2021 High School Basketball Honors
A year ago basketball players and coaches throughout North Texas, as were the rest across the state, found themselves asking what might the future hold? After all, life gets pretty uncertain in the wake of a deadly virus shutting everything down.
While the girls crowned state basketball champions, narrowly beating out the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the boys were not so fortunate. The Coronavirus wiped out the boys state tournament smack dab in the middle of competition.
Flash forward a year, and while life is still not normal, the hoops season managed to play itself out completely. With all precautions intact, they made up for the lost opportunities.
Teams all across the North Texas area enjoyed successful seasons, albeit with occasional interruptions. Two of those squads, the Duncanville Panthers and DeSoto Lady Eagles, even came home with state titles among Class 6A boys and girls, respectively.
It was the first in Lady Eagles history. Meanwhile, the Panthers picked up where they left on in 2019 by repeating as state champions. They were also one of the teams sent home from the 2020 state tournament.
Likewise, those two squads were well-represented when it came time to announce the all-state teams from the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches and Texas Girls Coaches Association. They also placed the most players on the University Interscholastic League Class 6A State Tournament teams, including the MVP in both divisions – Zhurich Phelps of Duncanville and Sa’Myah Smith of DeSoto.
Smith, in fact, was uncertain if she’d even get to play this season after suffering a knee injury last summer.
“I’m so proud of Sa’Myah and the way she worked so hard to come back, and to have her career at DeSoto end like this, you have to be happy for her,” Lady Eagles coach Andrea Robinson said.
Both Phelps and Smith were among the numerous players from the area named to their respective all-state teams.
But then, true to the basketball talent in North Texas, nine teams were represented in the TABC All-State honors, while another four received accolades from the TGCA.
Texas Association of Basketball Coaches All-State selections
Boys
Class 6A
Duncanville – Damon Nicholas, Zhuric Phelps.
Waxahachie – C.J. Noland, Waxahachie.
South Grand Prairie – Jordan Roberts.
Class 5A
Lancaster – Wade Taylor
Mansfield Timberview – Jared Washington.
6A All-Region I
South Grand Prairie – Jordan Roberts.
Region II
Duncanville – Ronald Holland, Damon Nicholas, Zhuric Phelps.
Waxahachie – C.J. Holland, Montez Young Jr.
Class 5A All-Region I
Mansfield Summit – Channon Hall.
Mansfield Timberview – Jared Washington, Chendall Weaver.
Mansfield Legacy – Quion Williams.
Midlothian – Corbin Green.
Lancaster – Elijah Hughey, Marquis Sykes, Wade Taylor.
Class 4A All-Region II
Wilmer-Hutchens – Octavio Alexander.
Girls
Class 6A
Cedar Hill – Portia Adams.
DeSoto – Tionna Heron, Sa’Myah Smith.
South Grand Prairie – Kiara Jackson.
Duncanville – Zaria Rufus, Duncanville.
Class 5A
Mansfield Legacy – Savannah Catalon.
Red Oak – Breanna Davis.
Class 6A All-Region I Girls
South Grand Prairie – Kiara Jackson, Vasana Kearney, Kendell McGruder.
Region II
Cedar Hill – Portia Adams.
Mansfield – Zarria Carter.
DeSoto – Tionna Heron, Amina Muhammed, Sa’Myah Smith.
Duncanville – Kiyara Howard-Garza, Zaria Rufus, Tristen Taylor.
Class 5A All-Region I
Mansfield Legacy – Savannah Catalon, Sirviva Legions.
Region II
Red Oak – Breanna Davis, Aniya Johnson.
Midlothian – Kierra Middleton.
Class 4A Region II
Midlothian Heritage – Jerzie Bryant, Kora Huff.
Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State
Class 6A
Cedar Hill – Portia Adams.
South Grand Prairie – Kiara Jackson, Kendell McGruder.
Class 5A
Red Oak – Breanna Davis, Aniyah Johnson.
Class 4A
Midlothian Heritage – Jerzie Bryant.
UIL All-State Tournament Teams
Boys
Class 6A
Duncanville – Zhuric Phelps, Duncanville, MVP; Damon Nicholas, Juan Reyna.
Girls
DeSoto – Sa’Myah Smith, MVP; Kendall Brown, Ayanna Thompson.
