Apollo-Ridge boys basketball relishes health this season

By: Michael Love
Monday, November 13, 2023 | 8:56 PM

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The Apollo-Ridge boys basketball team hoped to be in the Section 3-3A mix last year, but injuries before and during the season quickly scuttled those plans.

The injury bug bit the team a couple of months before the season as then-junior Karter Schrock, who started for the Vikings as a sophomore, suffered an ACL tear in an early-September football game.

Forward Gage Johnston, who led the team in scoring and rebounding as a junior, also was lost to a knee injury suffered in his senior football season.

Then senior Nick Curci was lost to a broken foot a couple of weeks into the season, and other key contributors went down with knee, ankle and hip injuries.

“I’ve never had a season with injuries like last year,” said Apollo-Ridge coach Greg Fox, whose team went 1-21 overall and 0-12 in section play. “Take the injuries away, and I strongly believe were looking at a double-digit win season.”

But coming out of the darkness, the light shown bright in the offseason months, and Fox said the team is taking shape to make strides and improvements in and out of section play.

“The offseason was probably one of the best we’ve had,” he said. “We had a big commitment from a lot of younger kids. They came a lot in the summer and also to open gyms since August. There will be some younger kids who will see significant time this year.”

Apollo-Ridge bid farewell to graduate Jake Mull, the team’s leading scorer last year and a Valley News Dispatch honorable-mention selection. He also set a single-season program steals record.

“Because of the injuries, there were a lot of things put on Jake,” Fox said. “Some of it was unfair to him. He had to take on the scoring, the ball handling, rebounding and covering the other team’s best player. We thought he did a great job of responding. We were proud of the way he played.”

Schrock and seniors Luke Fox and Alex Wurmb, coach Fox said, are at the core of this year’s rotation.

“We’re looking for them to take the lead and lead by example,” coach Fox said. “They have gotten better, and there is excitement with what they can do. We expect bigger things out of each of them, and they have accepted the challenge.”

Fox split time last year as a starter and as a key reserve off the bench, whereas Wurmb started a couple of games and also came off the bench until an injury caused him to miss the final three weeks of the season.

Schrock is back and healthy and hopes for redemption as he also seeks to build on a strong football season where he rushed and passed for more than 1,000 yards each.

As a sophomore, he averaged 7.0 points, 3.6 assists and 2.3 steals.

“I think with a number of people returning to form after injuries, like myself, and some younger guys wanting to make a difference, we have the potential to have a pretty good season,” Schrock said.

“For me, I’ve built a high level of confidence for how I was able to come back and do well in football. I like how I ended my football season, and that gives me a lot of momentum going into basketball. I’ve changed jerseys, but I still have the same goal to make my team better.”

Coach Fox said a lot will be placed on Schrock’s shoulders this season.

Junior guard/forward Mykel Hardmon also hopes to provide a spark. He was cleared to return to action three weeks ago after rehabbing an ACL injury suffered around Christmas of last year.

“Mykel was just starting to get his feet settled under him and in the mix of things,” coach Fox said. “He’s almost starting over.”

He also said good numbers could lead to a deep varsity rotation of up to 10 players.

“There are some kids who I haven’t seen since last February, so we have to see how they fit into the mix,” he said. “It might take a while to fully see what we can go with because summer ball and fall work is much different than the regular season. “

Coach Fox sees competition at center between 6-foot-5 sophomore Zane Beatty and 6-3, 240-pound junior Tyler Bartell.

“There are a number of kids fighting for anywhere from the five to the 10 spot,” coach Fox said. “They’re all going to get a chance to prove themselves over the next couple of weeks and the rest of the season.”

Coach Fox said he sees overall team athleticism as a strength.

“They’re out there using their athletic abilities to make plays on both ends of the court,” he said.

He said the section, with the likes of Deer Lakes, Shady Side Academy and Burrell leading the way, should be loaded again.

“The last two years, the WPIAL champ (Deer Lakes, Shady Side) came from our section. I thought Valley made really good strides last year. We saw them over the summer, and they have a lot of people back. Derry had a really good season last year, and Ligonier Valley is on the upswing with a couple of really good teams. Our section is tough.”

Apollo-Ridge kicks off the season Dec. 1-2 at the Leechburg Tip-Off Tournament against the host Blue Devils, and Nazareth Prep faces Homer Center.

The Vikings beat Homer Center last year for their lone victory.

“We’ve been working hard and putting a lot of time into being ready to go,” coach Fox said. “We have 18-20 varsity or JV kids, a separate ninth-grade team and the numbers at the junior high level are high. There is a lot of optimism overall.”

Apollo-Ridge boys basketball at a glance

Coach: Greg Fox (sixth season)

Last year’s record: 1-21 (0-12 Section 3-3A)

Returning starters: Alex Wurmb (Sr., G), Luke Fox (Sr., G), Karter Schrock (Sr., G)

Top newcomer: Mykel Hardmon (Jr., G/F)

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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