Five Burning Questions in the 4A Final Four
The 4A Final Four is on Friday evening and has two undefeated teams, a Cinderella story and a solid team that is coming on at the right time. Here are my predictions for the night. Who is the most dangerous…
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Continue ReadingThe 4A Final Four is on Friday evening and has two undefeated teams, a Cinderella story and a solid team that is coming on at the right time. Here are my predictions for the night.
Who is the most dangerous team remaining?
Lewis Palmer is a team on a mission. They felt as if last year was the year and now with a new year under the belt they have been as focused as any team in the state. They have the best resume out of any team in the state as they are No. 1 in 4A and beat the No. 1 team in 5A earlier in the season. They are coming off of a game where they won by over 30 points and have as deep a team as they have had since the last time they were here. They have two big time scorers in Joel Scott and now they have Matthew Ragsdale back and back to normal. They are 26-0 on the season and playing their best ball so they are the most dangerous team.
Holy Family is a team that surprised a few along their way. They are having a solid season as well as they have only lost four times and one of those was against Lewis-Palmer who they are up against Friday evening. They used that loss as a wakeup call and has been on a roll ever since. Tanner Baird is averaging just over 17 points a game and has been a consistent force all season long and has gotten positive contributions from Adam Jolly and Kyle Helbig and when all are clicking this team is strong.
Longmont is the other undefeated team in 4A and it is looking as if them and Lewis-Palmer is on a crash course to meet in the championship. Longmont is a team that comes at you for the full game and does not give up. They are relentless on the defensive end and turn their defense into offense. They have a solid group with five reliable scorers that can all get going at once. They are coached well and a disciplined bunch that plays together.
Pueblo East is the most surprising team still remaining and it is a testament to how they have been a resilient group all season long and have put it together when it has mattered most. They won their last four games and is coming off of a big win against a talented Cheyenne Mountain team where the defense is what stepped up. The Eagles are a team that is the most difficult because you never know what to expect. They have plenty of weapons and they all know their roles. Magical run no matter what.
What is the most exciting matchup?
We know that the dream matchup is Longmont versus Lewis Palmer and it is like a match made in Heaven that everyone wants to see, but there are two very tough opponents. Out of the Final Four teams the matchup that excites me most is Lewis-Palmer versus Holy Family.
I am excited to see if Lewis-Palmer was not tested to their limits or if they are truly on another level and are just going to annihilate everyone in their way. They got back Matthew Ragsdale from injury earlier in the season and he has not skipped a beat. He is up to 17.5 points a game and is the perfect complement next to Scott who is leading the team at 18.9 points. Tre McCollough and Noah Baca showed up in the last game at 12 points apiece and if they have another big game this one could be another blow out.
Holy Family will need to come in and control the pace by any means necessary. They have some solid scorers but do not want to get into a back and forth high scoring affair with a team that thrives in the open court. Defense will be big for Holy Family in the game and Baird will have to have one of those big nights if the Tigers want a chance in this one.
There will be a balanced approach for both teams but I am excited to see which Lewis-Palmer team shows up.
Most likely upset?
Looking at this matchup either team that is able to pull off a win against either undefeated team would easily be the biggest upset of the season. I am going with Pueblo East as the most likely upset. Although it feels like it’s inevitable that Longmont would go against Lewis-Palmer in the finals Pueblo East has a better chance at pulling it off.
Pueblo East is a team that plays well together and has good chemistry. They feed off of each other, have turned on at the right team and give it their all.
Pueblo East is the Cinderella team and are having a successful season no matter what, if they pull this off – what a year!
Who is the top player remaining?
There are some pretty big names that are still remaining.
Lewis Palmer is led by Joel Scott and Matthew Ragsdale. Scott is having a remarkable season and wants to finish it off with a championship trophy. Scott not only scores but sets the tone on both ends of the court. He is the captain, top rebounder and defensive specialist on the team that can guard positions 1-5. He is a player that you can throw it into and tell him to go get his own and gives his team a chance to win every time out.
Senior Tanner Baird for Holy Family is who has been holding it down for the Tigers this season. He had a really good junior season and somehow outdid himself senior season and has led a team that not many seen having this type of season to a very successful year. He has scored in many ways, he has progressed his game and what his best quality is he has made others around him better.
Longmont has three players that average in double-digits in Seniors Beck Page (14.4 ppg), Calvin Seamons (12.6 ppg) and Brady Renck (11.7 ppg). Longmont plays with great pace, they are engaged on both ends of the floor and will give Pueblo East all that they could ask for.
Junior forward Darnell Kindred for Pueblo East has been a bright spot all season long and has the Eagles as a Cinderella story. They have won some meaningful games and are riding their big man to the finish line. He rebounds well, is aggressive on the defensive end and plays with great energy.
Joel Scott is the top overall player still remaining in both 4A and 5A.
Who will win it all?
This seems like the year for Lewis Palmer. They look to be a team too determined to be stopped short of the championship game and by then will have gained too much momentum to be stopped. A perfect season is a feat not many teams have ever done so a matchup against Longmont would put one of those teams in the history books forever. They have won some big games and will be tested both Friday night and Saturday in the championship. This seems like a team destined to win and who I am going with.