and scheduling both practices and games. It takes a tremendous amount of dedication and money -from buying equipment, building facilities, and paying coaches and refs - these are just a few of the expenses.”

Q: How did you put together your first roster? Were most of the players brand new to organized football?

“Developing a roster is the most challenging part of being the head coach. I start with who wants to play, then I spend a lot of time recruiting. This year, we were able to get close to 20 players. I’ve started with less. Parental support is also a big part of the recruiting process. I try to assure moms and dads that we will use the safest equipment and the safest methods of teaching and playing football possible.”

Q: What has been your approach to teaching fundamentals and introducing these athletes to the game?

“Introducing players who have played before and those who haven’t is the same because they are all young and inexperienced. I personally install a relatively simple system on which to run plays as opposed to just handing the team a big playbook. This ensures that they can learn and execute the system fairly easily.”

“As we go along, we add, fix, and throw in some bells and whistles as they get comfortable with the basics on both offense and defense. My approach is to start with the basics and gradually add details and variations to the system I’ve already installed. If it’s too complicated at first, the players get frustrated and their ability to execute the plays and formations is less than desirable.”

“I focus on process goals, and outcome goals will come in time.”

Q: Who are some players stepping up as leaders this season?

“We already have some potentially great players and leaders. I would single out Camden Ellingsworth, who is our quarterback this year. He is very athletic and, with more experience, will get better and better. Also, Weston Jennings-Hooten had an outstanding game last Thursday night as our Z Slot receiver. He will be getting the ball more in the coming games. Our defensive and offensive lines played hard as well.”

Q: What's impressed you the most about your team's effort and growth so far?

“What has impressed me most about this team is their desire to get better. That was evident in the first game, as the team as a whole got better as the game went along. We then fixed some things at the next practice, and they were eager to do things correctly.”

Q: Looking back at the first game, are there any moments - on or off the field - that have stood out to you?

“What stood out to me in the first game was their consistent improvement throughout the game. They had fun, played hard, never gave up, and were always trying to do better. Off the field, they were well behaved and exhibited good sportsmanlike conduct.”

Q: What are your biggest goals for the rest of the season?

“Looking ahead, our outcome goals are the same: we want to win as much as we can. However, our process goals are extremely important. They are, in general, to get 1% better every day, become better people every day, and do well on and off the football field.”

Q: How do you define 'success' for a first-year program?

“Success for this year has already been achieved to some degree. We have fielded a team, we are practicing hard, and we are seeing more and more interest in students wanting to come out for football. Next year will be a great year, as our numbers will certainly grow and eventually turn into a JV and Varsity football team.”

Q: What role do you see the community playing in helping this program grow over time?

“We cannot move very far forward without a fair amount of general and genuine support from the community. There will be a cost, but more importantly, the emotional and verbal support will be vital. I saw this demonstrated at the first game in a huge way. Over time, as the community sees what a great benefit it is for the city of Crane, more and more support will grow exponentially.”

Chane Hutton

Head Coach, Crane High School

Crane.news Note

Crane.news is proud to support Coach Hutton and the Pirates as they make history this season. This program represents years of hard work, community effort, and a passion for giving Crane's athletes new opportunities to shine. We encourage everyone in our community to rally behind the team - whether it’s showing up on game day, sharing words of encouragement, or helping spread the excitement of football’s return.