Offensive line: Farmersville’s offense line of, from left, Dylan Dacus, Christopher Ferretiz, Justin Queneau, Damien Ainsworth, Braden Naude and Matthew Lannon (not pictured) have helped the Farmers average more than 200 rushing yards per game. Photo courtesy Zac Quinlan
By David Wolman
When Farmersville junior offensive lineman Christopher Ferretiz sees one of his teammates break free for a touchdown, he doesn’t just stand around and celebrate.
He takes off running, too.
Ferretiz was sprinting toward the end zone during the Farmers’ 59-20 victory over Quinlan Ford on Oct. 30, caught up in the excitement of another big play by Farmersville’s rushing attack.
“I was running down the field full sprint,” he said. “I might have ran a 40-yard time of four seconds flat.”
Even Farmersville head coach Zac Quinlan, a former offensive lineman who played at Cy Creek High School and McNeese State, joined the celebration as he raced along the sideline.
There was plenty to celebrate that night.
Behind a dominant performance from its offensive line, Farmersville rushed for a season-high 490 yards and scored on all nine offensive possessions, producing eight touchdowns and a field goal.
Senior running backs RaJun Wilkes and Daniel Mathews rushed for 184 and 176 yards, respectively, while senior quarterback Levi McAbee added 130.
For an offensive line that has dealt with injuries, lineup changes and inexperience throughout the season, the performance was especially rewarding.
“It made us feel good that we can accomplish something like that,” senior offensive lineman Justin Queneau said. “We just executed the plan at a high level. We did what we were supposed to do.”
Quinlan Ford loaded the box with defenders in an effort to slow Farmersville’s ground game, at times crowding 11 players within five yards of the line of scrimmage.
It made little difference.
“Going into the game, we weren’t trying to be up tempo,” Quinlan said. “I wouldn’t say that we weren’t trying to score because we want to score whenever we can. Our offensive line played extremely well. Our running backs hit the holes that were there.”
The performance was even more impressive considering the challenges Farmersville has faced up front.
The Farmers entered the season needing to replace three offensive linemen who graduated in May.
Injuries and other circumstances have since forced the coaching staff to use at least four different offensive line combinations.
Against Quinlan Ford, Farmersville had to make another adjustment after an injury sidelined one lineman and another player moved from tackle to guard.
Rather than allowing the changes to disrupt the offense, the Farmers have relied on versatility and a willingness to play wherever needed.
Junior Matthew Lannon has emerged as one of the team’s most adaptable linemen.
Described by Quinlan as a “Swiss Army Knife,” Lannon has played every position along the offensive line in his first varsity season.
He spent last year on Farmersville’s junior varsity squad.
“He has done a really good job everywhere that we’ve put him,” Quinlan said. “He’s a kid that is mentally able to handle all of those things.”
Sophomore Dylan Dacus is also getting his first varsity experience after splitting time between the junior varsity and freshman teams last season.
Senior Braden Naude, who saw limited varsity action a year ago, has taken on a larger role.
Juniors Brandon Ballew and Damien Ainsworth have also contributed in the trenches, helping power an offense averaging 38.6 points and 244.6 rushing yards per game.
While the younger linemen have gained experience, Farmersville has leaned on Queneau and Ferretiz for leadership.
Queneau has served as a team captain in each of the past two seasons, while Ferretiz is a two-year starter.
“Justin does a great job of leading that group,” Quinlan said. “Chris is kind of quiet leader. He doesn’t say that much, just goes and works. They obviously know what to expect and what they were getting into.”
That leadership has helped the offensive line remain connected despite the constant adjustments.
Ferretiz said the group’s chemistry began developing during the summer and has remained strong throughout the season.
The players’ friendships extend well beyond football.
“We usually like to play video games with each other, and we’ll usually go out to eat or go bowling when we hang out,” Queneau said.
That bond has become increasingly important as the Farmers have worked through injuries at other offensive positions.
Against Quinlan Ford, Farmersville was without its top two running backs, junior Brandt Martinez and freshman Sam Navaja.
That forced the Farmers to turn to Wilkes and Mathews, who had been further down the depth chart and typically started on defense.
The offensive line helped ensure the rushing attack didn’t miss a beat.
“Me and Daniel usually start on defense, but I knew that we had the talent,” Wilkes said. “All of our running backs are pretty fast. We have to give it up to our o-line for them to keep us going.”
The performance against Quinlan Ford was part of a larger turnaround for Farmersville.
After opening the season 2-4, the Farmers won four consecutive games and secured their first playoff berth since 2024 with the victory over Quinlan Ford.
“We definitely have had a switch with our personality,” Martinez said. “The coaches said that something needs to change or we’re not going to make the playoffs. We realized that, too. We needed to work harder as a team if we wanted to make the playoffs, and we did that.”
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