Decatur junior guard Janie Holmes led the Lady Eagles (32-4) with 22 points in a 109-13 4A Division I bi-district win over Fort Worth Carter-Riverside Monday at Azle High School. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
Joining the Lady Eagles on their run to the 2025 4A Division I state title, Decatur guard Janie Holmes served as a role player but did not get a lot of varsity playing time under her belt.
Now in her junior campaign, Holmes rose to the occasion in Decatur’s first playoff game by coming off the bench and leading the Lady Eagles (32-4) with 22 points in a 109-13 bi-district win over Fort Worth Carter-Riverside Monday at Azle High School.
Holmes finished with eight field goals, one 3-pointer and went 3-for-5 at the foul line.
“I thought it was pretty fun just being with the team and hitting my shots,” Holmes said. “I really just trusted my shot. It’s been really fun to compete this year — I like the competitiveness at the varsity level. I think we’re able to make it back to state this year — we’ve got to keep putting in the work at practice, and I’ve got to do my part.”
Decatur coach Drew Coffman said Holmes is no stranger to big performances like in the first-round playoff win, having contributed high-scoring efforts in several of the Lady Eagles’ wins this season.
“A weird stat for us that I think shows we have really good players is that we’ve had nine different girls score double figures this year,” Coffman said. “Janie is one of those, and she’s had multiple double-digit point games for us. There’s so many things that she does well for us. Obviously, we’re talking about how well she shoots the ball, but she runs the floor hard and cuts well — she may be the best cutter that we have. I was proud that she got to play in a big game like tonight, and she played very well.”
Following the Lady Eagles’ 13-0 start fueled by senior post and Oklahoma State commit Bralyn Peck, sophomore forward Sayler Peck and senior guard Cece Davis, Holmes went on a tear in the first quarter. She hit on a layup, knocked down a 3-pointer and added two more field goals, scoring nine points to lead Decatur’s 35-4 starting run.
Holmes added a pair of layups and two free throws in the second quarter. Bralyn Peck scored seven of her 15 points, while freshman post Hannah Hunter and sophomore guard Style Brazile netted six each to ignite the Lady Eagles’ 30-0 surge. Decatur took a 65-4 advantage into the locker room at the break.
Despite the contest already being out of Carter-Riverside’s reach, Holmes’ success spilled over into the second half. She teamed up with sophomore guard Jayden Oates, as the duo scored seven points each to push the Lady Eagles on a 22-4 drive, giving Decatur a 79-point lead after three quarters of play.
The Lady Eagles subbed in several players recently moved up from the junior varsity squad in the final 8 minutes, giving the team’s youngest members a taste of the postseason. Freshman guard Evie Mercer took advantage of the chance to step onto the court by knocking down a pair of 3-pointers and finishing with eight points, as Decatur closed out the game with a 22-5 drive.
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Oates and Brazile also reached double-digits in the first-round victory, scoring 15 and 10, respectively. Mercer, Hunter and sophomore forward Crimson Dykes finished with eight points each.
Coffman was pleased with the production from his bench. With Holmes leading the way, Decatur’s reserve players accounted for 79 points (72 percent) in the win.
“We have a lot of kids that work hard in the dark, and sometimes they don’t get an opportunity to show what they can do in the light,” Coffman said. “They got that chance tonight, and I was really proud because they played very well. A playoff game is a big stage, and they didn’t let that bother them.”
The Lady Eagles face the winner of the Stephenville/Frenship Memorial bi-district matchup in the area round later this week. The Honeybees (20-12) and the Lady Panthers (25-8) are scheduled to play 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Abilene Christian University’s Moody Coliseum.
“Both Stephenville and Frenship Memorial are really good teams,” Coffman said. “Memorial’s won a lot of games and Stephenville’s a tradition-rich program that’s been to many regional tournaments. It’ll be harder for us, but I’m excited to see what we can do. We’ve had a fairly easy last two months, so we’ll have to battle and compete in these next few rounds.”
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