Apollo Football To Rely on Experience in 2024

The Apollo football team looks improve on last season's 1-8 season with plenty of experience returning.  Apollo head coach Michael Beehler joined me on WJON.  He says they return a bunch of 3-year starters.  Senior Davion Jackson returns as the starting quarterback for the Eagles.  Beehler says this will be his 3rd year as a starter and he's hopeful the experience that he and other 3-year starters bring will help them this season.  Apollo has 17 seniors, 14 juniors, 17-20 sophomores, and 20-22 freshmen.  Beehler expects these numbers to grow early in the season as additional kids come out for football.  Apollo has 73 kids out for football 9th-12th grade. Beehler says they are up approximately 15 players 9-12 this season compared to last season.

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Beehler says they have 9 players that will see regular time on both sides of the ball but they are working on a platoon to ease the burden on those players.  He is confident in their offensive and defensive line play to start the season and will adjust as necessary as the season goes on.  Beehler feels the offensive line has had a strong camp which gives him great optimism.

Offensively the Eagles will lean on quarterback Davion Jackson.  His top targets will be Azayah Washington and Obang Ochan.  The top running back for the Eagles will be Leo Freeman and the offensive lineman leader is senior center Christian Gunderson.

The Apollo defense will be led by linebackers Leo Freeman and Garrett Hosch.  Freeman is a 3-year starter on defense while Hosch is the defensive captain and is a 2-year starter.

2024 Apollo Schedule:
August 29 - vs. Brooklyn Center, 7pm
September 6 - at Litchfield, 7pm
September 13 - vs. Milaca, 7pm
September 20 - at Foley, 7pm
September 27 - vs. Columbia Heights, 7pm
October 4 - at Annandale, 7pm
October 11 - vs. New London-Spicer, 7pm
October 16 - at North St. Paul, 6pm

Defense-
DL – Christian Gunderson – SR
DL – Desean Blommer – SR
DL – Carlos Sanchez – JR
LB – Gavin Barber – JR
LB – Anthony Hoagland – SR
LB – Garrett Hosch – JR
LB – Leo Freeman – SR
DB – Davion Jackson – SR
DB – Jesse Lloyd – SR
DB – Obang Ochan – SR
DB – Simon Hafstad – JR

Other potential starters:
DL – Leland Moose-Smith – JR
DL – Michael Bueckers - SO
DB – Blake Weber - SO

Offense-

OL – Christian Gunderson – SR
OL – Desean Blommer – SR
OL – Carlos Sanchez – JR
OL – Anthony Hoagland – SR
OL – Michael Bueckers - SO
TE – Garrett Hosch – JR
RB – Leo Freeman – SR
WR – Jesse Lloyd – SR
WR – Obang Ochan – SR
WR – Azayah Washington– JR
QB – Davion Jackson – SR

Other potential starters:

OL – Leland Moose-Smith – JR
WR – Simon Hafstad - JR
WR – Blake Weber - SO

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Apollo's Michael Beehler, it is available below.