For the last two seasons, Farmersville has gone into the new football season with a running back they can rely on.

In 2023, that conversation is a little more cloudy. Without a true bell cow type of back in the backfield, the Farmers are hoping that several runners can step up to replace the production lost by senior Jacob Tull. The graduating leader played in just six games in 2022 but led the team in rushing yards and touchdowns before going down with an injury.

As the team looks at several good players, head coach Zac Quinlan still believes the Farmersville offense can be potent on the ground.

“It’s one of the most wide-open positions we have in our summer and fall camp,” Quinlan said. “We have Gerardo Reyes penciled in as the starter, but we have three or four guys right there with him this summer. So we’ll see who’s working the hardest and listening to what we want them to do in the backfield this offseason.”

Reyes isn’t the biggest kid in the Farmers’ backfield, but runs hard and showed his ability in a backup role last season. He finished 2022 with 129 yards and a touchdown, averaging over six yards per carry during the year.

“He showed an ability to run through tackles and find seams in the defense,” Quinlan said. “Everything he does translates well to the football field and should help us when we’re running the ball.”

Reyes is continuing to work on his strength, hoping to carry the mantle previously held by Tull and former running back Braejon Tidwell. Along with Reyes, Kaden Johnson and Jeralin Craddock will also work for reps in the backfield, along with a few underclassmen as well. Johnson came over from the baseball team and hopes to make an instant impact on the varsity roster.

For the Farmers, their offense is built on the running game. While they don’t have the conventional lead back yet, they have plenty of options to go with in the backfield, along with the running of quarterbacks Caden Norman and Brady Gray to add another dimension.

“As an offensive guy, I want to run the ball about 60 percent of the time,” Quinlan said. “Sometimes if the running game doesn’t work, you adjust that, but our goal is to be able to run and throw well. We’ve got to improve in both facets and we’ve worked hard this offseason to fix that.”

Farmersville will continue to work with all of its running backs in the team’s zone running scheme, as the kids have grown more and more accustomed to the approach to the offense run.

“We’ve been at this with this scheme for a couple of years now,” Quinlan said. “We’re running the same inside zone play from seventh grade and up, so the more reps you get and the better you get at it. So we’re hoping that can translate to our guys on Friday night.”

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