Eight Del Norte players have received all-conference recognition in basketball, including two who were named to the Big 5 All-League team.
Senior Jacalyn Gorbet received the honor for the girls team, while junior Lyon Rigden got a first-team nod for the boys.
Gorbet was one of two team captains for the girls team and played a lot of different roles while helping to lead the Warriors to a North Coast Section playoff win.
“Jacalyn was our most versatile player,” head coach Dylan Nelson said of the standout forward. “She rebounded, handled the ball, made plays on both ends of the floor and was a captain from day one.
“If I had to describe Jac on the basketball court in one word, it would be determined.”
Rigden was equally impressive for the boys.
His head coach Cris Rice said Rigden brought a defensive intensity to the team and was a confident, strong and physical player.
“He was a good teammate and had a good attitude,” Rice added of the junior guard.
Six other Del Norte players received an all-conference honorable mention, including, Michael Webster and Kai Russell for the boys and Anyessa Bettega, Lauren Stutes, Tsinte Steinruck and Khloe Smith for the girls.
Russell provided a physical presence inside for the Warriors, who finished the season 8-16, including going 1-7 in the Big 5.
His coach also praised him for his rebounding presence and his touch in the paint.
Webster, a junior, was one of the Warriors’ best offensive players and was a consistent threat attacking the basket.
He gave the team “a spark of emotion,” according to his coach, and was “always ready for competition.”
All three of those Del Norte boys set the tone for their teammates all season.
“I enjoyed these three players and the intensity they displayed at each practice,” Rice said. “We’re hoping to build on this season for next year, with our returners and the guys coming up.”
Bettega, meanwhile, was one of the smartest players on the girls team and a four-year varsity player for the Warriors, who finished the season 16-10, including a 2-6 record in the Big 5.
“Anyessa has been one of the most dangerous shooters in the league for four years,” Nelson said of the senior standout, who took her game to new levels this season. “Not only did she help in scoring, but she grew as a ball handler and facilitator.
“She has a very high basketball IQ.”
Smith started every game for the Del Norte girls this past season and was a key contributor on both sides of the ball.
“She was a stabilizing force on both ends of the floor,” Nelson said of the junior guard. “She is always listening, learning and applying.”
Tsinte also raised the level of her game this winter, and, according to her coach, grew as a player.
“She has always been a good competitor and max effort player,” Nelson said of the junior guard. “She rebounds and defends above her size and she made big shots for us.”
Stutes, meanwhile, is another junior who has been a force inside for the Warriors since breaking into the team as a sophomore.
And she was particularly effective on the glass.
“Lauren had an excellent year and was our best rebounder and interior finisher,” Nelson said. “She always has had an excellent attitude.”
Another player the head coach singled out is co-captain Brooklyn Carter.
The junior guard is one of the best 3-point shooters in the H-DNL but missed much of this past season through injury.
“Brooklyn didn’t get the opportunity to play in league so she wasn’t recognized, but it’s impossible for me not to mention what she meant to this team,” Nelson said. “Couldn’t ask for a more coachable and hard-working player and she was playing at a high level when she went down. She would no doubt have been a top-tier player in our league.”
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