Farmersville’s Alexia Hernandez was named the District 13-4A Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025-26 season. Photo by Oladipo Awowale / C&S Media
By David Wolman
Farmersville enjoyed athletic success across the board, and one reason why Farmersville continued to excel in athletics was because of the leadership and play of its senior class.
The Farmersville Times will now take a look back at some of the seniors from the Class of 2026 who made a big impact for their respective teams.
Alexia Hernandez, girls basketball/volleyball
Hernandez will be a cheerleader in college for East Texas Baptist University. And while she won’t play any sports in college, she will always be remembered as a multi-sport athlete at Farmersville High School.
Named the District 13-4A Defensive Player of the Year in girls’ basketball, Hernandez played a lockdown role on defense as she guarded the other team’s top perimeter threats. She turned any steals into offense and also provided a calming presence and a reliable ball handler. She helped lead the Lady Farmers to an 18-11 record and a playoff appearance.
On the volleyball court, Hernandez changed positions midway through her senior season, moving from defensive specialist to setter. She was named to the all-district first team after recording 130 digs, 89 assists and 40 service aces. Farmersville finished with a 29-13 record.
Conner Bakken, boys powerlifting
Bakken’s story is one of perseverance.
After a lingering knee injury that he suffered while playing football in the fifth grade forced him to miss all of his junior season, Bakken made up for lost time in a big way.
On March 27, Bakken became the first boys’ powerlifter from Farmersville to win a state title in program history. Bakken lifted a total weight of 1,275 pounds between the meet’s three events – squat, bench press and deadlift – to capture first place in the Texas High School Powerlifting Association Division II state title in the 123-pound division.
Daniel Mendoza, boys soccer
As the only four-year starter for Farmersville, Mendoza has seen the Farmers’ boys soccer team ascend, from one that struggled to win games to one that has made the playoffs in back-to-back years for the first time in program history.
Although both playoff appearances for Farmersville ended in one-goal losses to Sunnyvale in bi-district, Mendoza’s creativeness and knack for finding the back of the net helped the Farmers to become a team to be reckoned with. He also stepped in at goalkeeper during his junior season.
Named the District 11-4A Utility Player of the Year both as a junior and senior, he scored one goal in the playoff loss to Sunnyvale this year and set up a goal for fellow Farmersville alum Christian Aguilar after he was fouled from behind in the penalty area.
Aguilar was also recognized as the Co-Kicker of the Year in District 5-4A Division II in football.
Ethan Stone, boys basketball/football/track and field
Stone entered his senior year with the mindset that he was going to change his diet and also that he was going to give it all that he got and then some.
On the football field, Stone was one of the top wide receivers for the Farmers his senior year and also contributed at defensive back. Offensively, Stone finished with 510 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. He was named to the All-District 5-4A Division II first team.
After helping lead the Farmers’ boys basketball team to a 23-8 record, for which he was named to the All-13-4A honorable mention team, Stone had a track season for the record books. Stone broke the school record in the boys’ 400-meter run at a meet in Decatur that had stood since 1998. He later became the first boys’ track and field athlete from Farmersville to qualify for the state meet since 2013. At the 4A state meet, he placed sixth with a time of 48.67.
Jacey Wheaton, softball
Although the Lady Farmers won just four games this year, the offense and defense that Wheaton, a Texas Woman’s University pledge, provided gave Farmersville a chance.
Named the District 13-4A Catcher of the Year, Wheaton posted a team-best .532 batting average with 25 hits, including seven doubles, four triples, two home runs, 19 RBIs, 17 runs scored, 11 walks and struck out seven times in 60 plate appearances.
Wheaton, who hit clean-up for the Lady Farmers, went 3-for-3 with five RBIs and two walks in Farmersville’s lone district win, a 15-14 triumph over Sunnyvale on March 24.
Janilya Craft, girls’ powerlifting
After not qualifying for the Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association Class 4A Division II state meet last year, Craft was determined to shake off that disappointment and finish her high school career on the medal stand.
Not only did Craft earn a spot on the medal stand, but she became the first female state champion in powerlifting in program history.
Craft lifted a total weight of 1,065 pounds at Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg between the bench press (220 pounds), squat (455) and deadlift (390). Her total was 35 pounds more than the 1,030 pounds that state runner-up Emily Gonzalez of Shepherd lifted.
Marquis Oshodi, boys’ basketball/football
Oshodi played for Farmersville for just one season after transferring from Allen, but his impact was impressive, especially on the football field.
Named to the District 5-4A Division II first team, Oshodi was a threat to score every time that he touched the ball. He led Farmersville in rushing yardage (1,390) and rushing touchdowns. In his final career high school game, he tallied 313 rushing yards and three scores as part of a 56-point onslaught by the Farmers’ offense against Sanger.
A second-team all-district honoree in basketball, Oshodi averaged 2.6 points and 1.9 rebounds. Oshodi also had the game-winning block in a 59-57 overtime road win over Sunnyvale Jan. 17.
Mason Day, baseball
When Farmersville made a late season run to qualify for the playoffs for the 12th consecutive season, the left arm of Day provided a big lift.
Named to the District 13-4 second team, Day went 2-2 on the mound with 24 strikeouts and 14 earned runs in 29 2/3 innings to go along with a 3.30 earned-run average. He delivered in a key outing against Sunnyvale, striking out six in seven innings – a game that Farmersville won 5-3 that served as the spark to help the Farmers finish the regular season strong and qualify for the postseason.
Day helped lead the Fightin’ Farmers to an appearance in the area round during his junior year.
Natalie Taylor, girls’ soccer
Taylor was the focal point of game plans for opposing teams, sometimes having seen multiple defenders placed on her in an attempt to prevent her from scoring.
That didn’t slow her down.
Taylor capped off a standout career by being named the district’s female Utility Player of the Year in each of her last two years. She scored 31 goals as a senior and finished with 77 goals over the last three seasons.During her junior season, she helped lead Farmersville to a single-season record for district victories with five and nearly led the Lady Farmers to their first-ever play.
Read the full story in the July 2nd edition. Stay informed — subscribe to The Farmersville Times.
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