Photo by Victor Tapia
Farmer Austin Brooks plunges into the end zone
on a 1-yard scoring run last Friday in a Class 3A
Div. II Region II bi-district matchup versus Eustace
at Mesquite’s E.H. Hanby Stadium.

Farmers recover from slow start, win playoff opener

By David Jenkins
Staff Writer

MESQUITE – The trademark of any good football team is the ability to overcome early adversity.

Farmersville (8-3 overall) did just that last Friday during a 17-14 win over District 14-3A’s Eustace (5-6) in the Class 3A Div. II Region II bi-district contest at Mesquite’s E.H. Hanby Stadium.

Farmersville advances to the area-round at 7:30 p.m. Friday to take on 16-3A’s Texarkana Pleasant Grove at Sam Parker Stadium in Mount Pleasant. The Hawks finished the regular season third in district, with a record of 3-2 and 7-3 overall.

They had a bye in the opening round since theirs is not a district game for 15-3A.

The Farmers overcame a slow start and outscored the Bulldogs 17-8 in the second half. Doing the honors were Austin Brooks (1-yard run), Chase Wiggins (20-yard run) and Marcos Delafuente (29-yard field goal).

“In the second half the kids just came out ready to go,” head coach Ross Dodson said. “We took the first drive (in the second half) and put it in (Brooks’ 1-yard run). After that we scored again (Chase Wiggins 20-yard run) and the defense played real well. I was real pleased overall with the second half. They came out with a lot of emotion.”

They were held scoreless during the first two frames.

“In the first half they did a lot of things on defense to slow down our offense,” Dodson said. “We missed some blocks, turned the ball over and didn’t convert on a first down.”

However, in the second half, the Farmers totaled 217 yards and the defense limited the home team to 123. Farmersville finished with 352 total yards.

The Farmers finished with 323 yards rushing and 24 first downs.

Finding the end zone for Eustace were Chris Compton (1- and 8-yard runs) and Jo Jo Bradburn (a two-point conversion run).

“We stopped them and gave up on the six (the 8-yard run) in the second quarter, but they were able to eat up a lot of the clock,” Dodson said.

The Bulldogs had just 270 all-purpose yards (240 rushing and 30 passing) and 16 first downs.

In Pleasant Grove, the Farmers face a team that set a school record for most points in a season (412), an average of 41 per game.

“They are a very talented team,” Dodson said. “They have a quarterback (Antonio Graves) that is one of the best high school quarterbacks that I have ever seen (play). He runs the ball well, can throw it just as good and is hard to bring down. He has a gear that most kids don’t have. He reminds me a lot of Vince Young.”

Graves set school records in touchdown passes and yards passing.

He finished with 37 total touchdowns. On the ground he accounted for 889 yards and 14 scores. 

Through the air Graves is 77-of-146 for 1,826 yards and 20 touchdowns. In addition, he recovered a pair of fumbles on defense for points.

He can get the ball to four different wide outs: Damien Watts (769 yards receiving), DeAnte Reid (310), Jon Phillips (395) and Landon Ashby (175).

Also chipping in on the running game is Nick Reid, who has 305 yards and 10 scores.

“They are a little more of a pass team than a run team at about 60-to-40,” Dodson said. “They have put up a lot of points so far this season. Our work is cut out for us, but we feel like it’s going to be a very evenly matched football game.”

Farmersville is surrendering 317.6 yards per game, equaling out to about 134.8 rushing and 182.7 passing. 

Coach Dodson sees a lot of similarities between the Hawks and teams they faced earlier in Community, Prosper and Lovejoy.

“They are a little better on offense then Community,” he said. “They have the speed kids like Lovejoy and Prosper had. I would have to say those three teams are like Pleasant Grove in many ways.” 

Pleasant Grove’s defense has given up a total of 280 points or 28 per game.

The Farmers are averaging 320 yards per contest, with 245.7 from the rushing attack.

The two other teams from 13-3A that picked up postseason victories were Lovejoy (56-32 over 14-3A’s Wills Point in Div. I) and Quinlan Ford (35-14 over 14-3A’s Van in Div. II)

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