New 2021 faces that stood out in the 4A playoff run

<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 we did not know much about but caught our eye in the 4A playoff run. </p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1156078" first="Marcus" last="Santiago"]  -- Mead</strong></h2> <p>Santiago was the secret weapon for Mead and was honestly one reason why the Mavericks were able to be crowned the 4A champions. He stepped into a role where he had to do more as he offered Mead another ballhandler and deep threat. Santiago was okay for the regular season as an extra option but turned into a different player with the pressure and season on the line. He got better in every game in the playoffs as he started with 5 points, doubled that to 10 points in the Sweet 16, had a career-high of 23 points in a matchup that called for him to step up and be relied on and in the championship game had 18 points on 6-10 shooting from the field. He made himself a threat from anywhere he touched it on the floor and was not afraid to take the big shot. With pressure on his teammates, he understood what was needed, and the moment was not too big for him, and he showed up—solid end of a career for him as he jumped onto our radars.</p> <h2><strong>Westin Miller – Wheat Ridge</strong></h2> <p>Miller did not have the playoff game that he wanted from an efficiency standpoint, but what he did show is that no matter who is out there, he will compete. Miller fought until the very end and went out fighting. He continued to attack and be aggressive, and against an outstanding Steamboat Springs team, he was able to finish with 19 points in the game. Miller showed all season long that he is a go-to scorer with plenty in his arsenal. He can score inside and out, which was on display even though his game came in early defeat.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1151679" first="Micaiah" last="Smith"] – Pueblo South</strong></h2> <p>Smith had a solid showing in the playoffs on a team with plenty of weapons on the floor at all times and showed off versatility. Smith showed up in a new way in every game and was consistent in his efforts. He had a nine-point, five rebounds performance against TJ and followed that up with 13 points in a win over a tough Erie team that Pueblo South pulled off on the final buzzer. Then against the No.1 seeded team in 4A, Smith had his breakout game of 21 points and showed what it looks like when he is a top option. Smith has good size and is aggressive on the boards. He had a high of 11 rebounds in the playoffs in that Erie game, and while he slowed down against the eventual state champs as he had nine points, he still showed that he is an impactful player.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1158112" first="Steven" last="Hemphill"] – Pueblo Central</strong></h2> <p>Hemphill is a versatile player who can play off the ball and looks comfortable with the ball in his hands. With all of that size at Pueblo Central, it was called upon for them to have someone to take the scoring load off of their 1-2 punch, and that was where Hemphill came into play. He put up some big scoring nights and took eyes off their top guys. Hemphill had 17 points and four assists in a win over in-town rivals Pueblo West. He also had 20 points in a win over Severance. In games that the shot is not falling and he is not scoring, he still finds ways to make the team better. He plays hard defense, works his butt off on both sides of the floor, and also is one of the team’s best facilitators. Hemphill is a player that plays the right way.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1139416" first="Dominic" last="Cross"] – Wheat Ridge</strong></h2> <p>Cross had an underwhelming game, and, unfortunately, it came with the season on the line, but that is not to say that he was not a player who gave his team everything he had. Cross went out fighting, and his team went through him and made sure that it would be on the back of their best player if they knew they had any chance at all. Cross was inefficient in the game but was willing to continue taking shots. He was shooting both inside and out, did everything in his power to get the offense flowing, although there was not much success, and was active on defense. He finished with 12 points in the game and did not give up until the final whistle, and that is admirable when other things are not going well for you.</p>