Farmersville coach Chris Stegman instructs Tavian Smith on a drill during practice on Aug. 4. Photo by Tina Lopez / C&S Media

By David Wolman

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A cool breeze that blew inside James G. “Shug” Stanford Multi-Purpose Facility as the result of a passing thunderstorm brought a temperature of 68 to the first day of fall practice for the Farmersville football team.

At some point this season, the Farmers will have to get acclimated to the hot weather that usually blankets the Dallas area in the months of August and September.

However, Zac Quinlan, who is entering his fourth season as Farmersville’s head coach, told his players earlier this summer to be grateful for the lower-than-normal temperatures and lower humidity that his team experienced during summer workout sessions. 

“It’s amazing,” he said. “It’s been an amazing summer. I told our kids right before it got hot, ‘Y’all don’t know how blessed we have been this summer with the weather.’ It’s been scary cool how cool it has been. We do a lot of work in the mornings, which is something that we’ll have to get out in the afternoon to get acclimated to it because when we get closer to game time, those evening games will be a little warmer than now.”

Quinlan said the energy level during summer workouts was already at a high level, but he added that the cooler weather created for more focus and energy for Farmersville. 

There is a good reason for that excitement.

Last season, Farmersville won its first playoff game since 2016.

With 12 returning starters from last season’s team that won eight games, the Farmers are eyeing a deeper playoff run and their first district title since 2009.

“We’ve had a great offseason,” Quinlan said. “The kids have worked their butts off. We’ve had the best summer that we’ve had since I’ve been here the last four years. It’s been really, really good.”

Several players that played a key role in the team’s success are back, including junior quarterback Levi McAbee, junior wide receiver/cornerback Amare Warren, senior running back Gordon Swartz and senior linebacker Cade Ellis.

However, Farmersville is tasked with having to replace starters at other positions. 

The Farmers bring back just one starter on the offensive line (senior Giovanni Cobarrubio) and also have to replace defensive lineman Tay’shaun Davis, who was named the district’s defensive lineman of the year each of the past two seasons. 

Quinlan has high praise for senior Jared Vanderburg and junior Justin Queneau and expects them to be dominant players on the offensive line, while senior defensive end Triffan Greene will help to fill the void that was left by Davis.

Farmersville will have two new coordinators this season. Andrew Navaja, who was on the Farmers’ coaching staff last year, will call the offensive plays. Quinlan expects the Farmers to be similar in scheme as a year ago, but their defense will look much different under new defensive coordinator Eric Chavez.

“Coach (Stephen Blassingame) and coach (Josh) Howard did a great job,” Quinlan said. “They’re now in the insurance business. Coach Chavez and coach Navaja have come in and done a great job.”

Energy is the word that Quinlan has stressed to his players as Farmersville continues its preparation for its Aug. 29 season opener at Blue Ridge. The Farmers look to atone for last year’s 39-30 loss to the Tigers – a game that Farmersville led 30-6 at halftime.

“We’re all going to make mistakes, and we talked about that in the team meeting this morning (Aug. 4),” Quinlan said. “But we’re going to see effort. That’s something that we’re working on.”