Hyland's return sparks South Portland to 53-43 win over Cheverus

Hyland's return sparks South Portland to 53-43 win over Cheverus
By Eric Carson
 SOUTH PORTLAND—Clutching a basketball like he always does, Keegan Hyland pushed open the door for the first time in more than a year and charged out in front of his Red Riots for the real thing, filling what little spaces remained open with a current blast of energy that swept on through and quickened the collective pulse of an already hyped-up crowd on hand to witness the second-coming of Maine’s top high school basketball player.

Hyland, the most prolific scorer to ever pull on a South Portland jersey, missed the first 17 games of his senior season with a mysterious hip injury but returned on Friday night to the old building he’s filled with hoops at a record clip and fans by the hundreds to headline a celebration thrown largely in his honor.

Back on the grip with his old crew just in time to inherit the most unusual of circumstances, Hyland handled his moment with the grace and easy cool of a proven winner in firm control of the electric atmosphere heavy with the expectation of catching at least a cameo from the 6-foot-4 guard just 38 points away from becoming the all-time leading scorer for South Portland boys’ basketball despite not taking the floor for a single minute of his final season.

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