Jonny Ingalls, St. Ignace outlast Jadin Mix, Onaway in regional semifinal thriller

INDIAN RIVER – An electric atmosphere, a frenetic pace, and big-time players delivering in the biggest of games.

Tuesday night’s regional semifinal basketball showdown between the Onaway Cardinals and St. Ignace Saints was an instant classic. It was just unfortunate that one team had to lose.

But the Saints – behind a sensational performance from senior guard Jonny Ingalls – held on to survive the Cardinals in a 79-74 victory at Inland Lakes.

“It was everything that we expected it to be. Both sides gave everybody their money’s worth,” Onaway coach Eddy Szymoniak said. “Obviously, Jonny Ingalls, a hell of a player. St. Ignace is a great team, but I couldn't be any prouder of my guys, just like all year. Sometimes their backs might be against the wall, but they come back, firing back and they did it all night.

“They just left everything out there, and that’s all we can ask.”

Here’s takeaways from a thrilling MHSAA Division 4 regional clash.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Cast your vote for the Cheboygan Daily Tribune's Athlete of the Week for Feb. 26-March 2

BEATING INLAND LAKES: Four-peat: Onaway boys outlast Inland Lakes to earn another district basketball crown

A scoring duel to remember

Fueling the Saints (19-6) was Ingalls, who poured in a game-high 44 points. While Ingalls knocked down five 3-pointers, arguably his biggest came late in the fourth when he made several free throws to keep St. Ignace in front. Whether it was getting to the basket, a smooth-mid-range game, or drilling shots from beyond the arc, Ingalls was unstoppable for much of the night.

“He’s a good player, he can do a lot of things,” St. Ignace coach Doug Ingalls said following his son’s outstanding display. “He jumps well, he can get in the paint well, and he’s tough. He plays good in the big games, usually.”

On the opposite side, Onaway senior guard Jadin Mix put on a show himself, finishing with a career-high 38 points and giving the Cardinals (19-6) a chance all evening. In his final game as a Cardinal, Mix scored 24 points in the second half and drilled seven 3s for the game.

“Jadin’s always been a gamer – tonight he stepped up in one of the biggest ones,” Szymoniak said. “He was just feeling it. Honestly, I wish we would’ve tried getting him the ball a few more times. A couple times we had some mismatches, and we didn’t quite get it to him, but having somebody like that, just like Jonny (Ingalls) was, they just didn’t go away from it, and that’s on me, too.

“(Mix) plays so calm, but he leaves everything out there. He’s one of the best.”

GIRLS DISTRICTS: Cheboygan, Onaway girls basketball teams advance to district semifinals on Wednesday

BELLA ECKER: 'Bella's just awesome': Ecker playing best basketball at right time for Cheboygan girls

EMILY CLARK: 'When she speaks, people listen:’ Clark thrives as senior leader with Cheboygan girls basketball

Giving it everything

The Cardinals might have come out on the losing end, but they threw everything but the kitchen sink at an elite St. Ignace squad. Falling behind by double digits in the second quarter, Onaway came roaring back and took a brief lead when Mix capped off a big run with a three.

The Cardinals trailed after each quarter but managed to tie the game late in the fourth. However, some late fouls allowed Ingalls and the Saints to build a lead they would hold onto.

But even in defeat, Szymoniak knows his team left it all out on the court.

“Thirty-two minutes of giving it everything you possibly have, and they did that – they’ve did it for four years here,” Szymoniak said. “There’s a reason that they’ve got four straight district titles, two conference titles. The heart and determination of these guys is second to none, for sure. It’s hard to say goodbye to these (seniors), it’s hard to see them walk away, but it is what it is.”

Senior Austin Veal scored 16 points in his last game for the Cardinals, while Mason Beebe tallied 10, Justin Kramer-St. Germain finished with eight, and Brendon Brewbaker added two.

A date with the defending champs

As for the Saints, they'll look to win a regional title when they meet defending Division 4 state champion Munising – a 69-51 winner over Rudyard on Tuesday – in a 7 p.m. final at Sault Ste. Marie on Thursday.

“Munising’s really good, they’ve got a great point guard, and the big guy is really good,” Ingalls said. “It’s going to be a difficult game for us, and we’ve got one day to prepare, they’ve got one day to prepare, so it’s going to be tough on us, but we’re due for a good game."

Ethan McLean (17 points) and Kordell KillsCrow (10) also hit double figures for St. Ignace.

Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Ingalls, St. Ignace top Mix, Onaway in regional boys basketball semifinal