High School Football Preview – Apollo Eagles [AUDIO]

The Apollo Eagles have a renovated field and high hopes for the 2023 season.  Apollo Head Coach Michael Beehler joined me on WJON.  He says the football field looks great with a new turf surface, new scoreboard, and new track.  Beehler indicates it's on track to open for the team's home opener September 8th against Litchfield.

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Beehler says they have a lot of returning players and that's the strength of this year's team.  Top returnees include receiver Maurice Brown who Beehler says can use his speed on the outside.  Beehler says because the amount of returnees they have they were able to "hit the ground running" this fall camp which allows them to expand on what they were doing last season.  He explains they were 70/30 pass last season and would like to be more like 60/40 pass or 50/50 this season.

Apollo was 1-8 in 2022 but has a completely different schedule in 2023 that includes Class 3-A schools instead of the larger traditional rivals they used to play.  Apollo will not play rival, Tech and Beehler says it is definitely different to not play the Tigers this season.  He says they don't have a rivalry game on the schedule.

Beehler says they have 65 kids out for football 9th grade thru 12th grade but anticipates more 9th graders coming out for football early in the season.  He says they plan to have a hand full of guys playing both ways on the varsity team and some guys that would fit into the time and a half category.  Beehler says they'd like to limit the amount of kids playing both ways when they can.

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Projected Starters:
Offense
QB: #12 Tristan Kowalkowski or #5 Davion Jackson
RB: #22 Leo Freeman
WR: #4 Maurice Brown, #6 Harvey Lahti, #11 Azayah Washington or #18 Parker Schulz or #15 Gavin Marsolek
TE: #84 Krys Pickford or #24 Garrett Hosch
OL: #54 Desean Blommer, #64 Nick Reiter, #50 Christian Gunderson, #56 Cody Adams, #65 Zion Johnson

Defense:
DL: #64 Nick Reiter, #65 Nick Johnson, #55 Jamar Spencer
LB: #22 Leo Freeman, #44 Emerson Flores, #18 Parker Schulz or #56 Cody Adams or #3 Anthony Hoagland
CB: #1 JJ Ruiz, #11 Azayah Washington or #5 Davion Jackson or #15 Gavin Marsolek
S: #6 Harvey Lahti or #16 Tyquan Patterson, #4 Maurice Brown

2023 Schedule:
@ Chisago Lakes, 6pm August 31
vs. Litchfield, 7pm September 8
@ Milaca, 7pm September 15
vs. Foley, 7pm September 22
@ Spectrum, 7pm September 29
vs. Annandale, 7pm October 6
@ New London-Spicer, 7pm October 13
vs. Zimmerman, 7pm October 18

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with head coach Michael Beehler it is available below.