FRANKLIN — Fred Cranford glanced around Fenwick High School’s Yaeger Field before a football practice last week and grinned.
Things didn’t look how they are now back when he coached the Falcons a while ago.
“This is definitely home,” said Cranford, a 1992 Fenwick graduate. “The transition is now over. The kids have done an incredible job. It’s basically brick by brick. It’s kind of how we have to look at it — getting guys back to being committed, filling the weight room back up and prioritizing.”
Cranford has begun his second head coaching stint at Fenwick, which will play all of its home games at the newly renovated stadium. He coached the Falcons from 1998 to 2012, including seven years (2006-2012) as head coach when he led them to a 37-34 record.
Cranford succeeds Mark Mueller, who was Fenwick’s head coach since 2021 before he left for Monroe in December.
Cranford spent six years as the head coach at Loveland, where he guided the Tigers to a 15-0 record and a Division II state championship in 2013.
“It’s getting back and seeing things as they are now and not when they were when I was here,” Cranford said. “It’s just trying to push forward from there.
“Excited, no doubt,” Cranford described the response from his players during the offseason. “Anytime there is transition, there’s things that take place along the way. Our kids have stood strong. Those kids that are walking out here are incredibly loyal, and that is first and foremost.
“When you look at winning programs, your kids are loyal to your high school. Period. They showed up at Fenwick, and they are going to graduate from Fenwick. One hundred percent. Those are the kids that are going to bring the energy and that hunger to help bring us back to where we need to be.”
Cranford was a volunteer assistant coach with the Falcons this past season when they finished 5-5 overall and 1-4 in the Greater Catholic League Coed. Fenwick, a Division IV program, opens 2024 on Aug. 23 at Franklin.
“It’s breaking old habits,” Cranford said. “No doubt, we might be doing things a little bit different.”
Mitch Feldmann, a senior nose tackle and offensive tackle, said he’s ready to accept a leadership role this season.
“We’ve lost a lot of seniors. We don’t have that many this year,” Feldmann said. “I still think it’s going to be a great moment this year. We’ve got a lot of leaders this year. We just need teamwork. We just need to stay together. It’s the main thing we need is to just be there for each other.
“I’m happy to be here so that I can be a leader to all of the incoming freshmen, sophomores and juniors. That’s all I’m looking for.”
Feldmann said Cranford has been laser-focused since his return. The Falcons are searching for their first GCL Coed title since 2015.
“I think his seriousness is a big thing during practice,” Feldmann said. “He isn’t casual. He is very serious. Every moment, he’s all about teamwork — rowing the boat, all of us. That’s what he says. He’s very serious about that and hard work every second.”
Ben Spahr, a senior defensive end and offensive lineman, said the program has meshed well throughout the preseason.
“We’ve been a lot more together than we have been the past four years I’ve been here,” Spahr said. “I feel like especially the offensive line group that we have a lot of chemistry. We even hang out outside of practice a lot.
“We just have to keep doing what we’re doing. I think the practice and the pacing is just great right now. We just have to stick together.”
Cranford said his coaching personnel has brought a good amount of intensity to the mix.
“I’ve got an incredible coaching staff. Incredible energy. Enthusiastic,” Cranford said. “It’s the level of knowledge. I think when you bring those guys around your kids, that it has nothing to do with them, and it’s all about everybody in front of them. It’s a very transformational coach human being that they’re willing to do what they need to do to make this group of young men better. That’s contagious. So, I think, yes, it does start with us coaches. That puts a big smile on my face because of just what they’re bringing. The kids coming out and being around that. You are who you hang out with. It’s going to take a healthy minute, and I’m OK with that. You give me the right guys — and we can work with that.
“It’s not going to be perfect,” Cranford added. “We’re going to have a very young roster, and that’s OK. For us as a coaching staff, it’s just a great opportunity to step up and coach this program the way we want to see it in the future.”
