The 2023-24 Healdsburg High girls basketball season was one for the record books, seeing the team sweep its league rivals at least twice during regular season play and rise into the quarterfinals of the NCS playoffs. But its effect on the players, and coaches, may be its most lasting legacy.
“I have been coaching basketball in Healdsburg for 30 years (as of this spring),” said Jim Lago, the Healdsburg sign maker who doubled as the girls basketball coach this year. “In the time I have coached I have never enjoyed a group of young ladies and coaches as I have with this team.”
Turns out his fellow NBL Redwood coaches knew it was a special team, too, rewarding its entire starting lineup with All League selections, and handing its MVP award—for the second year in a row—to Hailey Webb. “She not only led the league in scoring, and our team to an undefeated league championship and tournament championships, but she was also an amazing leader and captain,” Lago said.
Named to the First Team were two juniors, Allie Espinoza and Ruby Leffew. Lago said the recognition was due to their consistent extraordinary play on both offense and defense. “These two are incredible players who show measurable improvement every year,” he said. “I look forward to them stepping up and leading the team next year.”
Named to the Second Team was Ashely Behrens, who Lago said was “by far the best defender in the league,” calling her “an incredible and unselfish player [who] will be a very strong contributor as we attempt to 3-peat as league champions next year.”
Two other starters were awarded Honorable Mentions, Hanna Sellards and Claire Berry. As usual, the coach had nothing but praise for this pair as well.
“Hannah leaves everything on the floor, but a lot of what she does is not on the stat sheet,” Lago said. “That doesn’t matter to her, because like the rest of our team, she is a team player, and TEAM goals and achievements are what matters most to her.”
He added, “Claire Berry is almost a carbon copy of Hannah, as they both are unselfish workhorses who step up in many ways for their team. Look for both of them to have an incredible season next year.”
With Webb, the team’s only senior, graduating this spring, Lago knows he has his work cut out for him to duplicate this year’s success going forward. But he thinks he has the tools to do it.
The complete list of NBL-Redwood All League players follows:
- Most Valuable Player
- * Hailey Webb, Sr., Healdsburg
- Defensive Player of the Year
- Xenia Zabaneh, Sr., Rancho Cotate
- Coach of the Year
- Luis Patrick, Santa Rosa
- First Team
- Kate Townsend, Jr., Santa Rosa
- Bella Tavolacci, Sr., Windsor
- * Allie Espinoza, Jr., Healdsburg
- * Ruby Leffew, Jr., Healdsburg
- Janice Williams, Sr., Rancho Cotate
- Nina Boblitt, Jr., Rancho Cotate
- Second Team
- * Ashley Behrens, Jr., Healdsburg
- Betzie Hernandez, Sr., Piner
- Hailey Sarlatte, Jr., St. Vincent
- Reese Hackamack, Sr., Rancho Cotate
- Sydney Duncan, Sr., Santa Rosa
- Olivia Wright, So., Windsor
- Honorable Mention
- * Hannah Sellards, Jr., Healdsburg
- Mialynn Membrilla, Fr., Piner
- * Claire Berry, So., Healdsburg
- Mikayla Bayao, Sr., Santa Rosa
- Adriana Perez, Sr., Rancho Cotate
- Brenda Pacheco, Sr., Elsie Allen
- Sam Sarlatte, Fr., St. Vincent
- Delanie Linke, So., Windsor
- Victoria Isenhart, Jr., Windsor
* Signifies members of the 2023-24 League Champion Healdsburg Greyhounds girls basketball team.
