After an abysmal 2021-22 season, Apollo will hope to flip the script this season with some key players returning for this year.
The Eagles struggled to find themselves in the win column last year, owning one of the worst seasons in program history with a 2-26 overall record. Apollo also lost three seniors to graduation in the process, including second-leading scorer Jaden Kelly (12.6 ppg) and rotation players Grant Smith and Alex Morphew.
Apollo does return its other two top leading scorers and rebounders though, as junior Eli Masterson (13.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and senior Zjhan Tutt (9.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg) will be asked to continue to take on big roles this year. They are also joined by returning players such as senior Jaren Stites, senior Jayden Anderson and sophomore Jordan Bellmar expect to take on more responsibilities for the Eagles this season.
Head Coach Mark Stans also said that they will have a pair of newcomers, something that the Eagles hope will help give them some depth and help in the paint.
“Michael Hein played his sophomore year and didn’t as a junior and has come back out and will give us depth with his inside game,” Starns said. “Morgan Eans is also a newcomer from football and should provide a physical presence inside for us.”
With a little more experience under their belt and a balanced roster, Apollo is hoping to surprise some people in the 9th District and 3rd Region.
“To be as competitive as possible and compete for the District and Regional crown,” Starns said. “[We have to] play hard and compete, execute what we have, [and be] solid in our defense. [We also have to] sustain competitiveness if we get behind.”
