Healdsburg’s varsity basketball team plays as hard as any in the county, pulling off the occasional upset while fighting to keep its year record respectable. Second-year coach AJ Crosby said, as the league season began on Jan. 7, “I think we’re starting to hit our stride now.”
Four days earlier the team had broken a dispiriting six-game losing streak by defeating Cloverdale up at their court, 63-57. The effort was marked by the full return of Frank Rea, having recovered from a football injury, and teammate Ethan Overdorf, who also sustained an injury (less serious) early in the season.
Teague Jasper, who has turned into the leading scorer this year, even hurt his ankle at a birthday party in December.
The early season injuries hurt the team more than it knew at the time. Said Crosby, “At the beginning of the season I thought we were ready for it until all the injuries happened.”
The coach thinks the team has turned a corner. “We’re looking pretty confident going forward, and realize how badly it hurt us,” he said. “Not only schematically and stuff like that, but mentally for the kids; not having those guys in the game.”
In a way, Crosby is glad the injuries came early in the season. “You want to be playing your best basketball towards January, February; you don’t want to play your best basketball in November or December,” he said.
Still, the losses have outnumbered the wins. Between the Cloverdale game and last Friday’s game against Elsie Allen, the Greyhounds have won three out of six, losing to league rivals St. Vincent de Paul, Ukiah and Rancho Cotate, with a win against non-league Clear Lake on Jan. 10.
Last week’s home game against Elsie Allen saw the Greyhounds stretch their now-healthy legs and roll to a 30-14 lead at the half. In the second half the Lobos only scored five points, and the game ended with the Hounds running away with it, 64-19.
Sophomore Jasper and junior Overdorf each scored 11 points, but senior Vinny Loupy showed his old form with a 14-point outing. Alo Brooks, a junior, sank two of three 3-point attempts and senior Cooper Conrad did the same.
Their most recent game was Wednesday night this week, Jan. 21, at home against Piner (results too late for press time). The win would settle which team has sole hold of fourth place in the competitive NB-Redwood group, with a good chance to move into third if Ukiah falters.
Following Wednesday’s game the team travels to Petaluma to meet St. Vincent de Paul next Tuesday, then returns home for a Jan. 29 rematch with Rancho Cotate. Those two schools are undefeated in the league to this point.
