2021 guards that stood out in the 4A playoffs

<p>With the season over, we want to take a look back at a season that was before we head onto the grassroots scene. Here we focus on some senior guards that stood out in 4A during their state-run.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="916981" first="Austin" last="Peterson"] – Green Mountain</strong></h2> <p>Peterson led the way all season long, and it appeared that he ran out of steam offensively in the playoffs. But that was not without making his mark in Green Mountains final two games. Peterson was one of the hardest-working players in the state, and with him, you know what you’re going to get every time out – a battle. Peterson put up 11 points, and 8 rebounds in the Rams win over Frederick, where he mixed it up a bit. He was hitting 3-pointers and getting to his sweet spots. On defense, he was tenacious as ever, applying pressure and forcing the ball out of the opposing team's best player's hands. In Green Mountain’s two-point loss against a solid Montrose squad, he finished with eight points and had some moments where he brought the energy. A solid year for him, although it did not end as they wanted it to.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1138291" first="Alex" last="Hurr"] – Mountain View</strong></h2> <p>Hurr was one of the state's explosive players all season long, and he took 4A scoring by storm. Hurr put himself in positions to score nightly, and with the entire team's gameplan being to slow him down, it is an incredible feat to see him continue to deliver. Hurr finished with 24 points in Mountain View’s upset over Evergreen in the opening run. He was 9-16 from the field, and his team knew to put the ball in his hands and get out of the way. Hurr came off of screens, attacked in Iso situations downhill and got out on the break, and got a few baskets as well. He was 4-5 from beyond the arc, and his 12 rebounds also gave Mountain View extra scoring opportunities. He did not find as much success in the second round but still managed to finish with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, and that does not take away from an excellent season from an individual standpoint.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1138313" first="Jackson" last="Mott"] – Evergreen</strong></h2> <p>Mott was a player who starred in his role all season long and was forced to step up due to an unfortunate situation, and he delivered. Albeit in an opening-round loss that came down to the wire, Mott showed that he is a player that is capable of showing up in big games and that the moment is not too much for him. He finished with 17 points in their game against Mountain View and looked extremely comfortable with the ball in his hands. He also worked hard to find the open spot and let it fly from deep, and hit some shots as he finished 3-4 from deep. He also had five rebounds as he went out and battled for loose balls, started the break on some, and went out with a fight. Tip my hat to him, considering the circumstances.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="916989" first="Ryan" last="Moe"] – Thomas Jefferson</strong></h2> <p>Moe is a true point guard with excellent court awareness, and good things tend to happen when he has the ball in his hands. Moe was the Spartans leading scorer all season long, and he put up that same effort in the playoffs against a swarming Pueblo South defense that made guards read and react. Moe finished with 17 points in the game as he had a balanced line of four rebounds and assists while opening up the floor with his 3 3-pointers in the game. He put pressure on the guards and made the defense have to adjust as he met them at the point of attack. Moe’s vision and decision-making make it difficult for opposing teams to key in on specific players, and he got it out of his hands quickly to find the open man or took it himself. Moe is a player that was often overlooked but had an excellent career at TJ and went out with a fight.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="965754" first="Colin" last="Westfall"] – Lewis-Palmer</strong></h2> <p>Westfall stepped up big this season as the primary ball-handler for the Rangers, and he gave Lewis-Palmer a reliable guard that is versatile and trustworthy all season long. His scoring came down a bit in the playoffs, but he filled up the stat sheets in different ways. Westfall came out and had an up and down performance in the playoffs as he is typically a good shooter but found other ways to get it done. He had 12 points against Elizabeth and 11 points against Mead. In the game against D’Evelyn, when his shot was not falling, he turned it on defensively as he finished with five steals. Westfall is an excellent rebounder for his size, had a great feel for the game, and will give his all each time out.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1050938" first="Noah" last="Ragsdale"] – Lewis-Palmer</strong></h2> <p>Ragsdale was the team's marksman from deep, but he also made plays with the ball in his hand. Ragsdale is a facilitating guard that can space out the floor. He gets to his spots, moves well without the ball, and can run the offense from the guard spot. He is a score-first guard, and he averaged 11.0 points a game in the playoffs, which was by hitting a 3-pointer in every game and forcing the defense to have to adjust. When the defense tried to run him off of the 3-point line, he found the open man for finishes and had a high of six assists in the opening game to get the ball rolling for the team. Ragsdale is a player that I feel can play at the next level, and small schools should have their eyes on him as this small hooper had a big game.</p>