Senior point guard Denae Lofton is atop the Akins High School record books for points scored in a basketball career.

With 2,091 points, Lofton surpassed all Akins High School basketball players—girls or boys—in the school’s history.

“It’s pretty surreal,” Lofton said after reaching the 2,000-point milestone. "I never knew that I would be the first one in school history. It shows that hard work pays off whenever you put the time in.”

Lofton, who started playing the game when she was five, joined the Akins Varsity as a freshman. She said she and her fellow Lady Eagles always strive to be the best they can.

“My team pushes me to be the best every day, [and] our coach pushes us every day to work as hard as we can and to be successful,” she said.

Head basketball coach Erica Routt, who played for both UT Austin and in the WNBA, said her goal as a coach goes beyond winning.

“I want to win basketball games; I think that’s what everyone wants,” Routt said. “But there’s life lessons to be taught on the basketball court. They learn sportsmanship. They learn how to work together as a team, that somebody depends on them. It gives them all these life lessons they’re going to need once they’re done bouncing the ball.”

Routt said she was excited to be able to coach Lofton as the senior reached her goal.

“Denae the person—she’s probably one of the most caring and sweetest ladies you’ll come across,” she said. “As far as Denae the basketball player, they’re total opposites. You know that if the ball is in her hands something is going to happen.”