Never mind that Apple Valley hadn’t qualified for the state boys basketball tournament since 2018. That wasn’t an excuse for Eagles head coach David Collier heading into this season.

As far as Collier was concerned, this particular group deserved to be pushed, so he set lofty goals that might have seemed crazy considering the program appeared to have been in hibernation since Tyus Jones and Tre Jones walked the hallways.

But Collier’s checklist for the Eagles included finishing in the top third of the South Suburban Conference, earning the No. 1 seed in section tournament and, yes, making it back to the state tournament.

They did all of those things.

So, while Apple Valley might have come up short in a 74-51 loss to Maple Grove in the quarterfinals on Tuesday morning at Target Center, there was no reason for the players to hang their heads as they walked off the floor.

“This was a necessary step for us,” Collier said. “We did all the work to put ourselves in a position to compete at this level.”

After both teams traded blows in the early stages of the game, the Eagles took a 32-28 deficit into intermission. They were very much in the game at that point, and while they entered as the underdog, they looked like they belonged on the biggest stage.

Any thoughts of an upset quickly evaporated at the start of the second half, however, as the Crimson used an offensive outburst to take control before ripping off a 16-0 run to essentially put the game out of reach.

“We couldn’t recover,” Collier said. “They hit us in the mouth, and they knocked us out.”

Asked what happened to Apple Valley during that stretch that proved to be the difference in the game, Collier noted how Maple Grove was getting a lot of production out of Nathan Hromodka in the post.

“We made some adjustments on him, and then the other guys got off,” Collier said. “The shooters for them were shooting, and we weren’t quick enough in our rotations. It’s not on these kids at all. It’s on us as the coaching staff to make those adjustments and make sure they have what they need.”

Though the Eagles never got back in the game, it wasn’t for a lack of effort from Camare Young, who finished with 22 points, or Trey Parker, who finished with 10. Both players will be back next season leading the charge for Apple Valley.

“Our goal was to get here and compete for a state championship,” Parker said. “It was cool to be here. It sucks we came up short. I’m still glad we were here playing for each other and everybody had a great experience.”

How do the Eagles take the next step?

“We just have to come together more as a team,” Young said. “We’re going to put the work in, and we should be good for next season.”

As for this season?

“We get to keep playing,” Collier said of the consolation bracket. “We still get an opportunity to end this season on a high note.”

That could serve as another necessary step for the program.