By Michael Hoffer
After a madcap three weeks of tournament action, the curtain has fallen on the 2008-09 basketball season.
For all three local schools, it was a year to remember.
The Cape Elizabeth boys rode one of the more memorable buzzer-beaters in tournament history to a second straight regional crown before losing to Camden Hills in the Class B state final.
South Portland’s boys featured the incomparable Keegan Hyland, whose individual brilliance led the Red Riots to another 14-win regular season and a playoff berth.
Scarborough’s boys made it back to the preliminary round, but for the third time in four years, lost to nemesis Biddeford.
On the girls’ side, Scarborough enjoyed its finest Class A season to date, reaching the semifinals for the first time. Along the way, the Red Storm eliminated South Portland, coming off a solid campaign, in the quarterfinals.
Perhaps the most inspirational story, however, was the one local team that didn’t make the playoffs. After failing to win more than three games in any season this decade, Cape Elizabeth’s girls went 7-11 this winter and hinted at more triumph to come next season.
From mid-November through the final day of February, strong team play, dynamic individuals and coaches, and dramatic finishes were the rule.
The 2009-2010 season can’t arrive soon enough, but for now, here’s a look back at a season to remember.
Junior Keegan Hyland had a season to remember for the South Portland boys’ basketball team. (File photo)
Cape Elizabeth’s boys’ team got to celebrate another regional championship this winter. (File photo)

Copy the Story Link