Lefty sensation: Schoonmaker's consistency a big part of Inland Lakes basketball's success

INDIAN RIVER – Sam Schoonmaker has always been a fast-paced kind of person.

When he was younger, he played all kinds of sports. But there was one that stood above the rest.

“Baseball, track, soccer, but I think basketball has really stuck,” Schoonmaker said. “I think it came naturally, I was tall, and I just liked it. I liked the aggression. You always want to have the ball and never be slow with it. I just try to go 100 percent, and basketball kind of has that fast pace, which I like.”

If you’ve watched Schoonmaker throughout his Inland Lakes High School career on the hardwood, the word slow is the last thing that comes to mind.

Since his sophomore season, Schoonmaker, a 6-foot-2, left-handed player has been a crucial part of what’s been a solid Bulldogs program in recent years. Whether it’s aggressively driving to score a basket, ferociously battling for rebounds inside, or finding different ways to get his teammates involved, he’s been the spark plug the Bulldogs have benefitted from.

He’s also shown that he can play all five positions on the court, including point guard, as was the case during last week's victory over Pellston. In that clash, he finished with 20 points and grabbed several rebounds for the Bulldogs, who are finding their groove at the right time.

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“I definitely do love scoring, but when we’re all working together, it’s great when everything looks clean as a team,” Schoonmaker said.

Ever since becoming a regular contributor as a sophomore, Schoonmaker has averaged close to a double-double for his career, allowing him to earn all-conference and all-area accolades. As a junior, he helped lift Inland Lakes to a share of the Ski Valley Conference championship.

As impressive as his overall game is, those working with him have pointed out his hard-working mentality as another one of his strong suits.

“He’s a fun kid to coach, he’s very coachable, he doesn’t make a whole of excuses, and he just keeps working hard,” Inland Lakes coach Lee Nash said. “He’s very athletic and his athleticism has been his key ever since he was a sophomore. He’s worked on handling the ball more this year, he’s worked on some (3-pointers), and he was handling the ball at (point guard) earlier tonight.

“He can take criticism, and the next moment we can be laughing and trying to get better.”

During the win over Pellston, Schoonmaker’s athleticism, speed and skill were all on full display once more in front of a fired-up home crowd. But even with all the experience he has now, those nerves still kick in when game time rolls around.

"I just kind of figure out ways, routines before the game and everything, but boy, I’ve just been a nervous guy since I was a sophomore on the varsity,” Schoonmaker said. “It’s definitely nice to see the growth of the team and myself. I feel kind of stronger as a person and as a leader.”

As his high school career nears its end, Schoonmaker and his teammates have unfinished business, especially after coming close to winning a district title last March. In that matchup, the Bulldogs lost a significant lead and eventually fell to rival Onaway on the road.

Whether I-L gets over the hump or not, Schoonmaker knows what he wants his legacy to be.

“I kind of just want to leave this team as good as they can be,” Schoonmaker said. “I’m excited to see how far we can go, and we’ve got a lot of younger people on the team that are doing well, and I’d like to kind of pave a way for them.”

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In one of his last games on his home court, Schoonmaker looked every bit of the kid who fell in love with basketball as a youngster, tearing through the Hornets time and time again.

Now, he doesn't want it to end.

“This is my favorite sport,” Schoonmaker said. “I’ll probably shed a few tears when it’s over. I still think I’m not really anything great, I kind of like to stay a bit humble on the team, and I’ve got a lot of places to work on.

“I just like to keep growing.”

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: Fast-paced Sam Schoonmaker having terrific career with Inland Lakes boys basketball