Gullo Athlete of the Month -- Dekaney's Brianna Taylor

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Gullo Player of the Month

Brianna Taylor

Dekaney Basketball

Last year was a banner year for the Dekaney athletic department. Led by Trey Williams, the football team brought home a state championship while the girls’ basketball team nearly duplicated that feat this spring.

After compiling 40-straight wins after an opening day loss to North Shore, the Lady Wildcats fell just one win shy of striking gold as they lost to Duncanville, 69-31, at Texas’ Frank Erwin Center in the UIL state championship game. The good news for Dekaney – they’re not going anywhere.

Enter 5-foot-8 point guard, Brianna Taylor.

“It was very disappointing to finish the season the way that we did last year but it shows that if we keep working hard, anything is possible and we can get back to the state tournament,” said Turner, who is verbally committed to play basketball at the University of Texas.

Averaging 10.4 points, 2.9 dimes, 4.0 boards and 2.6 steals per contest last year, Taylor is the full package. She has the ability to handle the ball while making precise passes to her talented teammates, create her own shot, or play lockdown defense.

But for Dekaney’s standout, her senior season isn’t about individual numbers; rather, it’s about one thing – a state championship ring.

“My personal goal on the season is to get back to state,” she says. “I don’t really have any goals that I set for myself — it’s more just goals for the team and a championship.”

As a highly recruited prospect out of the Houston area, Taylor ultimately decided to commit to Texas, despite the coaching transition from Gail Goestenkors to first-year head coach Karen Aston, who spent eight years in the Longhorns’ program under Hall of Fame coach Jody Conradt.

“I was kind of iffy about the coaching change at first,” says Taylor. “I had already been to the school several times so it made the decision easier once I got comfortable with the staff. It was really based on my family being able to come and see me. I really like the school and the atmosphere there and I like that they are trying to rebuild their program and I feel like I can make a difference with the new coaching staff.”

If her résumé at Dekaney is any indication of long-term success, she’ll fit in quite nicely on the 40 acres.