Onaway boys complete regular season sweep of rival Inland Lakes with home victory
ONAWAY – The last time the Onaway Cardinals faced the rival Inland Lakes Bulldogs, they had to come from behind to win after trailing at halftime.
The Cardinals didn’t make it as hard on themselves this time around. Instead, they delivered a dominant first half and cruised to a 62-42 victory over the Bulldogs at home on Friday.
It was a fifth straight win for the Cardinals (14-4, 11-3 Ski Valley Conference), who continue to build momentum as the postseason approaches. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs (10-8, 8-5) suffered a second consecutive setback.
Here’s some takeaways from Friday’s rivalry clash at Onaway.
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Defense rules again for Cardinals
The Cardinals picked up right where they left off following Wednesday’s win over Gaylord St. Mary, using their relentless defense to force turnovers and score on the other end. In the first half, Onaway held its own against the likes of I-L senior frontcourt players Sam Schoonmaker and Jake Willey, never allowing them to take advantage of potential mismatches inside.
While Onaway’s defense delivered again, its offense did enough as well, with senior Austin Veal finishing with a game-high 21 points and fellow senior Jadin Mix scoring 19, including some huge 3-pointers, to halt any momentum Inland Lakes was trying to build.
“I was worried about how much we’d have left in the tank after a couple big weeks here, but their will to win and their discipline – it’s just amazing,” Onaway coach Eddy Szymoniak said. “Right from the start, they were bringing it. Late in the week, you’re starting to wonder if their legs are going to be there, but I honestly thought it took a team effort tonight.”
Justin Kramer-St. Germain scored 10 points for the Cardinals, who went on a big run at the end of the second quarter to take a commanding 32-16 lead into halftime. Jackson Chaskey tallied five points, Trenton Soik and Brendon Brewbaker each had three, and Levi Zampich added one.
Offensive frustration for Bulldogs
The Bulldogs had their chances to make things interesting, but they were plagued by several missed layups in the first half, something you can’t do against a team as talented as Onaway. Inland Lakes showed improvement on the offensive end in the second half, but the damage was already done after a lackluster opening two quarters.
“That first quarter, we got a lot of those paint looks that we like, but we missed them,” Inland Lakes coach Lee Nash said. “Uncharacteristic to miss those down there. On the season, we’re shooting pretty well there. I thought we didn’t handle Mancelona’s pressure well the other night. I thought we handled it well tonight, but we forced too many bad passes against a good team.
“Not being able to hit a whole lot of outside shots, while (Onaway) started heating up.”
Schoonmaker led the Bulldogs with 15 points, while Aidan Fenstermaker finished with 11, Connor Wallace had nine, Cash DePauw tallied four, and Jake Willey, Noah Shugar and Tanner Howard recorded one apiece.
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Confidence soaring
As the Cardinals rack up more wins, the confidence continues to grow for a team that not too long ago was in somewhat of a funk. Now, Onaway is starting to once again look like the well-oiled machine it’s been in the Ski Valley in recent years.
“We know how good we are,” Szymoniak said. “We had a little hiccup after Christmas break there, but we know the potential of this team, and I think we’re starting to roll right now. This is definitely two big weeks for us. Our kids are confident and they’re just doing their thing.”
Onaway continues its difficult Ski Valley slate when it heads to Mancelona on Tuesday, Feb. 13, while Inland Lakes hosts Alpena on Tuesday, Feb. 13.
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: Defense fuels Onaway boys basketball to another rivalry win over Inland Lakes
