Onaway's Mix to play for ACC men's basketball next season

ONAWAY — Jager Mix won't have to travel too far for the next phase of his basketball career.

In fact, he'll be pretty close to home ... and that's the way he likes it.

Last week, Mix, a senior center for the Onaway Cardinals, committed to play men's basketball at Alpena Community College next season.

"It's just unreal," said Mix, now Onaway's all-time leading scorer and rebounder. "The support system for my family and giving me that go-ahead to go there and continue to play basketball is the biggest thing for me. That's the sport I've loved since I've been old enough to talk and old enough to remember things, so it's always been such a blessing to have."

Since sixth grade, it's been a dream of Mix's to play collegiately.

With hard work, toughness and perseverance, it's now a reality for the Onaway star, whose play was vital in the Cardinals winning both Ski Valley Conference and district championships this past winter.

While he had other colleges looking at him, ACC was always on the mind of Mix, who said those closest around him played a major role in his decision.

"My family has always been my rock," Mix said. "I'm very fortunate to have the family and support system that I have from here, and they just want me to go out and do what makes me happy. Alpena being that close is absolutely awesome in that I can come home and see my grandma and grandpa, my family, my dad, my mom on the weekends and all that, but to go out and ball it up during the week, that's just an added bonus."

Mix heads to ACC following a stellar season on the court, where he averaged 14.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, four steals and 1.75 blocks for the Cardinals, who won their first Ski Valley crown since 1963. In addition to All-Ski Valley first team honors, Mix recently earned a spot on the Associated Press Division 4 All-State second team.

For the man who coached him the last four years, he was pretty happy about his star player's decision as well.

"I knew that it's been a passion for him for some time," said Onaway coach Eddy Szymoniak. "For him to be able to get that opportunity now, I'm extremely happy for him, and it just shows how much hard work he had to put in to get to that point.

"I'm excited to be able to watch him. It won't be the same without that Onaway uniform on, but to be able to go watch him play at the next level and continue his dream and his passion, I'm thrilled."

Mix will now play for ACC coach Bobby Allen, someone he's built a strong relationship with in recent years.

"Watching the underdog mentality, I mean everybody wants to be that underdog," Mix said of ACC. "My freshman and sophomore year, Onaway was nothing really that special, but then we had that underdog mentality to come back in every game, and I saw that in Alpena a lot when I watched them. I really, really like the fact that they never give up on anything and that they keep driving. That's the kind of player I like to think I am myself, and I think I'd be a pretty good fit in that rotation, just not being the one to give up and go for the extra hustle play. That's what I'm really looking forward to, is the good, hard-working crew.

"They (ACC) just got great facilities and great people, and Coach Allen always makes me feel really welcome when I'm there."

Over a year after suffering a nasty knee injury — one that didn't allow him to compete in track and field, football and cross country as a senior — Mix's resilience was rewarded in a big way.

For Mix, he's just thankful to be at this point.

"To be able to be where I was — at the lowest of lows — that's the lowest I've been, is that ACL injury in my life so far, and there will be some more hiccups down the road, but that was the lowest I've ever been," Mix said. "It's always been for basketball that, 'I've gotta get back for ball, I've gotta get back for ball, and I've gotta keep working to get back to help my team. To be able to do what the team did this year, and to win a district, to win a conference, make it to the regional final, I feel like that's kind of the big man upstairs just giving me the, 'Hey, good work. You put in the work, you put in the hours, and you did it,' so it's a really relieving feeling, and it's a really, really awesome feeling to have."

The talent has always been there, but Szymoniak believes one quality will allow Mix to thrive at ACC.

"Just being positive," Szymoniak said. "I think Jager can fit in anywhere. He's a person who's very easy to get along with, he can adapt in any situation. He has a strong work ethic and that's going to help him at the next level, for sure. I think he's going to adapt really well and be positive.

"No matter what his role over there is, he's going to be a great teammate and he's going to make the best out of the situation."

While he can't wait to get started at ACC, Mix knows what the Onaway program has meant to him throughout his career.

"It's been my life, I've had a basketball in my hands since I've been two years old, and I've been coming to games at the school," Mix said. "My dad (Marty) coaching the girls there, watching basketball and just being a part of that school has just been such an influential part of my life. It's definitely going to be super sad. As for Coach (Eddy) and the team, my freshman year, basically I was a big eighth grader going out there and playing high school ball. I was really, really raw with everything, but Coach Eddy, he really, really defined me as the player I am today. He really believed in my talent from the start, and I'll always appreciate him for that and for basically making me the player I am today."

Mix said he'll major in education while at ACC. He'll follow in the footsteps of his father, Marty, who also played for the Lumberjacks.

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Onaway's Mix to play for Alpena Community College men's basketball