Back-to-back state championships are rare in Texas high school basketball. Denton Ryan has now done it twice in a row, and the architect behind both runs is Coach Monesha Allen.
Just two years ago, the Lady Raiders became the first team in Denton ISD history to win a girls basketball state title. Allen then guided them to a second consecutive UIL 5A Division 1 championship this past season, finishing 37-4 after winning 32 games the year before. The program's rise from historic first to back-to-back champion is a testament to the culture Allen has built in Denton.
Defense has been the foundation. Allen's tenacious defensive system set the tone throughout both championship runs, limiting opponents and creating opportunities on the other end. But she didn't do it alone on the court. Seniors Zay Madison, Kinley Lewis, and Kaylin Jackson served as extensions of the coaching staff during games, making reads and communicating in ways that only come from deep trust between a coach and her players.
That trust paid off with a state title. For her role in one of the most accomplished two-year stretches in DFW girls basketball history, Monesha Allen is our Girls Basketball Coach of the Year.
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