With several returning options at receiver, the Farmers football team is likely to see a change to its offense in 2022.

Farmersville returns two of its four starters from last season, one wide receiver and one slot receiver.

Jeralin Craddock was poised for a breakout season in 2021 as a sophomore, but his season was cut short by an injury in the fourth game of the season. One of the top rushers and receivers on the team until that point, head coach Zac Quinlan said he’s confident he will be one of the top guys in the slot next year.

“He probably would’ve been one of our top two receivers before he got hurt,” Quinlan said. “That was really a problem for us last year was the injuries across the team. He’s an explosive player and can make a ton of plays, he’ll be back and ready to go.”

With Craddock back in the fold, he creates several mismatches that benefit the Farmers offensively. Playing against Ferris in an eventual 11-point loss, he had 131 yards rushing and two scores on just eight carries before going down injured.

With him out, the Farmers had to adjust their offensive gameplan.

“Our offense is built on a few positions to touch the ball a lot,” Quinlan said. “That’s quarterback, running back and slot receivers. He’ll be used in our running game and our run-pass options and those are the guys we know will get the most touches and have a lot of opportunities. He should get a minimum of five to six opportunities to make big plays each game.”

Along with Craddock, Colton Harbin returns to the outside after a solid season in 2021. The 6-foot-1 receiver is blessed with good speed and leaping ability that the Farmers can take advantage of on the outside. With several returning players in the passing department, coach Quinlan said the Farmers could see a more balanced approach in 2022.

“If we’re to stay healthy there’s a lot of chances for us to be explosive in the passing game,” Quinlan said. “When you’re balanced, you’ll see defenses crowd the box, try to limit our running and then our play-action passing game becomes huge. We have guys who can make plays in space and should help us.”

To read the full story, see next week’s issue of The Farmersville Times. Support your community newspaper for less than $40 a year.

By Kyle Grondin • [email protected]