David Peavy led
Duncanville to a second straight Texas Class 6A state championship and the No. 6 spot in the final MaxPreps Top 25 high school basketball rankings. In his three seasons at the Dallas-area school, the Panthers are 90-13 and haven't lost a playoff game. For his efforts, Peavy has been recognized as the 2020-21 MaxPreps National Coach of the Year.
Without an elite senior recruit, the Panthers used balance and stellar defense to finish 29-1 while winning by an average margin of nearly 25 points per game.
Duncanville avenged its only blemish of the season — an 88-85 home overtime loss to Waxahachie on Jan. 9 — with a 70-65 road win over the top seed in the regional final. The Panthers then knocked off Richardson 68-49 in the semis and beat Westlake (Austin) 66-53 for the title.
If not for the 2020 state tournament being canceled due to the pandemic, Peavy's program could have been bidding for a three-peat. Duncanville was the top-ranked team in the state at the time the season was called off with a 29-5 record.
Duncanville coach David Peavy gives direction to talented sophomore Ronald Holland.
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
The former Dekaney (Houston) coach made quite a debut for Duncanville in 2018-19, directing them to a 32-7 mark and 6A crown.
Those two teams had elite talent with the likes of
Jahmi'us Ramsey, currently with the Sacramento Kings, and Peavy's son
Micah Peavey, who just transferred from Texas Tech to TCU.
This year's Panthers relied on 6-foot-4 senior guard and Sam Houston State pledge
Damon Nicholas Jr., SMU signee
Zhuric Phelps (15.2 points per game), 6-8 sophomore forward
Ronald Holland (13.8 points, 10.1 rebounds per game) and 6-3 senior guard and Alabama State commit
Juan Reyna (13.4 points per game).
Peavy has coached at the high school or college level for 25 years.
Past MaxPreps National Coaches of the Year
2020 – No award given
2019 – Mike Thompson, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)
2018 – Kevin Boyle, Montverde Academy
2017 – Wes Swift, Jonesboro (Ark.)
2016 – Pat Donnelly, U-D Jesuit (Detroit, Mich.)
2015 – Sam Duane Jr., Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.)
2014 – Gary McKnight, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
2013 – Quincy Lewis, Lone Peak (Highland, Utah)
2012 – Danny Henderson, Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas)
2011 – Bob Hurley, St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)
2010 – Ed Azzam, Westchester (Los Angeles)
Peavy's Panthers celebrate the program's fifth state title following a 66-53 win over Westlake.
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
