Denson named Coach of the Year

Since the late 1970's Hanna coach Don Denson has been the corner stone of the Golden Eagle basketball program.

Fast forward to 2008 and you'll find a person with the same unrelenting passion for the game on the hardfloor and a coach who hasn't lost a step.

The Herald's All-Metro Coach of the Year has claimed multiple titles in three different decades and won countless games but for Denson it's never been about the numbers.

"I don't recall the exact number of championships and I don't emphasize too much on me winning the district championship or how many I've won," he said. "It's just how well the kids enjoyed their season and how much they have learned from what we tried to teach them in basketball and life skills as a carry over value in life. And that's what I really appreciate more (than anything).

On the court the 2008 Golden Eagles went 27-6 claiming the 32-5A District Championship while only dropping a single game in league play so one could be inclined to think it was easy for Denson.

That wasn't the case.

Nearly half of their games were decided by six points or less including seven of the last nine games in district making it difficult for the legendary coach to decide what stood out the most this season.

"Oh, man we had so many outstanding games." Denson said. "Each game was exciting, challenging and very tense because 97 percent of our games were very close, they could have gone either way. Overall winning the district championship was outstanding. So I would have to consider every game this season is something I can look back on because they were all very highly competitive games."

With 32-5A already wrapped up the Hanna suffered their one blemish during falling in the district finale to the tenacious Los Fresnos Falcons 64-62.

Denson being the coach he is gave the team a dose of humble pie and prepped his team for what would be their best game of the year.

Hanna ended up scoring an astounding season-high 91 points advancing to the area round as the lone team left representing 32-5A.

Playing at Kingsville High against Laredo Cigarroa the team took a commanding 14-5 lead after one stanza. Unfortunately Laredo surged in the second half ending the Golden Eagle run sooner than they wanted to.

"Overall for 27 ball games we did extremely well and I was very pleased the way the kids played together as a team offensively and defensively," Denson said. "I just want to thank all the kids for their help this year, their hard work as well as the assistant coaches who helped out this year."

Even after the last game Denson was still teaching the kids invaluable life lessons and that is something not all coaches can do.

His on going legacy will continue to grow but more importantly those life lessons will carry on to players that he affected for years to come.

"He's a great coach and a legendary one," senior captain Joe Elizondo said. "Everyone knows him and I was lucky to play for four years at Hanna."