A Family Affair?

Jaxi Long joins Mom and sister in Newaygo’s 1000 point club

By Ken De Laat
Photos by Alexis Mercer

Julie Long’s basketball made it into the trophy case when she was canning them from distance for the Lions in the 90’s. Back then Ottinger was the name on her warm-ups. More recently, (as in earlier this year recently) Jaylee Long fired in the basket that allowed her to join her Mom in the exclusive Lion club and case.

And now they have been joined by Jaxi Long, the sharpshooting senior with ice in her veins who has knocked down game winners with startling frequency during her time on Varsity. Time and again Long has shot her team back into games or put the brakes on an opponent's run with deadly accuracy and a fearless demeanor. 

My most vivid memory of her on the court was the win over GR Christian in what turned out to be the last game of the 19-20 season. The Eagles were among the top teams in the state and try as they might they could not put away the rugged Lions who kept it close with a dazzling display of defense against the much taller team. 

With time expiring and her team down 2, Jaxi launched a shot from distance that silenced a packed gym until it splashed into the bottom of the net for the win.
And the Lion fans in the Sparta gym absolutely erupted.

Last March her team marched to the state finals besting a bevy of ranked teams along the way. This season they began with 4 wins in  a row before losing for the first time in the Cornerstone Holiday tournament.
To the Eagles of GR Christian.

In the consolation game win over Forest Hills Eastern Jaxi scored 35 points.
Number 20 was also number 1000.
After the game Lion Coach Nate Thomasma had high praise for his 4 year varsity veteran:
“Very proud of her.  She has a great basketball IQ and is tough to defend because she can score in so many different ways."  

We caught up with Ms. Long to pose a few questions.

N3-You came up as a freshman and made an immediate impact. Was scoring 1000 and joining a pretty elite group of players in the trophy case a personal goal?

JL-Yes! I have always wanted to score 1000 points and get my name on one of the basketballs in the trophy case. Seeing my mom accomplish this, and later my sister, made me also want to be a part of this club. 

​N3-Your first year your team lost in the district finals. Since then you've lost just 1 post season game in 2 years. What do you believe has created this winning culture?

JL-Since my freshman year, my goal has always been to win a state championship. Many on my team shared this goal, so after reaching the district finals that year we wanted more. I think that getting a taste of winning opened our eyes to what could be. So, each year we got closer we wanted it more and it eventually just became second nature. 

N3-How does this year's team compare with the state final team?

JL-This year's team is definitely different from last years but the mindset is still the same. We have a lot of younger girls that are stepping up in a big way to fill the spots of our three seniors that we lost last year. 

N3-You have one of the sweetest shots I've seen. I understand you spend a lot of time in the gym. Do you have a workout regimen? How do you prepare for the season? For games?
JL-When I go to the gym I try to get as many shots up as I can. This is also what I do to prepare for games. I just try to get in a good groove before the game so I’m comfortable shooting anything. 

N3-Your team has created quite a buzz the past few years. I see a lot of younger girls at the games. What kind of advice would you give them if they want to play basketball?

JL-My advice to all younger girls that want to play basketball is to work hard. By getting in the gym you can only improve your game. So become a gym rat and never listen to doubters because they usually end up being wrong. 

Thank you Ms. Long. 
We hope the season finds your team playing deep into March once again.