Onaway’s Mix goes down swinging, delivers best performance of career in final game

INDIAN RIVER – If the Onaway Cardinals were going down, they were going down swinging.

Jadin Mix just wanted to be one of those leading the way.

Well, the Onaway senior guard didn’t just go down swinging during Tuesday night’s MHSAA Division 4 regional basketball semifinal loss to St. Ignace.

He delivered the best performance of his career.

Competing in his last game with the Cardinals, Mix poured in a career-high 38 points – including seven made 3-pointers – and fueled an Onaway team that went the distance with the Saints.

“Especially coming into tonight, we knew about St. Ignace, we knew they were ranked,” Mix said. "We’ve been watching them just because we knew that this region was going to be the toughest in the state, so we knew if we wanted to compete, we were going to have to perform at the level of our peak, and that’s exactly what we did tonight.”

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Had it not been for a remarkable 44-point explosion by St. Ignace senior Jonny Ingalls, Mix’s display would’ve been the best in Tuesday’s clash. But Mix knows the greatness of Ingalls, someone he’s played with in travel ball. Mix and his teammates did their best to contain Ingalls, but the smooth shooting guard came up with a monster night against a stout defense.

“There’s a few times where Jonny would come down and just hit that deep (3-pointer), but we were there,” Mix said. “Nothing we could do, we were contesting them, but he’s just a good player.”

With only a few minutes remaining in a tight contest, Mix’s night ended when he was called for a fifth foul. As he made his way to the bench, he was treated to a standing ovation by the tons of Onaway supporters who have watched him transform into one of the program’s all-time greats. Tears were shed several minutes after the final buzzer, but the smile eventually returned for Mix, who explained what it’s meant to be a part of this successful Onaway basketball era.

“I don’t even know how to explain it. We’re a family,” Mix said. “Everyone here, it’s a small town, (my teammates and I) see each other everywhere we go, but we’re always together, whether it’s on the weekends or after school, we’re at someone’s house, at a hot tub at a hotel or something, we’re always together. We’re just a family.”

During his decorated career, Mix helped lead the Cardinals to multiple district and Ski Valley Conference titles, while also earning all-state and all-conference honors. One of his most memorable nights came earlier this season, when he reached 1,000 career points and became the MHSAA’s record holder for steals in a career in the same game.

After Mix fouled out on Tuesday, there was coach Eddy Szymoniak to console a player who put the Cardinals on his back and gave them a chance against a high-caliber opponent.

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“To go out his senior year, his last game, it was hands down his best, and that’s all just a will to win," Szymoniak said of Mix. "I really feel that there’s something about special players like him, and that’s the same it’s been with Austin (Veal) all year. They have that dog in them, that fight that they want to put the team on their backs, and Jadin did that tonight.”

From the young kid he was when he joined the varsity late in his freshman campaign to the superstar he became, saying goodbye won’t be easy for Mix, one of Onaway’s best.

“It’s been the most fun with anything I’ve ever done, especially playing ball and playing for Onaway,” Mix said. “We’re going to have the rest of the school year, we’re going to hang out in the summer, but next year most of us are going to college or going straight to work so we’re not going to see each other as much, so it’s definitely going to be tough for that and not being able to see each other every day like we do.”

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: Onaway's Mix wraps up stellar basketball career with 38-point display against St. Ignace