Farris Returns to Take Over Former Role of Sports Editor

After an absence of seven years, former Mexia News/Groesbeck Journal sports editor Stephen Farris is returning to jump back into his role.

During his absence, Farris has spent time as a freelance writer for several newspapers around the area, which included his coverage of Groesbeck football and basketball in 2024-25.

He first joined the Mexia staff in 2012 and semi-retired in 2018.

Farris began his journalism career in November of 2001, when he accepted a carrier route position for the Corsicana Daily Sun. In 2004, he was promoted to the Sun’s newsroom serving as a reporter, sports stringer, and later switched over to the position of news/sports photographer in 2005.

In July of 2007, Farris left the Daily Sun after accepting the assistant editor position for The Navarro County Times. When the paper folded in November of 2011, he started his own online news website called Gumbo Buster Banner. The opportunity to shift more to sports was something he couldn’t pass on in the summer of 2012, when he began shifting his full attention to The Mexia News.

In 2015, he served a dual role of sports editor/interim general manager of the Groesbeck Journal. A position that lasted a year until a permanent replacement was hired.

“It’s nice to be back,” Farris said. “It feels as if I’m returning home. I’m looking forward to taking on the challenge of the new format for sports coverage, and I feel the readers – both print and online – will enjoy it.”

Born in Giddings, Texas, he and his mother moved to Corsicana in February of 1965. He grew up playing different sports and watching games and other sporting events when it was possible. A graduate of Corsicana High School and a former student at Navarro College, he continues to reside in the small town, except for spending a year each in Austin and Groesbeck. Farris also has a love for local history and serves as the secretary of the Navarro County Historical Commission and as a board member with the Navarro County Historical Society.

“Farris is a great asset to have back on our news team,” said Jennifer Paul, Regional Editor. “His deep knowledge of sports, both the ins and outs and the passion behind them, makes his coverage compelling and truly rooted in the community. He brings a strong understanding of the area, the sports world, and what a local newspaper needs to serve its readers.”

Farris will be covering sports across the Bistone and Central Newspaper Groups—Groesbeck, Mexia, Cameron, Thorndale, Marlin, Rosebud, and Fairfield, Teague. He can currently be reached at sports@groesbeckjournal. com or sports@cameronherald. com.