Eight Del Norte basketball players have received Big 5 All-League recognition in basketball, including three who were named to the all-league first team.For the girls, junior guard Lili Nunez was included as one of nine players on the all-league first team, along with sophomore guard Brooklyn Carter, while senior Ethan Thomas was the Del Norte boys’ lone first-team selection.Nunez and Carter both played key roles this past winter for the Warriors, who were among the most improved teams in the H-DNL. Brooklyn Carter Photo by Ray Hamill/For The Triplicate The Del Norte girls, who were 7-15 last year, finished 20-9 in 2022/23, while finishing second in league and reaching the second round of the North Coast Section Division-4 playoffs.Nunez, in particular, has become one of the best players in the league.“She’s always improving,” Del Norte head coach Justin Clifton said of the junior standout, who averaged 19 points and just under nine rebounds a game. “Every game she gets better. Every game she’s learning and improving. She was definitely our leader and she is the perfect kid to have on the team. She’s very coachable.”Carter, who was fondly referred to by her teammates as the “sophomore sensation,” caused opposing teams problems with her 3-point shooting and took a big step this season.“I would say she was the most improved player on our team,” Clifton said. “She took a huge jump. She led the league in 3-point percentage and 3-pointers made.“She’s put in a lot of work and it showed on the court.”Carter averaged almost 14 points a game and Clifton believes she will continue to improve and become an even bigger threat next season.“She’s got to work on the little things,” the coach said. “She’s got to value the basketball and value possessions, but she’s 100 percent committed. The whole team is. They’re back at it and they’re excited about next year.”Thomas, meanwhile, is a three-sport athlete who also excels in baseball and football, receiving all-league honors in the latter this past fall. Ethan Thomas Photo by Ray Hamill/For The Triplicate “We needed him to be successful,” Del Norte boys basketball head coach Cris Rice said of the versatile center. “He brought a very physical presence. He’s a super athlete who was very hard to stop in the post.“And he played all five positions for us. He did what we asked him to do. He got a lot of rebounds and did a lot of stuff that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet.”The list of all-league honorable mentions included Gianna Taylor, Lauren Stutes, Jacalyn Gorbet, Wyatt Robson and Brody Mattz. Gianna Taylor Photo by Ray Hamill/For The Triplicate Taylor, a senior, was a four-year varsity player and made her presence felt throughout her high school career.“She rarely turned the ball over,” Clifton said. “She valued possessions and I was proud of her. She was a fun kid to coach.”Gorbet, a junior, took on a bigger role with the team this winter and did not disappoint. Jacalyn Gorbet Photo by Ray Hamill/For The Triplicate “She is so competitive,” the head coach said. “She just wants to win and she’s going to be a leader on this team. She definitely loves basketball.”Stutes, who was also an all-league honorable mention in volleyball in the fall, was brought up to the varsity basketball roster early in the season when the team was battling a lot of injuries and she took full advantage of the opportunity. Lauren Stutes Photo by Ray Hamill/For The Triplicate “She jumped right in and took her chance,” Clifton said of the athletic center, who was a rebounding machine for the team. “She had 20-plus rebounds in her first game against McKinleyville and I was like ‘yeah, we’re going to leave her up.’“She was a joy to have on the team.”Robson, meanwhile, played guard and was often the focus of opposing teams, drawing their best defensive player in almost every game. Wyatt Robson Photo by Ray Hamill/For The Triplicate “He garnered a lot of respect from the other teams,” Rice said of the senior sharpshooter, who was a consistent 3-point threat.Mattz is also a multi-sport athlete who was named first-team all-league in football and carried that toughness over to the basketball court. Brody Mattz Photo by Ray Hamill/For The Triplicate “He was a pretty easy choice for me as an honorable mention, just because of his toughness and leadership,” Rice said. “He didn’t speak much, but when he did the other kids listened. And he was a hell of a defensive player, a great rebounder and just a force in the key.”Rice also paid tribute to senior Nani Scott, whom he believes would have played a major role had he not missed the entire season through injury.“I’m really proud of him,” the head coach said. “He’s healthy and happy now and looking forward to trying to go to (College of the Redwoods) and play.“Basketball is that kid’s life and I know in my heart he would have been one of the top players in league (had he not been injured).”The Del Norte boys finished the season 9-16 and will graduate seven seniors this year, but Rice believes they will be competitive next season with a talented group of JV players coming through.And he believes the graduating class will succeed in life.“I’ve watched them all grow to become young men, and they’re all going to do great things,” he said of the seniors.The Del Norte girls, meanwhile, will be one of the early favorites to win next year’s Big 5 with four starters expected back, all of whom are already working towards that goal.“We’re bringing back seven girls and not a lot of teams bring back seven girls,” Clifton said. “I’m excited for this group for next year. We’ve got great leadership and they’re a fun group to be around.” googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });