Farmersville senior midfielder Syah Surles finished second on the team in goal scoring as a junior. Photo by Tina Lopez / C&S Media
By David Wolman
Student-athletes at Farmersville High School are ready to make their mark and help lead the Fightin’ Farmers to success in their respective sports.
The Farmersville Times will now take a look at some of the top returners for Farmersville.
Amare Warren, football/track and field
Named to the District 5-4A Division II football second team as a junior, Warren was a big reason why Farmersville averaged 36.6 points per game during the 2025 season. He led the Farmers in receiving yards with 663 and added six touchdown receptions. Defensively, Warren had five interceptions and recorded four forced fumbles.
On the track, Warren obliterated the school record in the triple jump by more than three feet, with a leap of 48-11. This year, he repeated as district champion and added a fourth-place finish in the long jump with a 21-6.5. He was a regional qualifier in the long jump and triple jump as well as the boys’ 4×100 relay.
Breelynn Pollard, cross country/track and field/volleyball
Pollard’s junior season began with a breakthrough.
She ran to 14th place with a 12:33.75 at the Region II-4A meet, becoming the first Farmersville runner to qualify for state since Aubrey Varner made back-to-back appearances in Round Rock in 2022 and 2023. At the 4A state meet, Pollard ran a time of 12:30.9, which was good for 63rd.
In volleyball, Pollard finished with 568 assists, 196 digs and 47 service aces. In track and field, Pollard captured third place in the girls’ 3,200-meter run with an 11:38.67 at the regional meet and also placed ninth in the 1,600 with a 5:37.47.
In softball, Pollard was named to the All-13-4A first team. She finished with a .294 batting average, .412 slugging percentage, 15 hits, seven RBIs, 12 runs, seven walks and eight stolen bases.
Callie Christenson, girls’ golf
Christenson was one of the youngest players on Farmersville’s girls’ golf team last year. But when the stakes were higher, she rose above the challenge.
Shooting a two-day score of 214, Christenson finished in a tie for fourth place at the District 13-4A golf tournament. More importantly, her efforts helped lead the Lady Farmers to second place in the district tournament with a score of 940 and an automatic qualification for the Region II-4A Tournament.
Devin Swain Jr., boys’ basketball
One of the most versatile players on Farmersville’s boys’ basketball team, Swain Jr. is a three-level scorer and solid defender who is ready to help the Fightin’ Farmers build on one of their best overall seasons in the last decade.
The Farmers seek another productive season from incoming senior forward Devin Swain Jr., who earned recognition on the all-district first team as a junior after averaging 14.1 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 1.8 assists.
Farmersville finished 23-8 for its first winning season since it went 28-5 in 2012-13, including a first-place finish in the Silver Division of the Allen In-N-Out Tournament and was ranked in the top 25 for several weeks in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches’ Class 4A state poll.
Jairo Acosta, boys’ soccer
One of the biggest moments in the upward trajectory of the Farmersville boys’ soccer came in Acosta’s sophomore season when he was moved from forward to goalkeeper. Acosta has since moved back to forward/attacking midfielder because of the emergence of rising senior goalie Markus Estala, but the first position change led to much better success for Farmersville.
Farmersville has since made the playoffs each of the last two seasons despite competing in one of the toughest districts in all of Class 4A. Acosta and the Fightin’ Farmers will look to make it three straight appearances in 2027.
Acosta was the recipient of Offensive Player of the Year award at the team’s banquet.
Levi McAbee, football
Farmersville’s offense has featured a prolific passing attack ever since McAbee took over as the team’s starting quarterback in 2024.
Now entering his third and final season with Farmersville, McAbee, a Gardner-Webb pledge, has his sights set on leading the Fightin’ Farmers to better things after they missed out on the playoffs last year following a 5-5 season.
McAbee is one of the top returning Class 4A quarterbacks in the Dallas area, having thrown for 1,692 yards and 18 touchdowns last year and more than 4,000 yards in his high school career.
Peighton Purser, volleyball
Purser has accomplished a lot in volleyball, both at and away from Farmersville High School.
Last month, the Sam Houston State commit led her club team, Premier 17 Black G, to second place in the 17 American Division at the United States Volleyball Girls Junior 14-17 National Championships in Indianapolis.
This fall, Purser, an outside hitter, will look to help lead the Lady Farmers to a 13th consecutive postseason berth.
As a junior, Purser finished with team highs in kills (505), service aces (85) and blocks (45) and also contributed 351 digs and 35 assists. She was named the District 13-4A Offensive Player of the Year and also earned a selection on the Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association Class 4A all-state honorable mention team.
Sebastian Redwine, baseball/boys’ golf
Redwine balanced his time well between the demands of a dual-sport spring athlete this spring.
He earned a spot in the Region II-4A golf tournament after he captured fourth place in District 13-4A with a score of 170.
In baseball, Redwine, an infielder and pitcher, was named to the All-13-4A second team after he hit .277 with seven RBIs and six stolen bases, in addition to tossing 22 strikeouts in 20.1 innings.
Syah Surles, girls’ soccer/track and field
Surles is an offensive playmaker and shutdown midfielder that has helped guide Farmersville to two of its best seasons in program history in girls’ soccer.
After being the first player in program history to be named to the Texas Association of Soccer Coaches All-Region Team as a sophomore, Surles finished second on the team in goal scoring during her junior season and was named to the All-13-4A first team.
On the track, Surles served as one of the legs on Farmersville’s girls’ 4×100 relay that was a regional qualifier.
Will Shirley, baseball
Farmersville’s offense had one of the district’s top lead-off batters.
Shirley was named to the All-13-4A first team after hitting .410 with five doubles, nine RBIs and 14 runs during his first season as a varsity starter. He also starred on the mound, finishing with a 2-2 record and striking out 21 in 15 innings while allowing just eight earned runs.
Farmersville finished the regular season strong to qualify for the postseason for the 12th straight year.
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