'He plays the game the right way': Austin Veal etches himself into Onaway basketball lore

ONAWAY – Austin Veal remembers his first varsity basketball bucket.

As a freshman, Veal was starting for injured teammate Kevin Pearson. Despite being a young player, Veal made an impression on coach Eddy Szymoniak.

Since then, it’s been one unique journey for Veal, who’s dazzled the Onaway faithful as a prolific scorer. On Thursday, Veal became the sixth player in Onaway boys history to reach 1,000 career points.

It was an emotional moment for Veal, who’s tormented opposing defenses for years.

“It means the world, it does truly, because I know how much time I put into the gym and how much dedication I have for this sport,” Veal said. “We’re past that now and it’s time to go for our big goals."

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Veal’s memorable moment allowed him to join former Onaway greats Pearson, Joe Sigsby, Joe O’Bradovich, Jager Mix and Kevin Freel as 1,000-point scorers. Veal became the fifth player to reach the feat under Szymoniak.

“Austin’s basically done this in three years,” Szymoniak said. “He’s going to go up there as one of the greatest to come through here, especially as a scorer. Obviously, it looks like he’s going to be our all-time leading scorer. We’ve still got a full season to go, but he’s the quickest to ever reach 1,000. I’m happy for him.”

Thursday was a culmination for Veal, who’s been at it on the court since his elementary days. Experiencing highs and lows along the way, he's worked tirelessly to becoming an elite player.

“There’s always something about a left-hander,” Szymoniak said. “You could really see that through junior high when you knew he was going to be something special. By the time he got midway through his seventh-grade year and to his eighth-grade year, it was something where I was excited to get him into this program.”

What Veal has shown is that he’s a classic Szymoniak player – high-energy, relentless and has an uncanny ability to step up in the big moments. His will to succeed and leadership have rubbed off on the entire Onaway squad.

“We have our fun and have our goofballs (on the team), but he’s always locked in, he’s always focused,” Szymoniak said. “He plays the game the right way, the way I love to see it, with a lot of emotion, and the kid shows a lot of heart, and that goes a long way in your program. Other kids know that they have to step up to that level and play with that kind of fire.”

Following another win, Veal was surrounded by family, friends and supporters who wanted to take pictures with Onaway's most recent 1,000-point scorer. But it hasn’t just been Veal’s sensational play on the court that’s been a joy for the Onaway community. He’s proven to be a role model to every young player who aspires to become an Onaway basketball star someday.

“For these younger kids, you look out and see a kid play like that both offensively and defensively – he does it on both ends of the court,” Szymoniak said. “He just proves that size doesn’t matter. It’s all mental and how tough you are. That’s huge for these younger kids to be able to see that.”

For Veal, this long journey is far from over. He, along with the teammates he's played with for years, have their sights set on a third consecutive Ski Valley Conference title, a fourth straight district crown, and perhaps more.

“We started off slow, we had a few rough seasons, then we hit our middle school years and we actually started coming into the gym and working hard – and then it all came together,” Veal said. “The way we’re moving the ball and doing everything as a team now, I think we have a good chance of making it far, I really do.”

Onaway will be seeking a 5-0 start when it travels to Rogers City on Monday.

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: Looking at Austin Veal's journey to 1,000 points with Onaway basketball