The Decatur Lady Eagles celebrate after defeating Prosper Richland 78-59 in the 4A Division I state semifinals Tuesday at Denton High School, punching the team’s ticket back to the 4AI state final for the second consecutive year. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
The top-ranked Decatur Lady Eagles shook off a slow start against No. 14 Prosper Richland and earned the right to contend for a second straight 4A Division I state title Tuesday night.
Despite a 10-second violation and a pair of turnovers on their first three possessions, Decatur (36-4) reassessed itself and focused on breaking Richland’s strong full court press. Once the Lady Eagles found a recipe for offensive success, Decatur worked the ball down low all night, and used its advantage on the boards to knock down second and third-chance shots to snap the Lady Raiders’ 30-game win streak with a 78-59 victory inside Denton High School’s Purple Pit.
“This year has been harder on our kids with expectations being high, but they have been phenomenal throughout the whole year,” Decatur coach Drew Coffman said. “We came in every day thinking state championship, but we really didn’t talk about it much because we knew it was a day-by-day process. I’m excited we get this opportunity again, and I’m really just really proud of our group.”
Decatur’s unusual miscues early against Richland didn’t cause much damage. Decatur’s post duo of senior Bralyn Peck and sophomore Sayler Peck combined for 11 points in the first 8 minutes, while the Lady Eagles’ guard duo of senior Cece Davis and sophomore Style Brazile knocked down shots behind the 3-point arc to push the team on a 22-14 opening drive.
“[Richland] did to us what we do to other teams, but we were ready for it,” Sayler Peck said. “We’re really not used to seeing that from other teams, but we work on it in practice a lot. They definitely put up a good fight, but I’m glad we got the win to get back to state.”
Decatur senior post Bralyn Peck led the Lady Eagles with 20 points in the team’s 78-59 4A Division I state semifinal win against Prosper Richland Tuesday inside the Purple Pit at Denton High School. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
The Lady Raiders attempted to work their way back into the contest in the second quarter with a pair of clutch 3-pointers from Emmy Privatsky. However, a putback from Bralyn Peck off of a missed 3-pointer by sophomore guard Jayden Oates allowed Decatur to outscore Richland 15-14, and hold a 37-28 lead at halftime.
Bralyn Peck led Decatur’s offense with 20 points in the win, claiming a chance to end her career with two gold medals.
“At the start of this year, it was both a dream and an expectation to go back to San Antonio, and now here we are,” Bralyn Peck said. “[Richland] was small inside, but if they got inside, I was able to kick it out to the shooters, and they knocked down big shots.”
In the second half, Decatur’s trio of Bralyn Peck, Brazile and senior guard Laken Coffman kept Richland busy on both sides of the ball.
With her size advantage, Bralyn Peck put down 12 points in the final 16 minutes with most of her baskets coming off of assists from Brazile. Laken Coffman — who was limited to three games in 2025 after tearing her meniscus and left meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) — used her agility to beat the Lady Raiders’ defense by grabbing offensive rebounds for putbacks and drawing hard fouls, resulting in a 15-point performance.
“I’m very happy to help impact my team, [and] I try my hardest to lead on the court, whether it’s talking, scoring or rebounding — whatever my team needs, I try my hardest to go out there and do it,” Laken Coffman said. “I didn’t get to play at the state game last year, so it’s going to be a little different of an experience being on the court instead of on the bench. We’re working hard to get another gold medal.”
Decatur guard Style Brazile battles against Prosper Richland’s Brooklynn Houston and Emmy Privatsky in the teams’ 4A Division I state semifinal matchup Tuesday at Denton High School. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
Limited to just three points in the first quarter, Brazile finished second in scoring behind Bralyn Peck with 18, including going 8-of-10 from the free throw line.
“I really didn’t do good at all, but I’m glad other people helped me,” Brazile said. “It was a rough start — I let [Richland] rush me, but credit to my teammates for helping me get the ball up the court.”
Sayler Peck also added a double-digit scoring night, finishing with 12. Davis knocked down a pair of long-range shots, and finished with nine points.
“Some people thought we were going to get back [to state] easily, but we had to work for it, play a lot of hard teams and win,” Davis said. “We knew how to get to this point, but we had to put all of the puzzle pieces together. It all starts with executing our scouting reports and plays. We know how to do it, we’ve just got to execute.”
Decatur’s victory sets up a rematch for the 4AI title, as the Lady Eagles will square off against Waco La Vega 5 p.m. Friday inside the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Last season, Decatur spoiled La Vega’s hopes for a three-peat, earning their first state championship title with a 53-41 win.
“I don’t think anything that happened last year has any bearing on this year,” Coach Coffman said. “I’m sure they’re going to want to beat us, just like they wanted to last year. It’s a whole new ball game — a new team for them, and a new team for us. We’re just going to try to find our best Friday evening, and hopefully that’ll be good enough.”
The Lady Pirates (28-11) eliminated San Antonio Davenport 62-33 in the 4AI state semifinals Tuesday, and have added postseason wins against Lampasas (69-26), Fort Bend Willowridge (77-42), Palestine (72-35) and Fort Bend Crawford (80-39).
Decatur guard Laken Coffman elevates for a putback layup after corralling an offensive rebound in a 78-59 4A Division I state semifinal win over Prosper Richland Tuesday at Denton High School. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
“We’ve definitely had that target on our backs all season,” Coach Coffman said. “I just think we’ve got to go out there and be us — if we do that, I think good things will happen. We’re going to focus on having fun, especially with our four seniors who are making their last road trip with us. It’s the last time I get to coach them. On a personal level, I’ve got two daughters on the team, and one didn’t get to play last year. We’re thrilled to get to see them play at the state game together, so we’re really looking forward to enjoying it.”
Coach Coffman believes the Lady Eagles are a better team this season compared to the squad that hoisted the state title in the 2024 campaign.
“These kids are a bunch of winners,” he said. “To them, the team always comes first. Their playing time and role on the team doesn’t matter to them — it’s all about winning. When you have that attitude, it’s always fun to be around, and it’s joy to come to practice. Even though some of the kids from last year aren’t with us, it’s been a blast working with this group.”
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