FARMERSVILLE – When Farmersville running back Nickevian Taylor hasn't been practicing for tonight's 2A Division I state championship game against Tatum, he's been making copies of a rap song he wrote for this football season.

Taylor has burned CDs for 15-year olds and 70-year olds. His coach, Keith Wright, has every word memorized. Some in town even have the song as a ring tone.

The song, "Crank Dat Farmer Joe," has become the rallying cry for the 12-2 Farmersville Fighting Farmers, who will play in their first state title game tonight in Corsicana.

Taylor's rap song was played again during Friday's pep rally downtown, and the team will warm up to the music tonight before trying to beat two-time defending state champion Tatum.

"The song has taken over the town," Taylor said.

Catching the fever

Actually, Farmersville football has slowly taken over this town of 3,350 located 15 miles east of McKinney.

The road into downtown, Business Highway 78, is lined with purple ribbons on light posts. All of the downtown businesses have small cardboard gold posters with purple print that read "Go Farmersville" and "We Will Win," the team's motto this season.

Several players noted that the town wasn't decorated until last week. A couple of down seasons before last year's playoff appearance might explain that.

"It seems like everyone jumped on the bandwagon," tight end Dakota Cryer said. "It took a little while, but they're with us now."

At Daddy O's Doo-Wop Diner on McKinney Street, the conversation earlier this week focused on the football team.

A waitress mentioned that Tatum was playing for its third consecutive state title.

"We're going to end their streak," one of the restaurant's patrons said.

Diana Reagan, a waitress at Daddy O's, said there were so many folks at last week's 30-20 Division I state semifinal victory over Early in Waco that she imagined the town must have shut down.

"There were people I hadn't seen since I graduated, and that was 10 years ago," Reagan said. "It was like in the movies."

Farmersville's annual Christmas parade, originally scheduled for Dec. 8 , was moved to Dec. 20.

"If the team wins [today], it will be changed to a victory/Christmas parade," said Cynthia Craddock-Clark, who works for the city's Chamber of Commerce.

Ties to the past

The players are enjoying the love.

"People I don't even know have been coming up to me and saying, 'Great game last week,' " said wide receiver Jared Helmberger, whose mother, Debbie, teaches high school journalism. "And my mom cries before and after every game."

Farmersville, with a UIL enrollment figure of 409, teeters between 2A and 3A classification each year. Wright said he expects the school to move back to 3A in February when the UIL announces its biennial realignment.

Generations of families have played Farmersville football. It seems every year there is a Redwine or a Craddock on the roster. This year, senior starting running back Tajh Redwine is the focal point of the offense. Redwine has rushed for 2,078 yards and 34 touchdowns.

Several players have had relatives who played for Farmersville or in big playoff games for other high schools.

Linebacker Justin Schmidt had three uncles play for Farmersville. One of Schmidt's uncles, Daniel Gomez, was on the 1991 team that reached the state semifinals.

Taylor also had cousins who played on the '91 team.

"They're more excited than I am," Taylor said.

Cryer's father, Bruce, was the middle linebacker on Wylie's 1977 Class 2A state championship team. In an ironic twist, Wylie lost to Farmersville in the first game of the regular season that year.

"He's just really happy for me," Dakota Cryer said. "He got to go through it, so he knows what it takes. He says his team looked just like our team does."

A legend returns

Farmersville's first appearance in the state championship game has even given one fan a reason to come out of retirement.

Melvin Hitt, better known as "Crazy Mel," has fired up Farmers fans for a decade by dressing up as a farmer and banging on metal buckets with a big, silver spoon. Hitt started in 1996, when his oldest son, Josh, played for Farmersville.

Hitt says he has beaten about 150 buckets into submission.

The buckets are legendary throughout town, said Pete Campbell, owner of Farmersville Grain and Hardware.

Campbell has purchased about 20 of the buckets at Chamber of Commerce auctions. He has them hanging from a long chain in his store. More than a few have huge holes beaten through the bottoms.

"He's a guy who has always boosted morale at the games," Campbell said.

Hitt, who has been a mailman for 24 years – the last 12 in Farmersville – decided not to go to games this season, even though some high school students tried to talk him into it.

But Hitt did make them a promise.

"The kids came to me and told me if they made it to state, I had to be there," Hitt said, "So I'll be there Saturday night."

Hitt will paint his face purple and gold and put on his old coveralls again. Campbell has already told Crazy Mel he'll provide a bucket for the game.

"I'm no hero," Hitt said. "It's the players, the cheerleaders, the band and the drill team. There's a lot of spirit around here. I haven't seen this much spirit in a long time."

FARMERSVILLE

Founded: 1849

Population: 3,350

Primary industry: Farming

Notable residents: Audie Murphy, the most decorated American of World War II, had been a resident of Farmersville before he entered the U.S. Army.

Did you know? Once the "Onion Capital of Texas," farmers carried their harvested crops to the Farmersville onion shed, where countless bags were loaded and carried by rail to destinations across the country.

Class 2A Division I state final: Farmersville (12-2) vs. Tatum (13-1), 7:30 tonight, Corsicana's Tiger Stadium; KTXG-FM (90.5)

COLLIN COUNTY TRIFECTA?

Farmersville is among three Collin County schools still alive in the football playoffs. Here's what has to happen to better the 1977 season, when Plano won the 4A title and Wylie won the 2A title:

2A Division I: Farmersville upsets two-time defending state champion Tatum tonight in Corsicana.

3A Division I: Celina beats Snyder today in Abilene, then defeats the China Spring-Cuero winner next weekend for the school's eighth football state title.

5A Division I: Plano beats Euless Trinity today at Texas Stadium, then defeats the Converse Judson-Galena Park North Shore winner next Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio for the school's eighth football state title.