Tzar Powell-Aparicio finishes strong at the hoop. (Photo courtesy Tyler Rourke)
by Tyler Rourke
Tzar Powell-Aparicio isn’t just playing basketball—he’s making history.
The 17-year-old senior and three-year varsity starter, the heart and soul of the Red Raiders, recently etched his name into Lowell High’s record books. In the process, the dynamic point guard is leading the charge in the fiercely competitive Merrimack Valley Conference and building an already impressive legacy.
“I’m not letting the game be dictated off of how many shots I am making,” Powell-Aparicio said. “I got to try to get to the rack first and then let the shots come to me.”
Tzar first picked up a ball at the tender age of five, and was immediately hooked. He started off his career at Lowell Catholic, but transferred to Lowell High School after his freshman year. Since then he has made incredible leaps, averaging 10 points per game his sophomore year, 17 points per game his junior year, and now an astounding 24 points per game this year.
That dedication paid off in a big way when Powell-Aparicio reached a historic milestone, surpassing 1,000 career points in a game against Andover on January 31, 2025.
Lowell High Senior Tzar Powell-Aparicio (photo courtesy Tyler Rourke)
“I put in tons of work, I stay consistent. Every year they are going to guard me differently. Last year I used to shoot the ball a lot, so I got a lot stronger coming into this year just to stay consistent,” Powell-Aparicio said.
Powell has used these added extra pounds of muscle, and his 6-foot stature to his advantage, getting to the cup whenever he wants, and using his athleticism very efficiently.
“He is extremely good at getting to the rim and he finishes through the contact really well,” said Lowell Boys Head Coach Bob Michalczyk.
Besides his stellar play on offense, what makes him such a great player is his performance on both sides of the ball.
“We focus a lot on defense,” Michalczyk continued. “We turn defense into offense and get out in transition. A lot of times he happens to be one of the guys who’s either receiving the ball out in transition or making one of the passes to stop the break. He has an impact one way or another.”
With such a talented player like Powell-Aparicio, you set high expectations. Apart from Powell-Aparicio leading his squad to a current 15-2 record this season, Michalczyk, who has coached Lowell High for 11-years, pushes Tzar to be the best he can be. When ranking the best players he’s ever coached, Michalczyk claims “he has to be in the top ten somewhere.”
Powell-Aparicio understands the importance of basketball and the standards people have for him, which is why he is giving it his all to give back to Lowell.
Not satisfied with what he’s already accomplished, Tzar is setting extremely high expectations for himself and his team, as he continues to add on to his already historic season.
“I definitely want to win a state championship,” the star player says. “It has never been done here so I definitely want to do that.”
Tyler Rourke is a student at Endicott College studying journalism. This story was produced for the Massachusetts News Service of Endicott College in partnership with Inside Lowell.
