A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Apollo-Ridge’s Jake Mull

By: Abby King
Monday, February 27, 2023 | 11:10 AM

Many athletes participate in different activities within their school and sometimes go straight from one sports season to another.

Apollo-Ridge’s Jake Mull takes that to another level. Mull is a five-sport athlete — basketball, baseball, football, soccer and track — and has broken multiple school records along the way.

“My offseason is not different from what I’m doing now,” Mull said. “I just bounce around to the different sports, but I have to remember which sports I play. I balance the majority of work between basketball, football and soccer. I want to practice everything as there is always stuff to work on. It keeps up my endurance and strength. Offseason is still the season for me.”

Jake is the son of Steph and Derek Mull. Along with being a five-sport athlete, he is a member of student council, Enviroquest, the Math League, the gifted program and Future Problem Solvers program.

“Due to the injuries and our situation, Jake was asked to do a lot for us, which I’m sure at times put tremendous pressure on him,” basketball coach Greg Fox said. “He stepped up in a big way this season. Jake’s motor is nonstop, and the kids fed off of it. The coaches couldn’t be more proud of his effort on and off the court.”

Mull took some time out of his demanding schedule to answer some questions for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

How long have you been playing all of your sports for and why five sports?

I started playing soccer and basketball when I was 3. I started football in seventh grade and track my freshman year. I started baseball when I was 5, but I quit in middle school and just started baseball again last year. I really like to push myself with these sports, and I think it’s entertaining.

What is it like being a multisport athlete?

It’s a lot, and I don’t have time for many other things. I think it’s worth it as you meet so many different people and different coaches. It’s entertaining to say the least.

You play football for Apollo-Ridge but play soccer for Leechburg via co-op. What was it like playing soccer for one school and football for another at the same time?

There was a lot of talking. We played Leechburg in Week Zero, so everyone was chirping about who would come out on top. Both schools are close, and I think it’s fun to go to a different school that we would typically play in the regular season. Leechburg’s football team practiced right after the soccer team, so I often ran into the football team there, and we would trash talk. It’s out of love, though, and it’s fun to play against them.

Tell me a little bit about soccer season and the successes you had there.

I knew it was going to be tough considering we lost a great player like Jake Schuffert. We tried everything; we moved people around and put freshmen in. Deer Lakes was a huge obstacle, and we tried fighting for a spot. It was a battle, and we did the best we could with the team we had.

You had a really successful football season. Tell me a little bit about it.

I really didn’t expect to have a successful season. I didn’t play receiver until this year, and they asked me to do it. It was interesting, and the first game left me feeling really good. I went for 127 yards against Leechburg in Week Zero. The season was going good until our quarterback got hurt, and then we didn’t do so well the next game. We ended up working it out and went to the playoffs. For losing our quarterback after Week 2, it was a great accomplishment. Gage Johnston really stepped up, too.

Tell me a little bit about basketball and the role that you have on the team.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve become more of a defensive player as I distribute the ball very well. This season, we had two ACL tears with one of our defenders and our leading scorer. I had to step into the role of point guard and become a scorer. Unfortunately, more and more people kept getting injured. By the end, I was the lone original starter. We fought every game despite the fact we had seven out with injuries, and we didn’t get our hopes down. We won one game, which was a very great accomplishment for us. There were a lot of newcomers; one freshman and a sophomore dressed varsity for us. All in all, we did well, but it was just a battle with injuries.

What events do you run in track and what do you expect that your season will look like?

I run the 100, 200, 4-by-1 and I float between the 400-meter run and jumping. I am looking to do well, and I think the team will do well, too. We have good throwers, jumpers and sprinters.

What position do you play in baseball and what do you expect for this upcoming season?

I play center field, and I think it will be a good season. We lost a lot of starters, and we are going to have to focus and lock in. We’re going to see how the first game goes then move on.

You broke a school record for receiving in a single season in football that was held by Apollo-Ridge alumnus Tre Tipton, who went on to play at Pitt. What was that like for you to break that record?

I had no clue about it until a little later in the season when people started approaching me about me being close to breaking it. I also didn’t know I broke it until my coach announced it. It was a great moment for me, and I still get giddy hearing about it or talking about it. I will remember that moment for the rest of my life.

You also set a record for steals in a season in basketball that was also held by Tipton. Tell me a little bit about that.

It was originally 81, and I set the new record with 87. That was a huge goal of mine. I wanted to have a positive piece of basketball with me since I knew it was going to be a battle with injuries. After the tip-off tournament, I had 12, and I remember my mom saying that I could get that record. I worked hard to get it, and it was a great feeling.

What does leadership mean to you considering you are a member of five teams?

It means setting an example and keeping heads even. I have to show them not to get into their own heads. Everyone takes a little leadership from me as well. My goal is to lead by example and not give up and keep going.

What does being a multisport athlete mean to you?

It means putting yourself in a group of people to become a family with. It means being in different situations, sometimes uncomfortable ones, and coming out as a family.

What are your future plans?

I plan to attend Westminster College on a football scholarship to major in pre-dentistry.

What advice would you like to leave to any underclassmen from your teams?

Make sure you’re working in the offseason. I have faith in the freshman class. Work and it’ll pay off.

What advice do you have for anyone wanting to be a multisport athlete as well?

Go for it. The only thing that can hurt you is sports overlapping, but the training will overlap into other sports. It’ll help your endurance and such.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge