(Photo courtesy of the UIL)

San Antonio, TX-

           Starting from the moment the warmups came off to the blow of the whistle, there is no question that neither Decatur HS nor Waco La Vega HS would go down without a fight.

Taking down La Vega, a two-time reigning State Championship team, would not come easy. However, the Decatur Eagles rose to the challenge and did so with astounding efficiency, securing a 53-41 victory on Friday night to become the newly crowned 4A D2 State Champions.

“They are so competitive, we see it in practice every day, said Decatur head coach Drew Coffman post-game. “Any challenge that comes our way, they embrace it.”

The Eagles wasted no time in asserting themselves. With the chance to defeat a proven powerhouse and carve their name into the Decatur girls' basketball legacy, they took full advantage of the moment.

Their offense clicked with impressive efficiency while their defense stood strong against the La Vega offense. Decatur shot 20-40 from the field and dominated the boards with 31 defensive rebounds.

“The first half, nothing really came easy for [LaVega], and we kind of checked them off the glass,” Coffman noted.

While La Vega had 20 more field goal attempts than Decatur, it was the Eagles' shot selection that made the difference. Their fundamentals on offense, combined with their air tight defense, ultimately led them to victory.

A standout performance came from the sister duo of Bralyn and Sayler Peck. Bralyn led the way with 15 points, while Sayler contributed 13. Bralyn also played a crucial role defensively, tallying six blocks and grabbing eight defensive rebounds.

La Vega, refusing to go down without a fight, rallied in the second half. After shooting just 14% in the second quarter, they improved to 31% in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Eagles’ consistent play across all aspects of the game.

“These kids are tough as nails, so tough things aren’t going to scare them because they see it every day,” said Coffman.

He credits it to how the players “care about each other, love each other, and how they are always around one another.”

The victory marks the culmination of hard work, respect, and unity, values that Coffman emphasized postgame. It was these factors that propelled Decatur to their first State Championship, securing the 2025 4A D2 title, and an overall 36-2 mark for the 2024-2025 season.