— By Cathy Spaulding

Phoenix Staff Writer



Muskogee High School senior DeAnna Moore recalled loving basketball since elementary school — and she wants to keep playing long after high school.

“I want to make it as long as possible,” DeAnna said about a potential hoops career.

Friends and teammates at Muskogee High School noted this long-time love when they named DeAnna 2012 basketball homecoming queen.

DeAnna’s coronation was held Tuesday before the Lady Roughers and Roughers took on the Sand Springs Sandites. She stood 6 feet 3 inches tall in a billowy white gown as Don ‘Trae Johnson, her escort, set the crown on her head.

Even though she’s MHS team captain as well as queen, DeAnna had to sit out Tuesday’s game.

“I came down on my ankle during the Bixby game three weeks ago,” DeAnna said. “I’m still kind of hurt about not playing, but I’m okay because I’m homecoming queen.”

DeAnna said she was chosen queen after she had her Bixby accident, “so I felt good that I was chosen.”

The daughter of Daniel and Munekia Moore, DeAnna expects to attend Prairie View (Texas) A&M on an athletic scholarship. She said she hopes to eventually play basketball overseas.

She said she first knew she loved the sport “when I couldn’t but the ball down after practice.”

That was the first time she started playing basketball at Cherokee Elementary School in the sixth grade under coach Rubel Wilson, DeAnna said.

Daniel Moore said he watched his daughter progress and improve over the years.

DeAnna has been on the Lady Rougher team all four years in high school. She plans to major in marketing and management.

Don ‘Trae plans to attend Hendrix College in Conway, Ark., or University of Central Oklahoma to play basketball. He is the son of Todd and Danita Johnson.

Basketball homecoming court

FRESHMAN: Danazia Brown; escort, Luke Leatherman.

SOPHOMORE: Nia Maxwell; escort, Tramal Ivy.

JUNIOR: Sydni Carter; escort, Donovan Casey.

SENIOR: Bethany Hall; escort, Sidtrell Grayson.

QUEEN: DeAnna Moore.

ESCORT: Don ‘Trae Johnson.

FLOWER GIRL: Damita Moore.

CROWN BEARER: James Aaron Roberts, Jr.

Reach Cathy Spaulding at (918) 684-2928 or cspaulding@muskogeephoenix.com.