’26 & ’27 Guards Shining in District Play
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Take a look at some of the younger guards stepping up in district play over the last week to help their teams compete as the road to State narrowed down. Dekker Van De Graaf WA #7 SG #2 HEIGHT 6'5"…
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Continue ReadingTake a look at some of the younger guards stepping up in district play over the last week to help their teams compete as the road to State narrowed down.
The big Zillah guard definitely understands how to use his size to his advantage, playing strong and controlled downhill and showing an ability to make shots in close, among traffic, and with varied finishes. In a win against Royal, Van De Graaf was able to make several strong drives with composure to make the right decision; whether it was pulling up short for a floater or short jumper, giving the ball up when defenders stepped up, or using the dribble to split defenders and get to the rim. He finished off the district championship with 17 points and five rebounds, as well as a handful of big defensive plays. Zillah remains undefeated on the year and matches up with Tenino in the opening round of the state tournament this Friday.
Highlights
Haywood was one of the few freshmen in the state who quickly asserted himself at the higher levels this season. He’s a kid who can kill you from each level and has the handle and vision to work through defenses and get to his spots. In their opening game of Districts against West Seattle, the young guard showed that shiftiness, slipping between defenders with ease, playing strong off of two feet in the paint, and finishing with focus and touch. And while his footwork and offensive arsenal stand out in most games, he’s also a good athlete and made a key block in the game at the end of the third quarter.
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Glacier Peak gave Mount Si all they could handle in the district championship game. Their six-point loss was the closest a Washington team has gotten to beating the 4A powerhouse, and Nagel is a guy who helps set the tone on both sides of the court for the Grizzlies. He’s only 5-foot-11 but he’s one of the toughest kids you’ll see, getting in the mix for rebounds, going right at some of the biggest guys on the court at the rim, and competing all game long. He played some tough defense in the championship, got on the floor for a couple loose balls, and also came up big offensively with some interior finishes using crafty euro steps and high floaters to finish over guys inside. Glacier Peak lines up as the 4-seed for the state tournament and gets a tough opening round game against Davis this Friday.
Highlights
In their overtime loss to Puyallup, Curtis’s freshman guard showed the patience and IQ on the attack of a guard beyond his years. He understands how to read and attack defenders on the pick and roll. He’s able to keep his dribble alive and adjust his pace on drives and fastbreaks to allow trailers to catch up and run into passing windows, and he has the poise to hit big shots like the 3-pointer he hit with seven seconds left in OT to cut their deficit to one. He exhibits a lot of characteristics that make you wonder if he’ll be the top player in the state in a couple of years. Although Curtis fell short of the state tournament this year, they have a lot to look forward to with Morris on board.
Lawson Looker Lawson Looker 5'10" | PG Puyallup | 2026 State WA
Lawson Looker Lawson Looker 5'10" | PG Puyallup | 2026 State WA
One of the more unexpected big-time performances I saw over the last week came from a sophomore guard in Puyallup. Looker is a quick guard who was instrumental in their winner-to-state game against the two-time defending 4A champs. He was getting consistent penetration and playmaking off the dribble, drawing in defenders and finding the right pass inside. A lot of his success seemed to come from simply being ready to go on the catch. Like I said earlier, he’s a really quick guard and he was able to shift the defense, catch his man off guard and open up cutting lanes for teammates by acting quickly and staying ready. Looker also had a few nice finishes of his own, going up high with the floater at the rim, or simply getting the edge on guys and going straight to the rim for open layups. Puyallup plays Jackon in their opening round State game on Friday.
Another impressive Bellevue guard with high potential is sophomore Nick Norrah Nick Norrah 6’2″ | SG Bellevue | 2026 State WA . He’s a great shot creator off the dribble but showed another side to his game in the loss to West Seattle, coming up with huge defensive plays. Norrah did a nice job getting downhill and to the rim but it was his reads and reactive play on the defensive end that had the biggest impact. Norrah jumped a couple of passes at the top of the key, one at the end of the first quarter that led to a trip to the foul line, and another in the second quarter that led to an assist and bucket the other way. He’s a pretty good athlete and showed it on a big block inside later in the third. It was a good showing for the guard who should be someone to watch next season that has the potential to make a big leap.