‘Team-oriented’ Harper named Big 5 MVP after stellar season

By barstoolfanatics on June 7, 2024 • ( Leave a comment )

Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Carlee Harper

By Ray Hamill — The Del Norte Warriors set the standard in H-DNL softball this year and junior Carlee Harper set the standard for the Warriors.

This week, it was announced that Harper is the 2024 Big 5 MVP after playing a pivotal role on the way to the team’s second straight conference championship and the program’s first-ever Charles Latin tournament title.

Harper was one of 10 Del Norte girls to receive all-league recognition, including five who were named to the all-league team.

And that came as no surprise to her head coach, Aaron Healy, who believes Harper epitomizes a team-first mentality.

“She’s very much team oriented,” he said.

Harper also worked as hard as anyone on her way to a breakout season.

“What stood out in my mind is her catching every game behind the plate, her work ethic and the effort she put into it,” he said. “She truly bought into what we were asking of her, and when she got on base she caused chaos. She was just an all-around asset to the team.”

And Harper got on base a lot.

In addition to setting the tone for her team’s defense from behind the plate, the hard-working junior batted a remarkable .641 in conference play.

And that was a huge factor in the team winning 10 of its final 11 conference games.

More importantly, however, Harper grew as a player this spring and seemed to enjoy the season as much as any of her peers.

Shay Nolan

McKenna Curtis

“Absolutely, 100 percent (she grew as a player),” Healy added. “It looked like she had more fun with the game and it looked like she understood the game more.

“She had a lot more confidence and that showed on both sides, on defense and on offense.”

Her senior teammates Reece White and McKenna Curtis and juniors Audrey Phillips and Shay Nolan each also were named to the all-league team for the champs.

Similar to Harper, White scored almost every time she reached base and was one of her team’s most reliable defensive players in center field, while Curtis and Nolan gave the Warriors a potent one-two punch in the pitcher’s circle, something that proved decisive on the way to the championship double, while also playing some outstanding defense wherever they were needed.

Phillips, meanwhile, was one of her team’s most improved players over the course of the season and grew into her role at first base while having a bigger and bigger impact on offense as the season progressed.

Khloe Smith, Tsinte Steinruck, Koy McQuillen, Ava O’Reilley and Bliss Blackburn each also received an all-league honorable mention for the Warriors.

Del Norte closed out the season with a record of 21-8.

Bailee Box

Myra Hayes

The Fortuna Huskies and McKinleyville Panthers both remained in contention for a conference championship until the final day of the season and both schools had three all-league selections.

Isabel Sanchez, Kadence Mace and Myra Hayes all were recognized for the Huskies, who reached the Charles Lakin tournament final and the North Coast Section Division-4 semifinals.

Bailee Box, McKennah Sargent and Mashell Stumpf all were named all-league for the Panthers.

Eureka’s Kaitlin Giacone, who closed out her high school career with a game-winning walk-off base hit in her final at-bat, was named all-league for the Loggers, with Arcata’s Josie Cunningham joining her on the all-league team after leading the way on a young Tigers team all spring.