Schauer shatters all time high score record

What does 18 years of love for the game and a passion to play burning in your soul get you??

Well... a lot! A lot of stats, hours, miles, friendships and memories.  

Jackson Schauer closed out his high school basketball career as a Longhorn with the title of Varsity Basketball All Time Leading Scorer Record Holder, with an impressive 1,827 points! The title was previously held by Luke Enos in 2016 with 1,772 points. Jackson scored his 1,773rd point to break the record during his last home game of his last season as a Longhorn against the Harding County Ranchers in the second round of Regions. Winning over the Ranchers for a third time in the season gave the team bragging rights and put Jackson at a total of 1,794 points. Advancing to the SoDak 16 game against Viborg-Hurley netted Jackson another 33 points reaching that varsity career total of 1,827.    

Jackson has been in the gym since before he was born, his first word was “ball” and he loved going to practice with his dad, Doug even before he was in school. “I wanted to see what my dad was doing and once I saw the players working on drills and plays I was hooked,” says Jackson. 

“I usually had a basketball in my hand, but I started playing as a Longhorn in third grade. I also played on travel teams in elementary school, in tournaments like the Queen City Classic, and AAU every summer from 7th grade through the summer of 2023,” Jackson shared. He also participated in the Elk’s Hoop Shoot from ages 8 - 13. He qualified for State every year, the Regional Contest encompassing SD, ND and MT twice and National Finals once, in 2018 where he tied for third place. The contest was held in Chicago that year. A few more stats to mention consist of Jackson playing on the varsity Longhorn basketball team since 8th grade, qualifying for the State B Basketball Tournament in 2020 and 2023 as well as being featured in the 2023-2024 Hansen Anderson SD Boys Basketball Preview. 

Learning the importance of practice, dedication and fundamentals at an early age set in motion a drive to achieve his goals. That translated to spending time in the gym every single day accumulating an infinite number of hours practicing, conditioning and of course staying focused. In elementary school Jackson would practice his shooting form in front of the mirror before bed each night. All of these hours learning, working hard and repetition would hold the highest value for Jackson coming into his junior year of varsity basketball. A broken bone in his back during the spring of his sophomore year would result in a May - mid October recovery going into his junior year of high school. That meant no time in the gym, shooting, conditioning or working on plays for the upcoming season. Not even practicing form in front of the mirror was allowed for a successful and full recovery. Mid October of 2022 was the first time Jackson was able to step foot on the court in several months. With the start of the 22-23 season looming just a few short weeks away Jackson got to work. “I knew I had a lot of time to make up for being off the court and I wanted to make sure I was as strong as I could be for our team, so I got to work and I kept working through the season. As a team we finished the season strong with a trip to the State B Tournament.”

When asked about his final season of Longhorn basketball, Jackson replied, “My senior year has been amazing! Midway through the season realizing I was on pace to possibly beat the record and then accomplishing  that, feels good. To see the hard work pay off and be in the same conversation as Luke Enos means a lot. I am so fortunate to have grown up in Faith. Support from my family, coaches and the community is great. And to have my teammates by my side who are also my friends I have been playing ball with since we were little is really amazing!” 

Jackson’s dad, Doug Schauer who has been coaching in one capacity or another for 36 years and counting  said, “This has been an awesome journey with Jackson as a dad and a coach. The many friendships we have made that would have never been possible without the great game of basketball, is wild to think about.”

Jackson’s mom Amie shared, “All the miles are worth it! The time spent traveling, nights spent with extended family, the highs and lows of competition and the life lessons learned both on and off the court are irreplaceable. Watching your child do something they love and being able to help them achieve their goals is inspiring and humbling. Time really does go by so fast! Looking back over the years and how large our families world has become through basketball with all of the connections we have made is wonderful.”

As Jackson prepares to transition from FHS student to alumni, he has one more decision to make. Who to sign with for college ball? Wherever this next chapter of basketball takes Jackson, the hometown crowd will be cheering! Longhorn Pride!!

Jackson has elevated the FHS legacy of inspiring young Longhorns to set high goals and achieve them. This may be, the highest honor of all.